fleaBay Sniping Software

[Doug Shepard]

I personally find the whole auction sniping thing a bit distasteful, but I'm getting a bit tired of trying to bid on something against other folks who are obviously using sniping software. I feel a bit like a one-armed man in a street brawl. So I'm considering using some sniping software. Anybody know what works and what doesn't? What's the cost? Any comments good or bad on one's you've tried?

[skip coyne]

sniping only works if they bid more .

lets say a item has a opening bid of 50 , you bid the first day of the auction with a proxy of 150.00

which will make the bid 50.00

over the week the bidding hits 100.00 (with you still highest bidder, due to your proxy bid)

I snipe at 125.in the last few seconds

your original proxy of 150 still wins it for you .
(evan if I bid 150 you bid first so you win )

[Matt Meiser]

The drawback to proxy bids (for the buyer) is that they seem to drive the final price up because others will bid a proxy bid and the price immediately escalates. I've never used sniping software myself. Frankly, I'm buying less and less on Ebay because the prices are just getting too high. And when I do buy, more often than not its from a store format.

To be sure you are the highest bidder, you really need to pay more than anyone else is willing to pay. When I sell, I find that most of my buyers are in the sticks and I assume are willing to pay more because they can't get it locally.

[Ralph Barhorst]

Doug,

I have used this software and it works fine and is free.

http://stevemorse.org/ebay/silently.php

[Michael Cody]

I personally find the whole auction sniping thing a bit distasteful, but I'm getting a bit tired of trying to bid on something against other folks who are obviously using sniping software. I feel a bit like a one-armed man in a street brawl. So I'm considering using some sniping software. Anybody know what works and what doesn't? What's the cost? Any comments good or bad on one's you've tried?

I'm a sniper -- what can I say, it's ok by the rules so it's ok by me. Anyway I use ESnipe .. does have a small charge but it's been very very reliable. www.esnipe.com .. check it out. I like it because if I see something I want, I put in a snipe bid up to the max I will pay and forget about it.. get an email when it ends if I won or not. Actually though I've bought a couple of things I probably wouldn't have because I put in a snipe bid, changed my mind and then forgot to kill the bid, but overall I am very happy with it.

[Travis Hirst]

I have used auctionsniper.com in the past and had great luck. All you have to do is the the item in question on your watch list, do not bid, and then go to auctionsniper and import your watch list. After that you just let them know how long before the end of the auction you would like your bid to go in. You can go all the way down to 1 second before the end. Just a little info that works for me.

Travis

[Charles McKinley]

I bid what I'm willing to pay with shipping and if someone wants it more than I do so be it. Sniping only works if you don't bid what you would have paid for it to begin with. it is easy to get caught up in the auction thing and over pay. Research and patientce is the only way to get a deal.

Also deals are harder to find on the bay now. It is usually only if things are missed labled or have poor descriptions. Check Craigs list and other sale site.

The most important thing is to know what you want and what a fair price is for it. If you are looking for hand tools there are several sellers that are reputable and have fair prices.

Several new(er) things on ebay are listed at what I can walk into a store and buy them for if not higher and this is before shipping.

[Chris Padilla]

auctionstealer.com
sniper.com

I've used 'em all...they are all basically free. Have fun! You will learn. I'm successful about half the time....

[Christopher Stahl]

I buy items on eBay all the time and I don't use any sniping software. If it's something I want, I'll watch it if I have time, otherwise, I just bid what I'm willing to pay. I know people feel things are getting more expensive, but there are more and more people using eBay everyday, so items sell for higher prices. Sniping is no different than you putting in your highest bid your willing to go. Sniping is last second anyway, so I don't think it's hurting bids if you put in your max bid. I have bid early and late, I don't see any difference.

[Dave Fifield]

Like Chris, I use http://www.auctionstealer.com - they have a free service where you can bid about 10 seconds from the end of an auction a few times a month, but, I find it more useful to bid in the last 3 seconds of an auction so that no one has any chance of putting in another bid. Thus, I pay a fee to Auction Stealer for their premium service. I have to say, I am waaay ahead, money wise - it's a godsend IMO.

Here's the reason. I'm a lousy bidder. I get all caught up with auction fever, you know, when the adrenalin flows and you simply MUST beat out that other fellow AT ALL COSTS! (regardless of what the item is or what it's really worth!). If sniping didn't exist, I'd be paying waaay too much money on the auctions for things all the time. With sniping, I simply ask myself "what is the maximum price you'd be willing to pay for this object?". I set the snipe bid at that amount and walk away. No auction fever ever. FWIW, I seem to win about 60 to 70% of the time this way.

I estimate that I have saved hundreds of $$$ this way - well worth the fee IMO. YMMV.

There IS a difference between sniping and just putting your maximum bid in early. With sniping, no other bidders know anything about your interest in the item at all, right up until the last 3 seconds of the auction, which is too late for them to react. With sniping, you can get an item for just a few more $$ than the current bid about 7 times out of 10, whereas if you bid the same (winning) amount early, you give the other bidders lots of time to mull over their bid and give them plenty of time to raise it just a few more $$$.

Cheers,

[David G Baker]

Like Chris, I use http://www.auctionstealer.com - they have a free service where you can bid about 10 seconds from the end of an auction a few times a month, but, I find it more useful to bid in the last 3 seconds of an auction so that no one has any chance of putting in another bid. Thus, I pay a fee to Auction Stealer for their premium service. I have to say, I am waaay ahead, money wise - it's a godsend IMO.

Here's the reason. I'm a lousy bidder. I get all caught up with auction fever, you know, when the adrenalin flows and you simply MUST beat out that other fellow AT ALL COSTS! (regardless of what the item is or what it's really worth!). If sniping didn't exist, I'd be paying waaay too much money on the auctions for things all the time. With sniping, I simply ask myself "what is the maximum price you'd be willing to pay for this object?". I set the snipe bid at that amount and walk away. No auction fever ever. FWIW, I seem to win about 60 to 70% of the time this way.

I estimate that I have saved hundreds of $$$ this way - well worth the fee IMO. YMMV.

There IS a difference between sniping and just putting your maximum bid in early. With sniping, no other bidders know anything about your interest in the item at all, right up until the last 3 seconds of the auction, which is too late for them to react. With sniping, you can get an item for just a few more $$ than the current bid about 7 times out of 10, whereas if you bid the same (winning) amount early, you give the other bidders lots of time to mull over their bid and give them plenty of time to raise it just a few more $$$.

Cheers,

Dave,
I have been on the seller side of the auction fever and had folks pay as much as 5 times the retail cost of the item I was selling, plus they paid shipping. Human nature is a strange thing.
I get caught up in the bidding wars once in a while but try to control my self by putting in the maximum I am willing to pay for an item and not looking at the auction until it is over.
I haven't used snipping software in several years, but may give the Auctionstealer a try.
The auctions I hate are the ones that use the "buy it now" option at a very low price and charge a fortune for shipping and handling, taking the item above most retail prices.
Read on my stock site that the "Big" on line auction site's profit was up 24%. This profit is coming off of the backs of the sellers and buyers that are being charged excessive fees. I keep hoping that one of these days another site comes along that can compete successfully against the horrendous "profits" that the "Big" site makes. I have cut my buying and selling back at least 90% because of the costs.
David B

[Wes Bischel]

I have used Auctionstealer in the past for two reasons. 1) when I know there is a novice bidder, and 2) in some arenas where shill bidding is common/suspected. Early on, I can't tell you how much money was wasted by some nut bidding $1 40 times. In the end I most likely paid the same, but it is so aggravating to deal with this form of Chinese water torture.

FWIW,
Wes

[nic obie]

Justsnipe is like Auctionsniper only it's free. You get 5 freesnipes a week.

[Ted Miller]

Doug, I have been on ebay for years and if I watch something I want, I wait til the final minutes before the auction ends then I bid in the last minute of the auction. If I see the price going crazy I move on to the next seller with the same item I want. I never bid the day the auction starts only when its very close to ending. If the auction closes at night or when I cannot be near the PC then I will put down what I think is the most I will pay but make the price off a bit like $26.51, but still I only do this close the auction ending. I have always been a sniper and if you want a good price you have no choice but to snipe...

[Ted Miller]

Matt, The main thing I look at is how much is shipping, I will even ask the seller what exactlly shipping will be to my zip. I do not always trust the zip cost shipping calculator on most of the auctions. That affects if the price is really worth added with the cost of the item. Also watch for "handling charge", whick means the seller can charge for packaging and making the trip to USPS on top of the shipping cost...