From the Positive Comments for wanting Bidsniping it is obvious your all buyers not sellers who happen to have a sniping program.
Any seller who would want the auction to allow sniping is not doing himself any credit. The pros and resellers all have and use it, but the average guy that wants that item which makes up over 80% of all buyers does not, it is the average buyer who is going to spend more, not some reseller trying to snipe an auction to make a profit. Again our policy is we work for the seller, we are paid by the seller. And to try and say
that the 80% of buyers who do not have a bid sniping program want sniping get in the real world, if they want an item it should go to the high bidder not the guy with the best connection or best sniping software. Thats what an auction is all about, and it would put a lot more excitement into the process for both bidders and seller to see an item close withour sniping, just pick the best time of day for the auction to close, and you will definetly get a better return, isn't that why you placed the item up in the first place. Go to a live auction, it is the excitement of the moment that often drives the prices up(auction fever).
Joined: 18 Aug 2001 Posts: 1972 Location: East of Rockies
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:36 pm Post subject:
I kind of agree with Steffi,
Quote:
The sniper program saves me time since no longer do I go back and forth to see how the bidding is going or if I need to put in another bid or have been outbid, since that is now a mute a point.
Just my useless 1/2 cent.
...... but.......if a buyer is bidding on a particular item and doesn't set a correct top limit proxy, one could assume that the bidder does not know the true value of the item. Too many people get caught up in the frenzy of bidding wars and end up paying more than the item is actually worth. A high (correctly determined) proxy works the same as a sniped bid. The only difference is that noone can see your bid until the last 5 seconds of the auction. Then it's a sniper war.
If you make it a point to set your proxy bid at the highest price you are willing to pay, it wouldn't matter how many other bidders (be it followers or snipers) outbid you. Why? Because you've already determined the highest price you are willing to pay when you placed your proxy bid. And if it goes over that price, you are satisfied that your determined high proxy was not enough this time around. Then you can either adjust your proxy next time or chalk it up to enthusiastic bidders caught up in a bidding war.
So.....even if you use a sniping program, you still have to set your high snipe bid (proxy) to win. If you don't, what's the use?
Going back to my earlier post on this subject, I still think the only reason to use a sniping program is a hope that no other buyers will realize what you have found and pass ...kind of like keeping a straight face when you find a rare item for a couple bucks at a yard sale (when you know it's worth hundreds. And, sometimes, that...in itself....is an ethical call.
Am I chatting in circles here? Does anyone understand what I am trying to say?
Joined: 18 Aug 2001 Posts: 1972 Location: East of Rockies
Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2002 11:47 pm Post subject:
Actually, I never use sniping programs
I try to place my bids on items based on my knowledge of the product, the resale value, or my own personal collectible value. I set my proxy and wait for eBay to notify me if I won or lost.
But, then....I also buy my horse race tickets in the morning (before the race) and wait until the next day to cash in or throw them away. No last minute urges, tote board pysche or crowd persuasion that way. It's just me and the racing form. Kinda keeps the field more even that way
Hi Ina...ha...someone wants to quote me? My kids never listen to what I have to say so to have you actually want to quote me is an honor!! Thanks for the thumbs up.
Steffi21
You know its amazing ever forum that you go to has all the sellers crying the blues they are not getting what they used to for items, and that its all the corporate sellers fault or a lot of other reasons, but the truth of the matter is that the prices have been faling at exactly the same rate everyone is getting sniping programs and will continue to fall as the large percent that do not have the programs either get them or just get fed up with losing in the last millisecond and don't bother to bid. The vast majority or people are really computer illiterate, sure they can turn it on and sure they can get around, but ask them how to install and configure a program, even easy ones with auto installers and their lost, I know in my neighbour hood I spend more time reinstalling and configuring programs, or removing viruses that "Honest I don't know how I got it" and even trying to show people how to do something as simple as resizing an image and crunching it, forget it it is just easier to do it for them. What I am trying to say is that sellers if your crazy enough to continue to support the sniping program your going to lose, and buyers you will eventually too as people will take a look at what they got for it online and slowly migrate back to classifieds where they can contol the prices or at the least put higher reserves, so all the research you have sone is totally wasted and heaven forbid go back or real world auctions. Also sellers lose one of their very best FREE highlight options and that is the Hot Item Gallery, Hell an item might get there but in the last second of its listing, does you a lot of good, don't think so.
Joined: 18 Aug 2001 Posts: 1972 Location: East of Rockies
Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2002 12:18 am Post subject:
Quote:
Also sellers lose one of their very best FREE highlight options and that is the Hot Item Gallery, Hell an item might get there but in the last second of its listing, does you a lot of good, don't think so.
Hmmmm.... I actually find myself agreeing with you on something
Never thought about sniping tools in that way before, but....you're right.....sniping is a seller's worst enemy.
[ This Message was edited by: kjp55 on 2002-09-03 23:22 ]
Joined: 07 Jan 2002 Posts: 699 Location: Houston, TX
Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2002 1:32 am Post subject:
I guess sellers are just a bit less vocal, the number of comments in this thread certainly don't constitute a statistically sufficient sample to draw any "buyers not sellers" conclusions. I am primarily a seller and I LOVE snipers, especially when I have two of them sniping the same item. Just last month I had an Imperial Cape Cod bowl auction, that had sat at $125.00 for six days, jump to $227.50 in the final seconds. I know, you'll say that it would have done as well or better without sniping. I disagree. Many snipers are using software to place bids when they can't be at the keyboard. I don't think those same absentee snipe bidders would bid as high, if they knew the competition had five more minutes to bid them up.
Just one seller's opinion,
Toby
P.S. As a buyer I snipe for a totally different reason. I have a fairly high profile in a number of glass related forums. I don't really care to be a bird dog, let everyone find their own bargains.
[ This Message was edited by: abzoid on 2002-09-04 00:35 ]
Joined: 18 Aug 2001 Posts: 825 Location: South Jersey
Posted: Wed Sep 04, 2002 6:48 am Post subject:
Toolman I am a seller and really don't like sniping. In fact in an earlier post I said I think that if there are bids in the last few minutes I think an auction should be extended.
As for Steffi's and Abzoid's post they do bring up a valid point from the buyers side, that being they do all the work and someone else outbids them because they are "bird-doging them".
Just my 2 cents,
Ray
edited for my poor spelling
_________________
"In the sphere of thought,absurdity and perversity remain the masters of the world,
and their dominion is suspended only for brief periods." --Schopenhauer
[ This Message was edited by: ray on 2002-09-04 06:54 ]
4)A sniper program also saves me time since when I find the auction I want, I put in my snipe and forget about it, since it the highest I will pay and if someone outbids me, good for them. At least I take minor comfort in the knowledge that I wasn't outbid from someone who was trailing me around ebay or that I didn't alert others of a possible find.
5)The sniper program saves me time since no longer do I go back and forth to see how the bidding is going or if I need to put in another bid or have been outbid, since that is now a mute a point.
Just my useless 1/2 cent.
Tell me how your above statement differs from a proxy bid?
The benefit to a sniping program is that a bidder can operate covertly, by setting their bid to go off at the last second of the auction. As Toby said, many collectors gain a 'following' of people who are watching the items that they bid on.
When you set a proxy bid, it can be nudged up throughout the duration of the auction. Setting a proxy bid also allows other bidders time to think about whether will spend the extra few dollars to test the proxy bid. With the snipe, the auction is over before you can counter it.
I can see that this is subject that really has opended a can of worms and could be debated forever. But sellers I think that if a person really wants that item they will put their best price in the their proxy bid, so you get that bid plus anyone else who gets the oppurtunity to think about it at the last moment. And going back to sellers losing another tool heres one to think about, on ebay if you place a bid with a sniper program at say 5 seconds before auction close and ten other people are also using sniper programs, ebay only accepts the bids that are higher, in other words you lose all the other bidders contact info in case your buyer backs out, sure you got one other but you could have who knows how many to at least back up your sale if the winner backs out and the one backup bidder declines.
With proxy bidding at least you get all the potential buyers and contact info. Sounds like a little thing but think about it.
My whole point to sniping and why it's a waste of time, is that if you place a proxy bid that is the limit of what you are willing to pay for an item and you are outbid, how would a sniping program have helped you? As for "bird dogging", I seriously doubt that other bidders are following you around to steal your auctions from you. It is more likely that since you have a common interest, they are bidding on the same types of items. The bottom line is, proxy bid what the item is worth to you and if you get outbid, then it was worth more to someone else. Sniper programs are a waste of time and money.
As for "bird dogging", I seriously doubt that other bidders are following you around to steal your auctions from you.
I'd disagree with you there. This is one of the top reasons that eBay users have multiple IDs as well. To quote from one of our articles:
"It is very common for die-hard collectors to monitor the bidding activities of competitors, so this is my way of protecting myself. We know of some users who troll through eBay looking for items that the seller has mis-categorized or misspelled. They can then buy the item at a bargain (since no one else can find it!). Sharp collectors keep an eye on these alert individuals in the hopes of snatching the bargains for themselves."
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