Your example is kinda null and void because if the current bid is $20, your $20.05 snipe aint doing nothing buster!
Your snipe would have to be at least one bid increment higher than the current bid. At the $20 mark, that would mean your snipe would need to be at least $21.00.
So, lets use this example.
Current bid is $20.00 and lets say we know their max is $30.00, your snipe is set for $25.05 at 5 seconds.
quote:
(1) does ebay award the auction to the first snipe it processes?
Nope - as with any bidding, its the HIGHEST bidder/sniper that wins, not the LASTEST!
quote:
(2) if the winning bidder is only using ebay but has a maz bid of say $30.00, will my snipe win or will ebay automatically outbid my snipe (even tho i snipe with 5secs to go)??
The winning bidder (as you so stated) would be the WINNER. Ebay will take your snipe and bid up to $25.05 as asked, then the other bidder with the MAX of $30.00 would win for $26.05.
Ebay will only use the maximum amount you sniped if it is needed to keep you ahead of the others.
Now, had you sniped $30.05 originally, you would of won the auction for $.05, that is IF the othe bidders maximum was $30.00
You wont ever know what the other bidders Maximum is, so you just need to decide what the absolute MAXIMUM value of the item is to YOU and then add a few more centc/pennies.