Boonoonoonous detailed Ebay's response to putting an Auction Sniper banner on an auction page. I also read a post the other day about Ebay polling users re: sniping. It sounded like Ebay was maybe considering thinking about perhaps possibly someday having their own sniping service. This brings up a couple of things.
I really like Auction Sniper. I never bid without it. I've lost one auction since I've started using it (always ten seconds for me...even on Sunday!) and that was because I didn't want to pay as much as someone else.
Those who created and who keep Auction Sniper running so well deserve to be successful in their venture, and I want the service to be around for a long time. I want to support Auction Sniper, but at the same time, I don't want everyone to know about it because it's not as useful to come out of nowhere with a bid if too many bidders are doing it. As it is, you have to search just a little to find Auction Sniper. You have to have just a tiny bit of initiative to go looking for it. I do tell people about Auction Sniper, but on an individual basis only. If Ebay had their own sniping service, we'd get three emails a week promoting it and so would every Ebay member. Ebay owns Paypal because it's really successful and they wanted a piece of that pie. I don't know if Ebay would try to buy Auction Sniper, or create something like it on their own, but once the cat's out of the bag, sniping becomes a different game. If Ebay came to me with a poll about sniping, I think I'd say "I really don't like people who snipe on Ebay" because I'd want them to think twice about starting their own sniping service. As a buyer, I feel like telling other buyers en masse about Auction Sniper would be like telling the enemy "we're in trees with rifles...you ought to try it" (sorry if that's a tasteless analogy). I know sellers have good reason to advertise Auction Sniper. I have many an auction of my own saved by snipers. Just when I think something's not sold, or going for too little, along comes a sniper in the last few seconds and BOOM, money! Anyway, it's a complicated topic and maybe I'm dreaming that everyone would snipe even if it were advertised on Ebay. I just think it's a good thing and I'd like to see it's benefits last for a while.
To the creators and all the staff at Auction Sniper, I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say "Great job. I wish you all the success in the world." I hope it can be a runaway success and also remain a bit of a secret at the same time.
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