bidding question on ebay

[look 171]

This is the second time I have been out bid on ebay. I have never purchase (beside the buy it now deals twice) anything on ebay. Inexperience? Here the deal. I wait until the last 4 -5 second and bid 10 bucks over the amount and click the bid button and it tells me I have been out bid, but the sold price is 10 bucks lower. I hate this game. I ask for a sell it now, but get no answer. What am I doing wrong?

[mossguy]

You are not using Auction Sniper or equivalent.

[look 171]

What the heck is that? Sounds like you pay them to bid for you? I am jsut wondering if I am doing something wrong with the timing?

[slodave]

Google, man, Google...
Auction Sniper: eBay Sniper and eBay Bidding snipe, bid sniping for eBay

[McLovin]

If you are waiting for 4-5 seconds until the end, an auction sniper won't help you. In fact, if you are at your computer and can bid at the end of the auction, an auction sniper is completely useless and unnecessary.

The reason you are losing is . . . wait for it . . . you aren't bidding high enough.

Here's how it works:

(1) Say an object is at $10. There are two bidders, you and another guy (Bidder X).

(2) With 10 minutes left, Bidder X put in his maximum bid of $20, and goes out to lunch.

(3) The object was at $10. He bid $20, but his bid will only show as $11.00 - the next higher increment. It will NOT show as $20.

(4) With 1 second left, you bid $15 (either manually, or through a sniper site, it makes no difference).

5) Immediately after placing your bid, you will be shown as being outbid, and Bidder X will win the auction at a price of $16.

That's the way it works. What you are obviously doing wrong is not really putting in your true maximum bid. If when you place your last second bid, you bid your true maximum that you want to pay, plus $1, you should never be disappointed when you "lose" the auction. Because the only way you will "lose" is if the other guy bid more than you were willing to pay.

[mossguy]

By using Auction Sniper with your maximum bid, nothing shows on the ebay site and may prevent an early run-up, thus leaving the other bidder with the impression that he/she is the leading bidder. If someone bids over your maximum, you are notified with again nothing appearing on the auction site. At that point, if your maximum bid was truly your maximum, you are out of the process and remain unseen. I hope that makes sense to you. I almost made sense to me, but it is getting late.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by mossguy

By using Auction Sniper with your maximum bid, nothing shows on the ebay site and may prevent an early run-up, thus leaving the other bidder with the impression that he/she is the leading bidder.

The exact same thing is accomplished when you manually bid with 4 seconds left.

you only need a sniper when you know you can't physically be at your computer to put in the last minute bid.

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by McLovin

The exact same thing is accomplished when you manually bid with 4 seconds left.

you only need a sniper when you know you can't physically be at your computer to put in the last minute bid.

Agreed! I think that was where I was going. I know you think you understand what I said, but what you heard isn't what I meant

[porsche4life]

My dad uses eSnipe all the time. Our internet connection sucks, so the esnipe works much better, than a manual late bid.

[Jon B]

Originally Posted by look 171

I wait until the last 4 -5 second and bid 10 bucks over the amount and click the bid button... What am I doing wrong?

You have to confirm the bids you place, it's a two-step process. When you enter an amount and click "Place Bid", it will take a few seconds before asking you to "Confirm"- by placing your bid with 4 seconds left, the auction ends before you can do that. Place your bid with 1 minute remaining, not 4 seconds- you can then wait until 4 seconds to click "Confirm", if you wish.

[look 171]

Let me get this clear. An items is bid up to 10 bucks, if I bid $100 with 1 minute to go and I am the winner, I should only pay the $10.50 if no one bids on the item? I only pay the specify increment over the last highest bidder posted by ebay? I do not pay 100 bucks for a ten dollar item?

[on2wheels52]

That's how I understand the process .
But I don't have enough faith in the system and listers to bid 10x the current bid (unless I'm prepared to pay that much for the item).
Jim

[dad911]

Originally Posted by look 171

Let me get this clear. An items is bid up to 10 bucks, if I bid $100 with 1 minute to go and I am the winner, I should only pay the $10.50 if no one bids on the item? I only pay the specify increment over the last highest bidder posted by ebay? I do not pay 100 bucks for a ten dollar item?

Yes, but if another bidder uses your logic, someone is going to pay $100 for a $10.50 item.

Bid your maximum.

[look 171]

If they would have a freaking but it now price, it would make it a whole lot easier.

[jyl]

Use esnipe, it is straightforward. Put in your real maximum price. A few seconds before the auction ends, it will connect to eBay and place your bid. If the desired item is being sold in multiple auctions, you can group your esnipe bids so that if you win on one, it will not bid on the others.

[masraum]

Another recommendation. Let's say that you want to buy X, and X is currently $10. You're happy to pay about $25 for it. Make your last bid $25.76 or $26.01. That way, if another person has the same thought "I'd pay $25 for that," and they bid $25 at 10 seconds, but you bid $25 at 4 seconds, they'll win the item because they bid before you. By adding a tiny bit and making it a penny or so above the next closest round number, you'll be the higher bidder and you're more likely to win.

One caution. If you decide to put in a bid for $50 on a $40 item, and you put it in a minute or two before the auction ends, the seller, could have a friend put in a bid to run up folks that bid early. I had that happen once. I put my max in a couple of hours early. A user put in 3 bids, the final bid being ridiculously high (like $3000 for a $50) which ran my bid up to it's max. They then retracted their bid saying that they had put in a typo. I'd be amazed if that was anything other than the seller or the sellers buddy. Still, I paid what I was willing to pay, but I don't do anything other than snipe at the last second any more.

[BeyGon]

I usually looks at something, think what the most is I would pay for it, think about I don't have to drive to get it, no tax, what will I really pay, add a little more to that and put that in for the bid. If someone else gets it I just didn't want it bad enough. They paid more than I would pay for it.