Ebay - Get What You Want by Snipe Bidding

Ebay - Get what you want by Snipe Bidding

Perhaps the most maligned bid practice of all is snipe bidding, or "sniping." If you want to win the bid on an item you need to read this. Read more . . . .

Essentially, you lie in wait for an auction to approach its conclusion, then just seconds before the time expires, you launch a stealth bid in hopes of supplanting the current high bidder while leaving no time for a rebutting bid.

It sounds sneaky, but it's perfectly allowable and is widely practiced by many veteran bidders; only those who are sniped are squawking about it.

In essence, it's the same as traditional ascending-price bidding - only the timing is different. In step-by-step fashion, here's how snipe bids are executed:

* Snipe bidding is most effective when using 2 browser windows, one to load and hold the bid to be placed, another to count down the auction clock.

* If you haven't already signed in at eBay, be sure to do so before proceeding. This saves you the time and inconvenience of signing in as you're preparing to place your snipe bid.

* Refresh the item window to monitor the countdown of the clock.

* Pay special attention to how responsive eBay and your Internet connection are, noting the number of seconds before the refresh completes.

* Open a second screen to the same item (CTRL-N on your keyboard will do the trick) and click the Place Bid > button. Enter your maximum bid amount and wait.

* About 2 minutes before the auction ends, click on the Continue button in the Place a Bid window. The site will display a Review and Confirm Bid screen with a button labeled Confirm Bid. Don't bid yet!!

* Toggle back to the other item page ( using your keyboard's ALT-TAB key sequence) to continue refreshing to count down the auction clock. Position the two windows in a staggered arrangement so that you have clear access to the Confirm Bid button on the bidding window.

* Refresh the main item window until the clock counts down to the point where you feel you can just place the bid before the auction closes. Quickly click the Confirm Bid button in the second window.

* If you were successful in placing your snipe bid, eBay will report the results of your bid, either naming you the winner or revealing that you were outbid by the previous high bidder's proxy.

* Recognize that a last-minute bid will not ensure a win; the maximum bid amount in effect when the auction ends determines who will win. However, a successful snipe bid that does supplant a previous high bid is usually successful in that there is scant time left for another bidder to place a follow-on bid.

Again, there's nothing unfair about snipe bidding (if there was, eBay would prevent it's use). In the end, no matter how long you wait to place a bid, if another bidder has offered more by way of a maximum bid amount, that amount will still win out.

More articles that you may like:

1. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397256_what-never-to-feed-young-children

2. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397241_unfaithful-husbands-and-cancer-link

3. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397236_aspirin-tylenol-or-advil-bayer-which-is-best-for-me

4. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397223_marijuana-what-are-the-health-benefits

5. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397115_why-do-taller-men-have-lower-risk-of-heart-disease

6. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397107_what-is-coronary-artery-disease-the-answer

7. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/397077_how-many-years-you-can-add-to-youre-life-by-doing-this

8. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/398812_how-to-cook-oatmeal-without-it-sticking

9. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/398859_tips-for-remembering-your-dreams

10. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/398870_a-childs-personal-bill-of-rights

11. http://www.bukisa.com/articles/398960_how-to-not-get-bumped-from-your-flight