MTS

"Guess what?! I got a fever, and the only prescription is more cowbell!"

Sorry. But I just started cracking up. Thank you.

(I'm sure you've heard that a hundred times before.)

anicra

It was sniping. When I want to bid on something on eBay, I get my bid all set up and then wait until 3 seconds before the end of the auction before I place it. I make sure the amount I put is all I'm wiling to pay and this is the first and only bid I make. I feel when you bid at the beginning or during the auction, it gives someone a heads up that there is an interest in that item. It also bids the price up. Try waiting until the very, very end. Good Luck!!

quilter1943

This is usually my plan on ebay, too. Don't think I would like to have someone else in control, be it real person or computerized. If you change your mind or decide to go an extra $$ at the end, you need to be able to do it.

quiltmouse

Sometimes I think that it is the SELLER who is driving up the price (shadow puppet). Especially if there are other SAME items with NO BIDS on them in the same price range.

If there are 8 of the item I want, I pick one with NO bids, not the one with bidding already on it.

MTS

And you can still bid "live" even if you have an auto snipe bid set up already.

esnipe, for instance, locks you out 5(?) minutes before the end of auction.

So if you're up ;-) and decide you want to bid even more based on the bidding activity or for whatever other reason, you can still put in a bid directly with eBay. You won't be bidding against yourself (provided it's the same user ID), but both bids will be placed and register before the end of the auction.

But, conversely, you wouldn't be able to delete or stop or lower your bid once the lockout period begins.

But the same goes for bidding on eBay. If you put a bid in, you really can't retract it. Well, you could, but it's very, very frowned upon. And if you busted someone else's proxy and then withdraw, you're going to have one pissed off seller. You could always ask the seller to cancel your bid - but that's a whole other mess.

And bid retractions are noted on your feedback page.

JUNEC

Wow - I'll have to look into it - I've never heard of them before

crafty_linda_b

If I am around when the item is ending I open 2 windows and have one set up with the amt I am willing to pay then I just put the bid in about 5 seconds before the ending time. Guess you could call me a 'snipe' Good luck. crafty_linda_b

Just Me...

A lot of people wait until the last minutes...then bid. I have a friend who does that with blacksmithing tools.

patdesign

A sniper program enters the bid in the last 10 to 20 seconds, and ususally does not give the opposing bidder an opportunity to go higher as the dust settles! Its absolutely devastating when one of these bids come in when you are bidding and would go higher. I once was out bid by 1 cent! Ouch! :(

debbieoh

I found if there is really something I really really want I wait till the last 30 seconds of the auction. Thatn bid the highest amount I am willing to pay. Works pretty good.
Never used anthor website to bid for me. To me that could be a bit scarey
debbie