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October 2008
Posts: 489
| Having decided to buy a piece of gear, I started checking the Bay, where I'd long been a member but it's been a while since I bought anything.
I learned that if it's desirable, the pros are gonna snatch it at the exact last second using sniping progams and other software that gives you no chance at all. After four tries only to be outbid by a buck at the last moment, I just bought the thing outright. |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Agreed. Not looking for much these days, but when I do, I no longer go the bidding route. I'll either use the BIN feature, make one offer that I won't change, or submit one bid at the highest amount I'm willing to spend, then wait for the e-mail announcing the results. My last five bids were all losers. On the other hand, I find doing business with OFC members to be more satisfactory and the deals are as good or better. If you're looking for something in particular, post a WTB alert on the For Sale board and some member will likely find it for you on some obscure Craig's Listing or elsewhere. Members are continuously finding, buying, holding and shipping items for one another. That's one of the things I appreciate about this forum. |
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Joined:
August 2007
Posts: 1008
Location: Tuscany, Italy | "I learned that if it's desirable, the pros are gonna snatch it at the exact last second using sniping progams and other software that gives you no chance at all"
+1 ( :( ) |
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March 2005
Posts: 5563
Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | Members are continuously finding, buying, holding and shipping items for one another. That's one of the things I appreciate about this forum.
+1 Brad! |
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November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | I do my own sniping on eBay. My bid usually hits with 5 seconds or less left on the auction. I just compare my computer clock to the auction time and submit the bid with under 10 seconds left. I haven't lost one due to a later bid yet. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | So play the game the way they do.
eSnipe (1% of final - min .25 max $10)
SnipeSwipe ($5.00 month unlimited or 1% of final)
Gixen (free)
SnipeStreet (free) |
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January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Just curious . . . what happens if two automated snipe program users determine that they each must have an item and activate the program to submit a last second bid at listing plus the minimum next high bid? Is there something to prevent these programs from escalating beyond reason? If so, does it have to be pre-selected by the user, and if neither user is willing to limit their bid, is the sky the limit? Theoretically fascinating. |
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October 2007
Posts: 283
Location: Portland, OR | Ebay would cut that off I think at the very last second. Also, I don't think it's possible to have two simultaneous hits. They'll be separated by a second or some part of a second.
I think those programs take the fun out of it. |
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May 2008
Posts: 4996
Location: Phoenix AZ | On items I really wanted I have used snipe programs. It's all fair game. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | The sniping programs would only raise the bid until time expires and with usually less than 5 seconds left before they hit, there is not much chance for multiple rounds of bidding.
Therefore it considers highest bid you are willing to go and hits it. You can essentially do the same thing hours before hand and win the bid.
You NEVER lose a bid because of a sniper. The sniper is ALWAYS willing to pay a higher price than you. That's why their bid wins. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | 1) You have to tell the snipe service what your max bid is. Unless both bidders put in ridiculously high max bids... still
B) When an auction ends, it ends. The time involved in making an API post alone would keep it from spiraling.
III) Nothing happens simultaneously when the internet is involved, where things are measured by the millisecond....
Interestingly, on a liquidation auction site we buy product from, if a bid is made within the last 2 minutes, another 2 minutes is added to the auction end time. These can and do go on for quite a while, and you have to be very firm with yourself about how high you're willing to go. |
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January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | I find doing business with OFC members to be more satisfactory and the deals are as good or better. If you're looking for something in particular, post a WTB alert on the For Sale board and some member will likely find it for you on some obscure Craig's Listing or elsewhere. Members are continuously finding, buying, holding and shipping items for one another. That's one of the things I appreciate about this forum. I would not have my Adamas otherwise. I could hardly buy a piece of used recording equipment on eBay: repeated sniping was a headache. PLUS it takes some skill to slip in there at the last five seconds. It tethers you to the computer, and I HATE that. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | Originally posted by stephent28:
You NEVER lose a bid because of a sniper. The sniper is ALWAYS willing to pay a higher price than you. That's why their bid wins. That sums it up. If you really really wanted it, you'd pay a little more.
More generally, there are so many people using eBay these days (and so many people posting eBay "bargains" on forums like this) that it's almost impossible to get something below market.
-Steve W. |
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September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | The sniping program just bid your highest bid in the last five seconds, and eBarf does the rest.
I have had eBarf tell me that I have been 'outbid at the last second, bid again' but I am usually too late.
Like others have said... Just bid the highest you think it is worth, and forget about it.
They will let you know if you have won or not. |
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Joined:
November 2007
Posts: 1486
Location: Cincinnati | Originally posted by stephent28:
You NEVER lose a bid because of a sniper. The sniper is ALWAYS willing to pay a higher price than you. That's why their bid wins. To me the purpose of sniping is to keep the bid lower. If I don't put my bid in until the last second, other bidders don't have time to raise their bids if they are willing to pay more. I put in my highest bid when I snipe. I've won some and lost some, but I have never bid more just to win the auction. |
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October 2005
Posts: 4046
Location: Utah | I usually put in a low bid just to put the auction on my email and ebay radar. Then if it is below my max on the last day I'll bid my max. If someone wants to pay more, they can.
What really bugs me is shill bidders. Several times I've been the first bid and seen someone inch the bid up until they just barely exceed my max. Then they never bid again on that item. Someone else usually bids more and wins it. Sure is suspicious, and I never go back to bid again when I see something like that. Interestingly, the same item frequently gets relisted by the original seller when the shill bidder wins.
Having said all that, now is a fantastic time to buy used quality stuff. Some people are downright desperate to sell, and there aren't many buyers. The forums seem to have better prices than the Bay, and generally an established member is a surer bet than some unkown on eBay.
Really, it is a public service to buy these guitars! The seller does need the money, so we are helping them out, and we get a good bargain at the same time.
I sure wish I had a few $thousand more to spend, or a wife that didn't monitor the banking statements! |
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July 2004
Posts: 766
Location: New Hampsha | Come the first of the year it will be a moot point. Fleabay is moving toward a different business model - they want to compete with Amazon, Overstock, and the like and not to deal with onesie-twosie sellers. They want everyone to be medium-large sellers who accept Paypal and sell largely new, overstock merchandise on a repetitive basis. Most sales are expected to be via Buy-it-Now or Best offer sale. The guy selling the pristine, original Adamas for $200 will be on Craigslist, not Fleabay. |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | That's what Donohoe wants. We'll see what the stockholders (if there are any left) think of the results. Sellers are leaving in large numbers because of the new rules and fee hikes - which is what he was trying to accomplish. Trouble is, the sellers are who pay the bills, and without them, you got no buyers.
Lots of competition coming up, too... eCrater, Bonanzle, eBid for example. eCrater and Bonanzle have no listing fees and minimal final fees. And they actually let you take something besides PooPal as a payment! |
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Joined:
July 2002
Posts: 1900
| I've contacted "paypal-only" ebay sellers beforehand and they say postal money orders are ok, go ahead and bid anyway.. :)
I've won auctions with my first bid and they end the auctions early.
Go figure... |
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October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | ubid has been around for several years and i purchased many items, mostly electronics/computer gear, through them when i was in the art gallery business. |
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Joined:
October 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Indiana, USA | Originally posted by kotadawg:
Originally posted by stephent28:
You NEVER lose a bid because of a sniper. The sniper is ALWAYS willing to pay a higher price than you. That's why their bid wins. To me the purpose of sniping is to keep the bid lower. If I don't put my bid in until the last second, other bidders don't have time to raise their bids if they are willing to pay more. I put in my highest bid when I snipe. I've won some and lost some, but I have never bid more just to win the auction. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Yes, Steve, that's the way the game is played. If the buyer contacts the seller and asks about checks or MO's, the seller can accept them as payment.
But, and this is a BIG but, sellers are now forbidden from soliciting any form of payment other than CC (if you have a merchant account) or poopal in their listings. Cause, you see, they didn't like seeing all that potential income frittered away (since they own poopal). They are also pushing very hard on the sellers to offer free shipping, because final fees aren't applied to shipping & handling charges. More lost income for them, boohoo. There's even been a 'glitch' going on (for like 2 months now) where the free shipping icon mysteriously appears on listings that don't have free shipping. Try explaining that to someone who has hit the BIN only to find out there are shipping charges. Guess who takes the heat for that?
Not to get political, but ebay seems to have the same mentality as government.
They think simply raising fees (taxes) they will get more money. Even making a big deal out of their lowered listing fees (while raising the finals 40%). What really happens is sellers either raise their prices (fewer sales) or leave (fewer sales). Ebay (government) doesn't get the idea that if you make the environment friendlier (reasonable fee structure) for the seller (tax payer) there is actually more money changing hands and ebay (government) realizes increased revenues.
If they don't start treating the sellers, their bread & butter, as partners instead of employees then as Mitz said, all they'll have left are the big box sellers (buy.com, target).
When the buyers start going elsewhere (as they're starting to now) ebay's stock won't be worth spoo. |
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Joined:
December 2001
Posts: 7223
Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | While many people left eBay for one reason or another, it really doesn't hurt eBay. Less people buying and selling means less overhead, so they just layoff a few 1000 people and they still make the same amount on the bottom line.
The Reality is there is no other place to go. There just isn't. I've looked, and I've tried.
To keep this on topic... Here's an example..
The search.. "Ovation Guitar"
The results..
eCrater = 0
bonanzle = 1
Shop Goodwill = 1
uBid = 0
eBid = 0
weBidz = 0
eBay...... = 523 !!!
The only thing that comes even close is Craiglist which if you are buying or selling a bauble or two is fine. Great for bargain shopping, great to unload that larger item locally. I can't imagine the time and effort it would take to do on craigslist what we do in our eBay store now.
So until someone builds a viable better mousetrap, eBay it is.
For what it's worth... Shopping for NEW items, I find using Google search to be the best, going directly to online stores rather than dealing with any auction style site. FOlks like TIger Direct for computer stuff, Amazon.com, and MemoryOutlet, Depot etc..., Zales, JC Penny, Sears, Walmart.. etc...
Just because it's a big box overstock auction site, doesn't mean it's the best price you can get. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | To continue on Wabbit's point... If all eBarf wants is 'big-box' sellers, I can just as easily go to the Real big-box guy's website and probably get a better deal. The recent Ovation Sales are a good example. If for the same price I can go to an online Store and get free return shipping for something that ain't right, why would I deal with (name your eBarf seller here)?
Raising fees is like raising cigarette taxes...
You raise your fees, people quit...
You raise them again, more people quit...
You end-up with less money in the end.
edit-- Miles said what I said... Only quicker and more concisely... I gotta type faster... :rolleyes: |
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February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | All your points are true, Miles... for now. But there's a LOT of people out there working on mousetraps, and right now ebay has it's head in one. You know as well as I do, the fees are approaching confiscatory, and with the new paypal only rules it only gets worse. The small sellers are leaving, and eventually the buyers will figure it out. |
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The Bay is Only For the Pros Anymore
