I must be missing something... While I'm not the power eBay user many CR members are, I have purchased a few things here and there. I typically decide the maximum I want to spend on an item and put that in. eBay's system keeps me on the top until my maximum bid is outstripped by someone else. If my bid stays at the top, I get the item. Sniping doesn't bother me, if someone beats my maximum it doesn't matter whether it's 3 days before the auction ends or 3 seconds, I've already decided my max and it's a rare situation for me to go above that.
Guy Taylor
Anaheim, CA USA