Another ebay thread... but with a difference...

[Dupont666]

My mother wants me to bid on 10 items for her (useless with computers, doesnt understand ebay, blah, blah...) and I want to know what is the best software I can use to win the items?

I have a preset limit on the prices of all items and 5 days to sort it out, so if anyone knows of any annoying software that pips people to the post at the last second and wins the item, Im more than happy to try it.

Cheers

[GTIR]

Www.auctionsniper.com

go forth and snipe.

They also have a iPhone app. Brilliant!

Edited by GTIR on Tuesday 30th March 08:56

[Dupont666]

does that work on MACs or is it on their own servers and you choose which one you want to snipe?

Any others?

What about the free ones or are they best avoiding and just pay the 1% of the others?

[trooperiziz]

Dupont666 said:

does that work on MACs or is it on their own servers and you choose which one you want to snipe?

Any others?

What about the free ones or are they best avoiding and just pay the 1% of the others?

http://www.gixen.com/

Totally free and I use it all the time.

[freecar]

The only way you can be sure you win it is to bid early and more than anyone else. A snipe will always fail if it isn't as much as a bid that is already there.

[trooperiziz]

freecar said:

The only way you can be sure you win it is to bid early and more than anyone else. A snipe will always fail if it isn't as much as a bid that is already there.

Indeed, but if you have a preset limit that you want to pay, then sniping gives you a better chance of winning it at a lower price. If you don't have a limit and want the item regardless, then bidding big and early will get it for you, but may turn out to be costly.

[toxgobbler]

Dupont666 said:

My mother wants me to bid on 10 items for her (useless with computers, doesnt understand ebay, blah, blah...) and I want to know what is the best software I can use to win the items?

I have a preset limit on the prices of all items and 5 days to sort it out, so if anyone knows of any annoying software that pips people to the post at the last second and wins the item, Im more than happy to try it.

Cheers

Best way is to bid as much as you are willing to pay and if no one else bids higher you win, works for me every time.

[freecar]

trooperiziz said:

freecar said:

The only way you can be sure you win it is to bid early and more than anyone else. A snipe will always fail if it isn't as much as a bid that is already there.

Indeed, but if you have a preset limit that you want to pay, then sniping gives you a better chance of winning it at a lower price. If you don't have a limit and want the item regardless, then bidding big and early will get it for you, but may turn out to be costly.

Sorry mate that's complete crap and I have proved it! I used to bid on vintage razors, there were never many listed and I always had lots of competition from badgerandblade members (they'd even discuss the auctions they were looking at, no number mind but descriptions of the lots) and it would seem that if I placed an early bid the snipers would look elsewhere for an easier target. I won many items at well below market value due to early bidding. People on B&B were surprised it went for so little but that's dumb psychology for you, the same theory that bidding early drives the price up, it doesn't at all it's just your mind that fools you into thinking that sniping is a magical route to huge discounts on your goods. People seem to think that nobody will bid on an item if there is nobody to bid against! It's like I don't want it unless someone else does!?!?!?

But then people will still come along to tell me I paid over the odds when I haven't. Sniping is a fools paradise akin to madbid. There is no magical route to saving money and if you're bidding against me or anyone who bids like me then you have already lost! Unless you want to pay more then why bother sniping?

[Dupont666]

sniping these items would mean I can do it without being online... plus I know what they are and arent worth and Im willing to go as high as the folks want...

If she pays over the odds its because she wants it and if I can put the sniping thing on and leave it with £200 in the system and it gets it for that or less then good, even if it is only worth £100.

[Davi]

freecar said:

Sniping is a fools paradise akin to madbid. There is no magical route to saving money and if you're bidding against me or anyone who bids like me then you have already lost! Unless you want to pay more then why bother sniping?

that's just as much crap, in all honesty. Both methods work, sometimes. Simple as that. For every person that shouts down Snipers as you do there is a sniper shouting down early bidders, and both come away with just as many wins. Only ONE way works conclusively...


bid the highest amount.


Doesn't matter if it's early or late, sniped or first thing.

[freecar]

Davi said:

freecar said:

Sniping is a fools paradise akin to madbid. There is no magical route to saving money and if you're bidding against me or anyone who bids like me then you have already lost! Unless you want to pay more then why bother sniping?

that's just as much crap, in all honesty. Both methods work, sometimes. Simple as that. For every person that shouts down Snipers as you do there is a sniper shouting down early bidders, and both come away with just as many wins. Only ONE way works conclusively...


bid the highest amount.


Doesn't matter if it's early or late, sniped or first thing.

How does that say anything other than I'm right.


Bid the most and you will win. Bid early and you'll be the first as if there are two max bids that are identical the first one will win. Snipers believe that they are getting incredible deals they couldn't have got if they bid at any other time.

Edited by freecar on Tuesday 30th March 15:51

[trooperiziz]

freecar said:

Davi said:

freecar said:

Sniping is a fools paradise akin to madbid. There is no magical route to saving money and if you're bidding against me or anyone who bids like me then you have already lost! Unless you want to pay more then why bother sniping?

that's just as much crap, in all honesty. Both methods work, sometimes. Simple as that. For every person that shouts down Snipers as you do there is a sniper shouting down early bidders, and both come away with just as many wins. Only ONE way works conclusively...


bid the highest amount.


Doesn't matter if it's early or late, sniped or first thing.

How does that say anything other than I'm right.


Bid the most and you will win. Bid early and you'll be the first as if there are two max bids that are identical the first one will win. Snipers believe that they are getting incredible deals they couldn't have got if they bid at any other time.

In a real auction you are completely correct, in an ebay auction which only runs for a limited time, then bidding as late as possible with your maximum, means that nobody else will have the time to increase their bid.

Sure, you won't beat the people who bid their maximum early and use ebay the way it was designed, but a huge amount of people will only bid in incrementals, sniping takes them out of the game. Sniping won't win you an item if somebody has put a larger or equal bid to you, but it will take a significant amount of a certain type of bidders out of the game. It increases your chances of winning an item, that is all.

Use it or don't use it, up to you, but the OP wanted a recommendation because sniping was the best thing for his situation.

[Davi]

trooperiziz said:

In a real auction you are completely correct, in an ebay auction which only runs for a limited time, then bidding as late as possible with your maximum, means that nobody else will have the time to increase their bid.

Sure, you won't beat the people who bid their maximum early and use ebay the way it was designed, but a huge amount of people will only bid in incrementals, sniping takes them out of the game. Sniping won't win you an item if somebody has put a larger or equal bid to you, but it will take a significant amount of a certain type of bidders out of the game. It increases your chances of winning an item, that is all.

Use it or don't use it, up to you, but the OP wanted a recommendation because sniping was the best thing for his situation.

thanks for saving me the effort of typing :P

[eldar]

If you bid odd amounts, like £5.93 it seems to confuse some people