Outbid with 3 seconds to go.

[bykfixer]

^^ good info.

This is turning educational.

Watching one more. By noon today I'm pretty sure I'll get another taunting email from ebay saying "what, you gonna let this fool outbid you?"

Yup... sher am. Like others said, max what I wanna pay (plus a dollar) and if op wants it more... fair enough.


It's one of those things in life you hear others talking about, you try it, find it aint for you and move on.

Won't go so far as to call ebay auctions the devil. But will say the devil has some minions there.

 

[Poppy]

It's been years since I looked at it, but as I recall, and as mentioned above, there are companies that will do the sniping for you, for a small fee, and I believe that there is sniping software that you can buy.

In either case, I believe that the software pings the ebay site somewhat continually to determine the speed of the connection, and how long it will take to place a bid, and have it accepted, so that it can submit a bid at the last possible moment for it to successfully go through.


Of course there may be multiple people sniping, and multiple people using the software, and there can be only one winner, so there is never a guarantee.

 

[bykfixer]

If it were an alligator skin covered "Comet" light from 1905 starting at $39 I could see it. Or like torches said serial #xxxx02 Mag 7D. But sniping past $30 for some funky ole $5 flashlight that can be found on etsy for $10 shipped?
I don't get it Poppy.

Is it an "I want it so you can't have it ego thing?"
You mention a fee. Heck it's possible that it is higher than the value of the flashlights in this case.

Edit:
Just got sniped again. Had entered into an auction last ight that ended today. Timer said 3,2,1 ended, then the email said I had been outbid.
But apparently there was more than one snatch n grabber as the bid was $3 over my max.

Again I have the satifaction of knowing they paid (this time) $44 for a $5 coin.

 

[aginthelaw]

I missed a tk75vn last night. I bid $120 but it sold for $112. I cried myself to sleep and woke up biting a hole in my lip, dreaming about the light. Maybe I should open a dream interpretation thread

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

If it were an alligator skin covered "Comet" light from 1905 starting at $39 I could see it. Or like torches said serial #xxxx02 Mag 7D. But sniping past $30 for some funky ole $5 flashlight that can be found on etsy for $10 shipped?
I don't get it Poppy.

Is it an "I want it so you can't have it ego thing?"
You mention a fee. Heck it's possible that it is higher than the value of the flashlights in this case.

Yes, absolutely. Some people bid with their pride, not with their brain. The object becomes a trophy. The reason eBay management doesn't change their system to a 15 minute extension on "auctions" is given time some people caught up in the bid to win will snap out of it and cancel their bid or just lose interest because there is no rush at the end.

I've seen "winners" bid up objects higher than identical ones at a Buy It Now price. Crazy!

~ Chance

 

[bykfixer]

Yes, absolutely. Some people bid with their pride, not with their brain. The object becomes a trophy. The reason eBay management doesn't change their system to a 15 minute extension on "auctions" is given time some people caught up in the bid to win will snap out of it and cancel their bid or just lose interest because there is no rush at the end.

I've seen "winners" bid up objects higher than identical ones at a Buy It Now price. Crazy!

~ Chance

Exactly!

I had placed a bit on a decent 3 cell Olin. I was first bid. A while later somebody up'd it. Fair enough. I'm done. Unwatched it.
But for kicks and giggles I went back to it later. Bid was still the same. Cool. Hope ya win it buddy.
Later I stumbled onto a buy it now mint one just like it for $20 shipped. Listed as a $40 flashlight at the museum.
Kapow! Trigger pulled and no nonsense with 0.0008 seconds left. Bonus in some buy it now cases is personal contact with sellers who just want to clean out an attic...
(Read, more hassle free deals)

 

[NoNotAgain]

I've been involved in auctions that use the 15 minute rule where the auction time closed at 5:00pm yet the auction didn't complete until after 8:00pm. The other bidders waited until 1 minute before each close before bidding. There's no right auction type when you're on a world stage.
Now if only there was a way to do something with scamming sellers.

 

[bykfixer]

When the sellers states "have fun bidding" or that sort of thing in the description I walk. That seems to be code for "let the cheating begin" in my view.

Outbidding with 3 seconds left...that takes practice, skill and patience. But it's an old fashioned live auction technique from before the e-days. Used to be "going once, going twice" and dude in the rear scratches his ear as the auctioneers gavel is on the way down.
Cool.

I can see adding 2 minutes on the 15 minute rule type. But 15 more? Wow. Yeah, one that ended at 5, but actually at 8? What a drag.

 

[recDNA]

If you really want it bid $100 more than it's worth. Odds are nobody will come close. A one second sniper who adds pennies accomplishes nothing. U just pay a buck more than last bid.

 

[swampgator]

If you really want it bid $100 more than it's worth. Odds are nobody will come close. A one second sniper who adds pennies accomplishes nothing. U just pay a buck more than last bid.

Been awhile since I bid on the 'bay. But I THINK your bid is what you pay.

 

[bykfixer]

I scoured the rules and found they up your bid by 50¢ over the up'd bid, for say, a $15 item. When it reaches a certain point, say $30 or so (maybe less) it goes up a dollar. Then at some point it's a $2.50 hike.
So if you "max bid" $100 on a$12 item a sniper wants you beat 'em by 50¢……

Also read up on retracting a bid. Kinda seems like a bunch of hassle that can end up resulting in a sour-puss needlessly damaging your rep. Unless it's a car or house it's a lot of fuss...(at least to me anyway.)



Aint like I need more anyway.
Yet it's cool see-ing other members view about e-auctions.

 

[recDNA]

I have a friend who is a toy collector and does it frequently when he really wants an item. He claims has never been burnt (paying the full amount of overbid) but u have to be willing to pay what u bid if another guy tries the same thing and comes in just under you. You still do it in the closing seconds. At that point most are adding only a few dollars to top bid.

 

[peter yetman]

No, if the bic behind you is 100 dollars and you bid 200 you pay the increment above the prebious bid.
So you'd pay 105 or whatever.
P

 

[novice]

I don't do the Bay anymore, but I occasionally used it for a few years. The first time that I encountered "sniping", I perceived it as being "underhanded", and "unethical". My choice of perception, my words, blah, blah, blah.
Later I came to realize how useful "sniping" can be in getting something. I was once going to try to get a vintage men's hat for my girlfriend-at-the-time's son. I had found a nice Dobb's Homburg in his guesstimated hat size, and it even had a wind trolley (wind string). Unfortunately, I was not going to around be around a computer at the closing time, so I bid hours ahead of the closing time. This one time, there was only one other bidder, who had put in the opening bid. I logged in again late in the evening, after the bidding had ended, and I had lost. I had put in a ridiculously extravagant top bid, because I wanted the hat. I then checked the bid history. There was only the one other bidder. This is what happened. At some point, much earlier, he had seen my first proxy bid, beating him. He had time to think about it, and put in a new bid, and was immediately informed that he was outbid. He then put in a newer bid, and was informed that he was outbid. This was probably frustrating to him/her. That hat was nice, but it was not a Borsalino, or even a Cavanagh, but he/she had developed a "sense of possession" already (very easily formed in we humans). He/she put in another extravagant bid, outdoing my extravagance. The point I'm trying to make is this. If I had "sniped" at the last few seconds, my rival would not have had time to react. I not only would have won the bid, but I would have ended up with the hat at much less than what he/she ended up paying for it. Personally, I think that "sniping" is the only way to go. The one disadvantage is that if your last-second bid is not high enough to win, you don't have time to try again. Whenever I now see gradual bidding go on past the first bidder, I think, "Why are all of you alerting all of the others? It isn't productive." As I say, I am no longer on the Bay, but you can find things there that you might not find elsewhere.

 

[chaosdsm]

It happens, no big deal... I always bid the maximum that I'm willing to pay, if someone wants to pay more than my max bid to get it, well, good for them.

 

[recDNA]

I don't do the Bay anymore, but I occasionally used it for a few years. The first time that I encountered "sniping", I perceived it as being "underhanded", and "unethical". My choice of perception, my words, blah, blah, blah.
Later I came to realize how useful "sniping" can be in getting something. I was once going to try to get a vintage men's hat for my girlfriend-at-the-time's son. I had found a nice Dobb's Homburg in his guesstimated hat size, and it even had a wind trolley (wind string). Unfortunately, I was not going to around be around a computer at the closing time, so I bid hours ahead of the closing time. This one time, there was only one other bidder, who had put in the opening bid. I logged in again late in the evening, after the bidding had ended, and I had lost. I had put in a ridiculously extravagant top bid, because I wanted the hat. I then checked the bid history. There was only the one other bidder. This is what happened. At some point, much earlier, he had seen my first proxy bid, beating him. He had time to think about it, and put in a new bid, and was immediately informed that he was outbid. He then put in a newer bid, and was informed that he was outbid. This was probably frustrating to him/her. That hat was nice, but it was not a Borsalino, or even a Cavanagh, but he/she had developed a "sense of possession" already (very easily formed in we humans). He/she put in another extravagant bid, outdoing my extravagance. The point I'm trying to make is this. If I had "sniped" at the last few seconds, my rival would not have had time to react. I not only would have won the bid, but I would have ended up with the hat at much less than what he/she ended up paying for it. Personally, I think that "sniping" is the only way to go. The one disadvantage is that if your last-second bid is not high enough to win, you don't have time to try again. Whenever I now see gradual bidding go on past the first bidder, I think, "Why are all of you alerting all of the others? It isn't productive." As I say, I am no longer on the Bay, but you can find things there that you might not find elsewhere.

I suggested outbidding by $100 with a few seconds to go.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

eBay is my go-to for saving money. Is it guaranteed? Heck no! You need to do some homework. Last week I needed a pair of rear wheels for my Toro lawnmower. I called the closest brick n mortar shop that sold them. $45 each and we'll have to order them for you. It'll take about a week to ten days.......

Ten minutes later I purchased (Buy It Now) two OME wheels for $49.44 delivered (in 3 days) to the comfort of my own home. Thank you for selling on eBay. :twothumbs

I buy local when it makes sense. But I'm not going to pay double the price, wait ten days, then have to drive 16 miles to do it. :shakehead

~ Chance

 

[radiopej]

I managed to grab a Leatherman Juice XE6 the other day. The price went up by about $29 (AUD) in the last minute. I increased my bid to $55 and then $60 in the last 10 seconds. Someone quickly bid to $55 but then it stayed there. It's all part of the fun, I guess.

 

[Lynx_Arc]

I've been sniped several times on item in the last minute or less and when I bid on something I just bid the most I am willing to pay for it and walk away. I've once won an item and didn't know it for 2 days because I forgot about bidding on it. I rarely do auctions any more now though as people seem to want to save 10% over new prices on items on ebay and they bid it way up that has happened to me at a lot of other auctions in my life bidding things up so instead of getting something used for 40 cents on the dollar you end up paying 80 cents or more on the dollar too many morons you are better off going through the ads in the newspaper. I know at one time people were having professional bidders in auctions that would bid against you not wanting to win but trying to get more of your money I'm sure that is done at times on ebay too it is hard to completely keep that out.
I've found unless you are the only bidder bidding early means you lose and bidding the last minute means you have a small chance of winning but have to keep track of when the auction ends which is a pain in the gluteous maximus.

 

[NoNotAgain]

I've been sniped several times on item in the last minute or less and when I bid on something I just bid the most I am willing to pay for it and walk away. I know at one time people were having professional bidders in auctions that would bid against you not wanting to win but trying to get more of your money I'm sure that is done at times on ebay too it is hard to completely keep that out.

I've found unless you are the only bidder bidding early means you lose and bidding the last minute means you have a small chance of winning but have to keep track of when the auction ends which is a pain in the gluteous maximus.

By clicking on bid history, you can see a condensed version shielding the bidders names. If you click on the feedback number, you can see what else by grouping they bid on and percentage of their winning.

If the same bidders proxy numbers show up and they don't win any auctions, contact eBay and file a complaint. That does sound like shill bidding.

I've been in on auctions where a seller has more than one auction for similar items. I bid on all of them, and also noticed that there was another person that had the same idea. You need to have multiple windows open with your final bid offer and send within the last couple of seconds so as to not give them a chance to counter your offer. I've also been burned when a bid didn't register and someone else paid much less than what my failed bid was.

I had one guy that I beat out on a few auction, back when you could see the screen name, raise the bid on a few items I had bid on. He didn't know when to stop, so I got him caught up in the moment and he paid dearly for the items he purchased. The following week, the items he won were relisted due to bidder non payment.

At times, eBay bends over backwards for sellers. A seller can drag his feet on shipping and wait up to 30 days to cancel a sale. In the mean time, your money is tied up. I've seen no reserve auctions that went dirt cheap, where the seller cancelled the auction instead of selling at a loss.

I don't bother contacting eBay with sellers that don't ship. Contact PayPal since they are the money guys. The bad part is that they can't take action until after the auction listing delivery/ship date is missed.