RE: Re: [OT] Ebay Diddle?

["Jon Whiten" <jon@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I think that the sniping services place a single bid, to the value of your
maximum, in the very last few seconds of the auction - just as if you had
done so yourself.  The item then sells for either:

A)	A smidge over your sniped bid if there was a proxy bid with a
maximum greater than your maximum - you loose!

Or

B)	A smidge over the next highest maximum proxy bid (hopefully less
than your maximum) - you win!

If everybody were to place a proxy bid that was indeed the Maximum they
were
prepared to pay (and then risk loosing it if they were too low) then I see
no difference between sniping and the normal proxy bid system.  However, if
people initially bid low (and I do this myself!) then there will always be
scope for a winning sniped bid right at the end.

At the risk of over simplifying, and removing our in-built competitive
spirit, why not bid for example ?10 at the outset rather than ?1, ?3,
?8.56,
?10?  If you want it and are prepared to pay ?10 then bid ?10.  If somebody
else then bids ?11, tough.

Sniping works because we [in general] do tend to bid low and wait to see
what happens - this keeps the sale price low.  I think that this is unfair
to the seller as it is him that pays listing and final value fees.

J


-----Original Message-----
From: ian.bird@xxxxxxx
[mailto:ian.bird@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 1:08 PM
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [ukha_d] Re: [OT] Ebay Diddle?


<Quote>
In short, the diff between "sniping" and using eBay proxy bid is
that it's
possible with the latter for someone to drive up the price to your maximum
(via the proxy). By using a "snipe" you can effectively conceal
your maximum
until the very last minute.
</Quote>

I thought the automatic bidding at ebay simply went a smidge above the
opposing bid until it hit your maximum. If I read it correctly this is what
sniping software does. A friend said ebay introduced this a while back to
counter sniping. I am no expert as this is only the second item I have
bought and the other was a buy it now sale.

If the above is true then the only difference is the ebay software places
the bid there and then not in the last ten seconds. If however sniping
placed a bid in the last ten seconds then there should be enough time for
the ebay bidding tool to counter.

As mentioned later in the thread though the ebay tool can be driven up to
your maximum at any time. I got round this by setting my maximum at what I
was prepared to bid at the time. I then went up gently over a few days and
held the highest bid for the last three days or whatever it was and won.
This was not a high demand item either so interest was low.

Ian