Snipe on eBay

This how to guide will show you the best methods of sniping an eBay auction, increasing your chances of winning an auction for the least money possible.

Steps

  1. Find an auction you're interested in.
  2. Watch the auction you're interested in. Note when it finishes and remember this for later. Record the item number and auction end time.
  3. Come back to your auction 10 minutes before it ends. If it's still in a nice price range, then sit back and wait. Make sure you're logged in.
  4. While waiting, decide exactly how much you're willing to spend on this item. Lets say you're willing to pay $10 for it. Keep reloading or refreshing the page to keep a better watch on the time.
    • At the upper right hand side of Firefox, between the (-) sign and the (X), is a box with two little boxes in it. Click on that box to Restore Down the window size. Then click and drag the sides of the window so it takes up half of your screen and you can see your auction item and the icon you need to click on to bid.
    • Open Firefox again and do the same thing with the new window that appears.
    • In the new window, go to eBay again and look for the item you are going to bid on. You can type the item number in the search box and it will bring it up. Don't sign in to eBay in this window; you are just going to use it to watch the timing.
    • In the new window, click on the refresh icon every now and then and eBay will tell you how much time is left. When the Item is down to the last 10 or 15 seconds (depending on your internet speed), go to the other window and click on the Submit Icon to submit your bid.
  5. Wait until the auction has about 1 minute - 40 seconds left. Experts can and probably should wait for a little lower, say 30 - 20 seconds left. Start to place your bid.
  6. Say your auction had 40 seconds left, input your price and go to the confirm bid screen, wait about twenty to thirty seconds.
  7. You should bid about $10.07; the 7 extra cents pennies can beat a bidder if they've set their maximum bid at $10. You win for a measly 7 cents more. However, sometimes you'll need to bid more if the auction is set up for larger bidding increments. Below the box where you enter your bid, it should say "enter _ amount or more".
  8. By the time you click confirm bid, there will be about 10 seconds left, not enough time for most people to make a come back bid. It is possible to make a bid in 10 seconds though so you might want to be quicker if the item is really popular.
  9. You can also try 1 Click Bid. It's a feature that lets you bid quicker.
  10. You should win the auction, unless someone's highest bid is over your snipe.

Tips

  • Check bid history before the auction is over, many people use sniping tools - in some cases their final price may be shown before the bid reaches that amount.
  • If the current highest bidders maximum bid is over yours, (each bidder can, if they wish, set a maximum bid, and then eBay automatically bids for each bidder using the set increase for a bid) you may not have time to make another bid, so make sure you place your highest bid in your snipe.
  • Always stick to your highest bid. If you're not the highest bidder after your snipe, do not enter a frantic bidding war. Sniping is an activity which will usually raise your adrenaline/excitement and you may succumb to thinking "Just a few more dollars/pounds/euros won't matter." Don't fall for this; stick to what you predetermine.
  • Use two browsers. On one, enter your bid amount and let it sit until the last moment. Use the other to view other snipers or last-minute bid changes (by hitting reload). This will give you sufficient time to change your bid if you need to beat out a late bid (by using the other browser, which is set on the "enter bid" page).
  • Sniping is a way to make sure you win an item for the least price possible, as the other person isn't able to make a comeback bid.
  • eBay is now asking "web server" type of software for extra verification, effectively eliminating them as an option. However, eBay has no problem with desktop software.
  • If you want eBay Bucks, and/or you do not want hassles in returning an item, then desktop auction sniper software is your only choice, and depend on how bid is placed by the software, not all the desktop auction sniper software support eBay Bucks. Please contact software vendor to confirm.
  • Or use a desktop software if you don't want to risk violating eBay user agreement by exposing your eBay login/password to online sniping web sites. Search "auction sniper for eBay windows", "auction sniper for eBay mac" or "Auction Sniper for eBay Linux" for software that runs on your computer. If you are on a mac, do this search in the "Mac app store" app for 'vetted' software by Apple (Apple examines the software to make sure it works, is high quality, and doesn't have malware).
  • Remember to check newly listed buy it now items also. These are where a lot of deals are found that are bought within the first seconds to minutes of being posted.

Warnings

  • If you do re-bid until you're the high bidder, then you may have bid well beyond the best price that you would like to pay. And still, someone may outbid your high bid, too, in continued normal bidding. You can't win that way!
  • Watch the location of the item, as shipping from other countries can be expensive.
  • Re-bidding until you receive the message: You're the high-bidder! is not safe! But, it is the only way you can find the highest anyone else has bid.

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