I think we should all use sniping software. Really. If everybody did so, it would make eBay auctions even better than silent auctions (because what you end up paying will not necessarily be the amount of your bid, as in silent auctions), and prices paid would not be driven up by people who, as John Betmanis so aptly put it, "get caught up in the chase."
Of course this assumes that you will set your snipe amount and not increase it as the auction progresses. If you do, then you're caught up in the chase just like the people who slug it out (ie, those who don't snipe). Of course, if you really want something, it's inevitable that you will reconsider how much you are willing to spend, if you see that the bidding has surpassed your snipe amount. But if everybody sniped, that wouldn't happen!
As far as "winning" goes, I think there are occassions when you can rightfully feel that you beat the competition, like when you win by one dollar, or even one cent. In that case you definitely guessed/played better than the other bidders. I've had a couple of those, both as a winner and a loser :)
Ray Dobbins Miami FL USA
Dale Brown <oroboyz@aol.com> wrote:
<< Even newbies to ebay are using special software which enables them to get an advantage over guys that played by the rules (like me). Today I became an card carrying sniper. >>
Two problems here...
- Just because you don't like it doesn't make sniping against the rules. In fact, it is distinctly within the rules and just playing the game as craftily as one can. ...
- The victim in this sniping scenario is the sellers (and eBay itself) who are deprived of the emotional interaction of the auction phenomenon and thereby gets a lower price.
Dale Brown Greensboro, North Carolina? USA
-----Original Message----- From: Bianca Pratorius To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 5:48 pm Subject: [CR]Ebay ethics, last minute bidding, sniping etc....
After losing three auctions in a row, being outbid in the last five seconds each time, I've had it. I joined the crowd but I must say, I really don't like it. Ebay has changed so much over the last two years. About that time, I noticed that people would bid up the item mostly during the last hour. The next year it seemed that items were getting bid up during the last fifteen minutes. This year it's gotten worse - much worse. Even newbies to ebay are using special software which enables them to get an advantage over guys that played by the rules (like me). Today I became an card carrying sniper. My bids will be placed electronically and it will be my guy's computer software against theirs. So what's changed? Nothing, we just upped the ante like countries building up nuclear arsenals to combat the other guy's arsenals. And by the way this business about late winter being the season where people buy items to get ready for spring therefore the prices rise. They do, but my experience is that they don't go down again. They just rise. Bah! $800 for a cracked (possibly irreparably) seat lugged Masi 3V with Dura Ace? Thank goodness there are list members like Charles Nighbor who are still willing to give a guy a good deal on an old bike. Thanks to him but I'm ready to give up on ebay ... until I need something badly ... again.? ?
Garth Libre in Miami Fl USA? ?
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