Ian,
Here are some other threads on early snipes:
https://community.auctionsniper.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...021/m/5181096021/p/1
https://community.auctionsniper.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...5608021/m/5721097231
https://community.auctionsniper.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...8021/m/948105845/p/1
https://community.auctionsniper.com/eve/forums/a/tpc...8021/m/273102445/p/1
As you can see, those thread were closed (but NOT deleted). So perhaps those links will provide you some info.
Also, if you do a search on the forum on "early", you should find some other posts.
Happy Sniping
P.S. Personally, the early snipes don't bother me, but it does seem to drive some batty. I support the belief that early is better than late, but not everyone agrees with that. AND, 7 seconds isn't bad.