Very pro sniping. It’s just the smarter way to do it and entirely permitted by the eBay architecture. All the non-snipers are just falling prey to the “consume at maximum cost” design of eBay, and letting their emotional attachment to the thrill of Winning for the sake of winning overpower their sense of thrift and just jacking the price up for everyone else. The anti-snipe sentiment is great for eBay and sellers, but makes absolutely no rational sense for buyers trying to minimize their personal cost. Just put in your absolute maximum acceptable cost in a sniping app and then go do something else and forget about it. If you lose, oh well, you did your best and didn’t let your emotions get the best of your rationale.

Susan’s rationale is utterly beyond absurd. Why would I as a buyer of a potentially rare item want to give someone else the chance to outbid me? I want to win and I don’t want to pay too much, particularly more than the item is worth (book value) as it decreases any future profit of the item if I need money.

Bidding early is what eBay wants you to do and they want you to do it because that starts a bidding war where the only winners are eBay and the seller. eBay gets a bigger commission. It’s really giving people time to re-think about their “maximum” offer. But that’s the key. If that truly was your maximum offer (as it should be if you’re going to proxy automatic bid), then getting outbid shouldn’t bother you as the proxy will up your bid to you red line absolute maximum and thus there’s no way a sniper could win “dirty” unless your maximum isn’t really your maximum. The seller shouldn’t start bidding below their minimum reserve or pay the fee for the reserve auction (which also ticks people off as it says it’s a reserve and they want to know the REAL minimum bid, not some bologna $5 number that’s nowhere near their real number of $100 on a vintage lighter, for example).

She’s actually thinking I’d go $2 more to win! Well guess what? So would the sniper most likely! “That’s not fair because I was winning for 7 days and they suddenly win it!” is not valid logic. It’s EMOTIONALISM (It should be MINE MINE MINE!) and I dare say it’s why emotional people make poor leaders as momentary anger can lead to a lifetime in prison, for example. Sniping also risks a network error or delay that could cost the sniper the auction if they wait too long so it’s more risky as well. But risk has benefits.

What really happens on eBay when you bid early is unscrupulous (truly immoral) sellers will use a “shill” account to test you to see how much you’ll “really” pay and get that much more money out of you. They don’t have time to do that if you wait until the last 6 seconds or so without risking buying it themselves (which if re-listed could get them banned for shilling). They also use shill accounts to avoid eBay’s large fee for reserve auctions.

It’s understandable sellers want to minimize risk and get what they think an item is worth, but to buyers, the whole purpose of an auction is to get a good deal, not get ripped off by fake bidding by the seller himself. Either way, sniping is the ONLY method to avoid these issues as eBay doesn’t go after shilling very hard (i.e. eBay makes more money too).

Sadly, shilling is very OBVIOUS in many auctions (low number of ratings with high numbers of retractions and association with the seller of the item is a dead giveaway they’re using a shill account and I’ve seen it dozens of times from sellers of vintage/antique items where they don’t want to sell under-value or without a profit. They’d sooner buy their own item than sell it too low. If it were legal, so would most people. But that’s not “fair” to the buyer either and sniping is the only way to avoid it entirely.

Sadly, most buyers do bid early and they cause the price to skyrocket as a result (even sniping can’t protect me from clueless buyers that have to be “in the lead” when “winning” is the ONLY thing that matters). Two people one-upping each other until the price has gone up 10x its initial value only benefits the seller and eBay.

I’ve been doing eBay for many years both as a buyer and a seller. Recently came across an item that I really need for a very reasonable price. There is one bid. I’ve contacted the seller with several questions. It’s not a inconsequential amount of money, several hundred dollars.
I haven’t bid on the item yet, was thinking about sniping and then started thinking about the ethics of it. The item goes off very early in the morning and there’s probably a good chance that everyone will be sleeping if I snipe it. It kind of makes me a little sick to my stomach but most of the comments I read here and on eBay forums say it is what it is. Basically that it’s an acceptable practice and that is the nature of ebay.

My comment to all those who suggest just bid the highest price you’re willing to pay right off, that’s just not how auctions work…anywhere.
That said, with online auctions it’s not like you’re right there to counterbid.
So I’m thinking about putting in a bid on the item late in the evening, giving the other buyer a couple hours to make another bid. If they really want it they’ll be watching. Even though it’s very reasonably priced, I really can only afford another 25 or so dollars, so my first bid could be almost my highest bid. Then I wouldn’t feel so bad about sniping it for a dollar or two more in the wee hours if it came down to that.

eBay doesn’t frown upon anything that makes money for eBay.
I do this regularly and will continue to do so. What exactly is the point of an auction countdown if you can’t bid in the last few seconds??
I only do this on items I am extremely interested in .
If other people are also extremely interested then let them play the game.
I have been beaten out in the last two seconds of many auctions, and no I’m not at all upset about it .
You don’t like the game then don’t play the game .
Simple as that . 😎