posted on November 5, 2000 02:48:50 PM new
I read on another post that someone thought sniping was a dirty trick and puts it in the same catagory as shilling. That is so ridiculous!!! Some folks check the auctions ending soon on auctionwatch and only get in at the last minute because...gee...maybe they just saw the auction. For those complaining about this so called sniping...what would you propose? Maybe a 10 minute rule...no more bidding 10 min before the bidding ends. Hummm...when that doesn't fix the problem then add a 10 min rule to the 10 min rule and so on. Doesn't that sound ridiculous?...about as silly as complaining about being outbid fair and square.
posted on November 5, 2000 05:51:01 PM new
I always thought that was what an auction was, you bid, someone else bids, then HEY someone else outbids you even if it is at the last minute. Sniping? I don't think so.
posted on November 6, 2000 03:34:38 PM new
This is a note from an experienced sniper..... I work for a company that purchases items on eBay for a small portion of the vast merchandise. Sniping is the only way we bid. If we don't, someone will follow our bid and ride on my time of deep research for quality items available. Yes, I do get outbid by other snipers, that is the breaks! Everyone has their price they are willing to pay for an item. I am pretty sure that if the person complaining had a snipe program themselves, they would have a different opinion about sniping. Sellers on eBay should like sniping, because items are being sold! As long as you get over what you start or make your auction at a reserve, don't whine! Be happy that it is gone! Take the money and pack up the item. If the rules change to the silly ways of no bids 10 minutes before the auction ends, you are going to have less people interested in even bidding and therefore, sellers will make less money. Perhaps, the only way to solve the problem at hand is to have the computer hold all bids until the auction is over with......... no bid prices shown of other bidders until it is all over with...... bids start at $9.95 and results of visitors/bidders doesn't show up and all bids appear at once...... The one who bid highest wins. THIS IS THE ONLY OPTION to the way things run now. I do commend eBay for their wonderful site, and for the most part see no problems with them, sellers or bidders. Play Fair! Changing the rules and ending bid entries early is silly and won't make anyone any money.
posted on November 8, 2000 01:28:17 PM new
I thought the point was to win the auction. The last highest bid wins. Call it whatever you want but if I really want something I'll bid at the very last second and try to get it. I've also put in the first bid on items, just depends on when I see them. When I run an auction I love to see it go up at the last minute.
posted on November 9, 2000 09:03:02 PM new
For all the whiners out there, I would never admit that you have never been to a live auction. You people call the last bid a snipe. Try a real auction for a change. The last bid wins, in the last second, and that's the way the real world is. Whiners should quit.
posted on November 27, 2000 10:02:33 AM new
There is one auction site (specializes in Railroad collectibles) which simply extends the auction for a certain number of minutes each time someone places a bid (I think within the closing hour).
posted on November 28, 2000 03:26:44 PM new
Here's my two cents. First, I do not for the life of me understand why ebay and other sites don't run their auctions like "real" auctions. Contrary to information in other posts to this thread in a "real" auction at Sotheby's or Butterfield's there is no time limit--the auctioneer takes bids until nobody wants to bid anymore. Not only does this prevent sniping, but it seems to me would be economically advantageous for sellers and the auction companies. Without a time limit people might find themselves in bidding wars that would drive the price up--this is what happens at "real" auctions quite often, the competition gets the better of people and they will pay anything to win. However, it does not seem that the auction companies like ebay, perhaps for technical reasons (?) are going to go to this system, thus sniping will continue. Personally, I dislike being sniped, but then I usually put in my top bid in the last hour or so, and if I do get sniped I chalk it up to the sniper simply being willing to pay more than I thought the object was worth. If there is one thing ebay has taught me--nothing is unique! If I lose, I'll just bid again the next time a similar object comes up.
posted on November 28, 2000 04:45:42 PM new
Maybe that's why Yahoo has a feature called 'extend auction.' The auction ends only when 5 minutes of no bidding have taken place. So each snipe, extends the auction by another 5 minutes.
posted on November 28, 2000 08:15:50 PM new
I like the proxy bid feature of ebay. I pretty much know how much I'm willing to spend on an item, and that will be my maximum bid. That way I don't get I don't get caught up in the bidding hysteria. If someone snipes at the last minute, then they can have it.
posted on November 29, 2000 07:18:10 PM new
By the way Sothebys.com also extends the auction if there are bids in the last ten minutes of an auction...It's like the live business, very interesting to see.
p.s. PayPal - your fees are a scam.
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Good luck and happy bidding!!
posted on November 29, 2000 07:19:56 PM new
By the way Sothebys.com also extends the auction if there are bids in the last ten minutes of an auction...It's like the live business, very interesting to see.
