More Information Needed about eBay Sniping Policy

by: exdwh

We snipe hundreds of items each month and have not noticed any problems. We've been using Bidnapper for several years.

--David

by: rzbk

Can anyone explain the difference between a 'snipe' bid and a 'maximum' bid in easy to understand terms?

Thanks

by: Philip Cohen

A eBay proxy "maximum" bid is one that eBay applies automatically in increments as required; the problem is the seller, via his shill can place an "accidental" ridiculously high bid thne retract that bid but in the meantime he has exposed your "maximum" proxy bid, and he will then place shill bids up to your maximum bid. eBay maximum proxy bidding is the best way to finish up paying your maximum.

A "snipe" bid, on the other hand, is you set a maximum bid but that bid is not placed until seconds before the end on the auction; your maximum bid can't be ascertained by the seller or anyone else, and you avoid paying more than you have to by not entering into a nibble bidding war with who know who, many times the seller himself ...

The ugly reality of eBay’s calculated facilitation of shill bidding fraud on its auctions marketplace—http://bit.ly/11F2eas

by: Dhp3

rbzk, to answer your question. The difference between a maximum and sniped bid is the timing. A maximum bid is placed at any point in the auction with the seller hoping to win by placing the highest dollar amount upfront. A snipe bid on the other hand is always  placed in the final seconds of the auction with the buyer hoping to win by concealing their interest, thereby not giving other bidders a chance to counter.

by: windsorbear

I would love to see eBay implement "added time" to last minute bids on auctions... say if an auction received a bit within the last 10 seconds, an additional 30 seconds would be added to the auction to allow additional last minute bids.  THIS is how you create exciting bidding wars... by giving the last minute bidders time to bid against each other at the very end!!!  I also wish eBay would do away with proxy bidding, and just make a bidder's bid the current bid amount.  If a bidder bids $100, then that is what would be paid if he won.

by: iheartjacksparrow

@windsorbear - What you suggest is an option on Yahoo Japan Auctions. Not many of the items I bid on there use that function, but if someone bids within the last minute, the auction is extended for another five minutes.

by: gettingby

One of our local auction houses has a weekly consignment auction online. If a bid is placed on a lot in the last 2 minutes of the auction, it is automatically extended for 5 minutes. It definitely gets exciting at the end for some of the more desirable lots!

by: Toledo Maude

In today's eBay auctions in the rare case there is a competitive bidding sniping or not, the auction closes with the seller wondering ''how much money was left on the table?''.

In the early years, Yahoo auctions would extend the closing time when there were last minute bids.  The time extension allowed all bidders equal opportunity to bid until all the money was in.
Unfortunately, eBay being the big auction game in town never saw the light to follow Yahoo's lead.  

I would love to see the end to sniping with auction ending times extended when are last minute or last second bids allowing all bidders time and opportunity to bid.  And as a seller, I would gain from higher auction ending prices.  Happy Times!