Several post in this thread have mentioned sniping in a tone that seem to imply it is somehow reprehensible behaviour. Also that people are annoyed that they "lose" an auction by only a few dollars.
This AFAIAC is a misunderstanding of the entire ebay bidding process. I offer the following to those that might benefit from a pimer on ebay bidding. Those that already understand how it works will find it pedantic but I can't be the only ebayer who only came to a solid understanding of the proxy bid system and sniping after quite so time. And after "losing" auctions by what seemed like trifling sums, frequently at the last instant.
There is nothing "unsporting" about snipe bidding. It is simply a fact of life. Anyone understanding how the proxy bidding system works on ebay is very likely to conclude that sniping is really the ONLY sensible way to bid in a time-limited auction like ebay. There is no "going . . . going . . . gone!" on ebay.
And the second highest bidder will always, by very definition, lose to the highest bidder by the minimum increment.
A reduction ad absurdam hypothetical example just to make a point crystal clear.
The bidding for a widget is at $100.
John really wants it but figures it is only worth about $150 to him. He goes all out though and bids $200. He really doesn't want to pay that much though.
Little does he know that another bidder unbeknownst to him has ALREADY scheduled a snipe for $500! The snipe is scheduled to be entered electronically 5 seconds before the auction ends. The snipe bidder really has no intent whatsoever to actually pay $500! He accepts however that it COULD happen. But it likely won't. He REALLY wants the item badly!He is actually willing to pay more than "what the item is worth." It's worth more to him, for whatever reason.
So what happens next. John has entered his maximum bid . . . $200. The bidding instantly goes to $105, the minimum increment being $5 at that level. John is happy. He is top bidder at $105 even though he is actually expecting to have to pay a little more as other bidders enter the fray.
But there are no more bidders . . . except for that sniper. Right up to 5 seconds before the auction closes, John looks like the winner with his bid of $105. He is so happy! But, at 5 seconds, the roof falls in on him! The snipe bid activates. Instantaneously the bids escalate. Even John's maximium bid of $200 is exceeded in just an instant. The bid goes to $205. The snipe is for a maximum of $500!
There is no time left for John to respond, even if he were willing to go to the next increment which would be $210. (It would be futile anyway, but poor John doesn't KNOW that!)
The sniper, with the $500 bid wins the item at $205. John is now very unhappy as he feels he only "lost" by $5! He in unaware that, to win against the sniper, he would have had to bid MORE than $500 to win!
It's an extreme example. I don't suggest it wise to ever enter a snipe bid with a maximum amount higher than you are willing to pay. It could be disasterous to do so.
It's how ebay works. Has always worked. If they wanted to change it to make sniping pointless, they could readily do so. They never have. It seems unlikely they ever will. People have complained about it for years to no avail.
Sniping isn't "wrong." It's just the most effective way bid on ebay. It puts a serious brake on incremental bidding which slowly drives the final price up. And it costs nothing. Sniping software is readily available . . . and it's free.
I have eyed a few ARR items myself. I spent a few year up there . . . and their paint scheme is really nice!But, so far, I have not entered any snipes on ARR items. So don't blame me! At least not yet.
Terry
I agree with Terry. I've been sniped in the past. It happens and it doesn't bother me. What I do is add 20% to whatever number is the highest amount I am willing to pay. In the above example if I were willing to pay $200 for an item I would bid $240 as close to the end of the auction as possible. If I still wind up losing, again as in the above example, then it certainly doesn't bother me as I never wanted to pay that much anyway. I just hate to lose buy a dollar or two As I usually feel that I would have paid the extra few bucks to win the item.
