eBay and Craigslist finds

Posted on
Page
of 2,755
First Prev
/ 2,755
Last Next
  • ebay has never been that great a place for bargains. and if you're not using snipe software like gixen, start now.

  • I use ebay sniper. Its esp. good so you don't have to sit around waiting to bid at the last moment - just put in what you're prepared to pay and forget about it.

    Its also great for stopping you going "oh I'll just increase by another £5... again".

    If you really want something you can always try a ridiculas last second bid, but that only works if someone else doesn't do the same thing.

  • I get some great ebay bargains. You just have to know where, and how to look. And no, I'm am not telling you.

    I find all the rubbish about snipers ruining things ridiculous, the only way to win any auction is to bid more than everyone else. How does how or when you bid have anything to do with that?

  • ^ +1 - my Carlton cost £5.

    Also you only have to look back thru these pages to see bargins.

  • I get some great ebay bargains. You just have to know where, and how to look. And no, I'm not telling you.

    I find all the rubbish about snipers ruining things ridiculous, the only way to win any auction is to bid more than everyone else. How does how or when you bid have anything to do with that?

    Reminds me of that dude from the (really not that good) programme, 'Psychoville'...eccentric blind old codger making a fortune from incorrectly titled plush toys on ebay...

    As you were.

  • All this talk is making me kick myself over this tandem I was too broke to buy - 351 + full Campag ended with no buyer at £299.99

  • All this talk is making me kick myself over this tandem I was too broke to buy - 351 + full Campag ended with no buyer at £299.99

    Quite tempted by that... maybe he still hasn't sold it.

  • eBay have started cottoning on to this and are disabling accounts where they suspect it's being done through a sniper.

    what are you talking about? eb ay have known about auction snipers for a very long time and even have it in the bidding help and advice write up that sniping and getting sniped is a part of the eb ay experience.

    Last-minute bidding

                 Placing a high bid in the closing seconds of an auction-style listing is called “sniping” within the eB ay Community. Sniping is part of the eB ay experience and all bids placed before a listing ends are valid - even if they're placed one second before the listing ends.
                 To help avoid disappointment, ensure that the maximum bid you enter on the item page is the highest price that you're willing to pay. The eB ay bidding system automatically increases your bid up to the maximum price you specify, so entering a higher maximum may help prevent you from being outbid in the closing seconds of a listing.
    

    they could easily get around it the way that other auction sites do and that is by extending an auction by half an hour or an undertimed length of time if it recieves bids in the last two minutes. its not rocket science but they just choose not to do it. that system would put an end to people being outbid in the last seconds and would make for a much more level playing/buying field. it would also ensure that buyers recieved a good price for their items. contrary to belief a sniper is not going to beat you if your maximum is 200.00 pounds and the snipers maximum is 150.00. the item will be sold to you for 154.00 even if they put their bid in with 2 seconds before the close of auction.

    sorry if i missed something.

  • ^^ that's what I thought.

    I bought a '50s tandem frame for £18 and I know I'll spend more than that ^ just getting it on the road :(

  • a sniper is not going to beat you if your maximum is 200.00 pounds and the snipers maximum is 150.00. the item will be sold to you for 154.00 even if they put their bid in with 2 seconds before the close...

    This is why if you really, really want something, you should just throw in a overpriced bid and hope no one else does.

  • All this talk is making me kick myself over this tandem I was too broke to buy - 351 + full Campag ended with no buyer at £299.99

    Quite tempted by that... maybe he still hasn't sold it.

    and the reason neither of you want to email or call the seller is what exactly?

    samlet999@yahoo.co.uk , or phone 0781 465 78eleven.

  • ^ I don't have the money. If I did I would have bought it at the time.... will you lend it to me? I'll pay back in 4 months.

    EDIT: Also I don't know if they'd really part with it for that price. But only one way to find out.

  • and the reason neither of you want to email or call the seller is what exactly?

    samlet999@yahoo.co.uk , or phone 0781 465 78eleven.

    The missus is fat (not that fat actually) and lazy and whilst it is an idyllic dream to roam the countryside with her, i would just end dragging her arse around essex.

    Plus, she will only agree to the purchase of a tandem if it's in purple and i don't think i can get that frame on my back from Shepherds Bush to Armourtex & back.

  • Do it now or I will, there was no reserve so £299 would have taken it.

  • ^ do it!

    Like I said if I had the cash I'd have done it. I saw the crankset go on US Ebay for just shy of the price of the whole thing...

  • ^ Link!?

  • the good majoriy of people using these snipers, must have some deep pockets as the only way to ensure winning the auction is placing a high bid.

    i am not sure about you, but i am still looking for those good deals
    i dont understand how people who use snipers must have 'deep pockets' because on occasion i use a sniper to get me a bargain, the point is if you have spotteda bargain but someone (i,e just 1 person) has spotted it, chances are they put in a low max bid as they dont want to spend over a certain amount to get a bargain, you put a snipe on it telling it to bid the real maximum amount your willing to pay and then it puts that bid in in the last second. in a normal auction you get outbid and then realise that 'oh its still a bargain' badly explained but do you get the point? if there something i really really have to have i will put a snipe on it. its about £0.20 a snipe but you get your first 3 free (in a whole year i have only sniped once . . .) personally a fair auction is better but if you really need it a high priced max bid snipe is the way to go

  • Its only a bargain if the other person has put in a throwaway bid hoping that no one else will bid. Lots of people will put in just the minimum bid. I assume that they don't want it, they are just looking to pick up cheap perhaps so they can resell. If the other person puts in a realistic max bid then you won't get a bargain regardless of whether or not you snipe. The only time sniping gets you a bargain is when you are up against an ebay newbie who will increment bid until they beat your bid - and obviously they don't have time to do that with a snipe.

  • I work at an auction house.

    Snipe type bidding gets some pretty good results in the long term, that is if you consider it as a consistent tactic over several items bought and that there is a regular supply of these items. However, this presumes that you can put these items to a good use and/or have a client base to which you can resell them at higher value.

    However, if you are bidding for just one item for yourself and you feel passionately about it, then bid realtime.

  • I can see both sides of this- and acknowledge that probably the best way of bidding is to say to myself "I want that to the tune of £200", stick £200 in a my max bid and then wait to find out if I won or not.

    But I (and I'm guessing human nature) is/are not like that.

    I'll stick just enough of a bid in to be leading, then wait.

    Then when I get outbid I'll bid again.

    This way I end up as someone above mentioned thinking to myself "it's only another fiver".

    The hope of course is that you get it for £100 instead of £200, the reality is that your £200 max falls by the wayside and you get it for £265.

  • I should add that you can get all the buying advantages of sniping just by putting a bid in just before the auction closes. The only real advantage of sniping is that you don't have to sit around and wait for that to happen. If you don't win its because your max bid was not high enough, if you get a bargain its because the other bidders aren't interested or haven't found the item - sniping in itself doesn't get you bargains or guarantee a win.

  • sniping also ruins the fun.

    a joyful evening for mrs drøn and myself often include the two of us glued to a laptop each. bidding on various stuff, comparing our 'bargains' and mourning about mortgages needed to be paid...

  • Post a reply
    • Bold
    • Italics
    • Link
    • Image
    • List
    • Quote
    • code
    • Preview
About

eBay and Craigslist finds

Posted by Avatar for Velocio @Velocio

Actions