Should eBay sniping be against the rules and should sniping software be too?

I find sniping to be a very unethical practice and one of the worst things about eBay and why I stopped buying things from there. I think they should make it against the rules. Now there is software that will do it for you. That definitely should not be allowed. To me that's essentially a bot and not a good one at that. Those type of bots are as malicious as the kinds that are used to mass buy concert tickets from ticket broker websites.

How do you feel about them? How do propose the problem be fixed?

 

LOL

 

I just bid the max amount I am willing to pay and not worry about it.

 

Would it be possible to explain why you feel sniping is unethical? I just curious why you have such a strong opinion about it.

 

In a way, ebay's maximum bid is sniping.

 

I find it very frustrating as well. There is an easy fix. They should extend all auctions by 5 minutes every time a bid is made within the last 5 minutes. The timed nature of ebay's auctions feels "unnatural" when compared to "real" auctions.

 

What do you mean now ? Members here told me about them, over 4 years ago, so they predate that period.
As for my opinion, I tried them, found them unnecessary, when I realized I was that fast on my own.
It's like asking somebody else to eat my steak for me.

 

I think the only auctions that a great majority of people participate in are via ebay. Most of the world is not picking up their goodies at Christie's and Sotheby's, etc.

Feels totally natural to me, that's for sure.

 

Well, there are a lot of estate sales, and auctions, at least around here.

 

I feel indifferent about sniping.
I propose you can fix YOUR problem by either not feeling entitled to win any particular auction OR by utilitizing such software yourself.

 

eBay doesn't want to get rid of sniping, those bots drive the final auction price up. I've never used one but I have been tempted on items I really, really want.

 

It's not unethical. It's not a problem that needs to fixed. You don't lose to a last second bid unless they bid more than you did.

Whether you snipe or not, best practice is to bid once at the maximum you are willing to pay. If it sells for more than that, then you shouldn't feel cheated.

 

That really is the best answer. Bid your absolute maximum. If you lose, just think how much of an idiot you consider the winner to be. It'll cheer you right up !

 

No. As a buyer it can be frustrating but the auction will go to the highest bidder in the end. As a seller It can be nerve-racking because the bid can remain well below market until the very end, but you can get bids you may not get otherwise.

 

This.

What a silly thread. Why wait til the last second anyway? If im occupied i just bid the highest im willing to pay. If im home i wait til the last few minutes if possible.

Why whine about sniping? Your highest bid is your highest bid. Period. Whats the difference on when you place the bid?

 

Agreed. I think we'd have a clearer picture of market value as well. Not only would the sniping's impact on market value not be there, it gives another chance to the highest bidder who unfairly is cheated out of the chance to bid another bid.

But it could be higher if "live evil"'s idea was implemented. Not having the ability to refute a bid when a new bid is placed is going against the spirit and ethics of an auction.

 

I agree in principle but bidding your maximum early can increase your cost if some dishonest seller is shill bidding. I've seen bidders bump the bid in small increments 10 or 20 times in a row until they hit your maximum. They may withdraw their last bid and you still win but maybe could have gotten it much cheaper.

I suggest placing a small bid and waiting for the reminder email to decide if you want it or not.

 

Reminder e mail comes 6-7 hours before it ends !

 

I didn't realize it was that close as its been a while since I bid on anything. I'm a cynical bastard though and it seems these "bumpers" always have feedback in the single digits.

I sell mostly now though so I say bid early and bid high.

 

Again , I agree in principle but the sniper may have bid much higher than the final price. Good for the seller but no advantage for the buyer if he bid his highest price in the first place.

The nature of these auctions is much different than a real auction as all bidders may not or cannot be there at the end.

 

He got beat out at the last minute in an auction in the past by the looks of things. Just a guess

 

How in the hell do you know if an auction you're bidding in has been sniped ? I never investigated, just accepted I lost, and moved on.

 

The thing some don't seem to understand is the final price is just over what the second highest bid is. The sniper may have bid double or triple the final price of the auction. You didn't just get sniped by a few dollars, it may have been hundreds...

You can bid a thousand dollars on a ten dollar starting bid and if one else bids you get it for ten dollars.

I know eelkiller probably understands this.

 

I started sniping probably 7 or 8 years ago after I'd been sniped a couple of times and lost out on things I wanted for mere pennies (or so it seemed).
Not that I felt 'entitled' to win, but I was soured over it none the less, so I joined the club and it's been great!

Since I started myself, it has been an absolute boon to my ratio of wins and wins that I get for prices that otherwise would have been significantly higher.
Very, very happy with my sniping.

Just talking about it makes me want to get a few snipes set up to go.

 

I started using sniping software many years ago and never looked back. I see something I might want, decide what is the most I'm willing to pay for it, plug that number in and forget about it. The software puts in my bid with 5 seconds to go, and either I win at what I was willing to pay or less, or some other doughball pays more than what it was worth to me and she gets it instead. I fail to see what about this is unethical. Highest bidder always wins.