By allowing gNumber's Unwired Buyer service to become a certified eBay Compatible Application, eBay may be opening the door to sanctioning the practice known as "sniping," or placing last-second bids on auctions. UnWired Buyer allows users to bid on eBay listings with a mobile phone (or landline phone) during the critical last minutes of the bidding process.
eBay is rumored to be adding an API call for bidding. This would be the first time eBay has provided such a call, which could enable bidding via cellphone, and could even mean eBay is considering providing a sniping service to its buyers. Currently automatic sniping services must "scrape" eBay's data, which is against its policy, and such services "operate under the radar" while remaining very popular with buyers.
eBay has always been ambivalent about the practice of sniping. In 2002, eBay banned sniping in Germany, staying there were concerns by users that people who used sniping services had an "unfair advantage" over people who bid manually.
