My snipes are always going ealry

Worth a try I guess...

...but I have the feeling that bids placed that late were not really placed in response to your bid. They were snipe bids (manual or automatic) planed well in advance of auction end, just like your bid was. If that's the case, you were simply outbid and shaving off another 2 seconds won't do any good.

Remember, it's the highest bid that wins, not always the last.

Good Luck, let us know how it works?

Not sure I get it!

Out of 4 auctions listed, you were the last and winning bidder in 2 of them, last bidder outbid by proxy in 1, and out sniped by another sniper in the 4th. So you have a 50% winning ratio!

So WHAT was the problem again???

Well, the problem was that ALL these snipes were placed early. I only looked after I lost one to a bid placed 2 secs prior to close.

Perhaps they were using sniper as well, but if mine were placed early, then what lead time did he use....0 seconds?

I am not complaining about sniper overall, and I understand about busy times, but always early?
If this is the case I will have to adjust my strategy, that's all.

And having a look at the one where I was outbid, I can't seen any evidence that this guy is using a snipes. His winning bids have been either very early or if close to the end, then various laad times, from 2 seconds to 10 to even more. I think I was just outbid manually.

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Originally posted by turnip:
And having a look at the one where I was outbid, I can't seen any evidence that this guy is using a snipes. His winning bids have been either very early or if close to the end, then various laad times, from 2 seconds to 10 to even more. I think I was just outbid manually.

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A snipe is a bid placed at the last second, regardless of whether or not it was placed manually,by Auction Sniper, or any one of its competitors. All last second bids are snipes. The winner of the auction you mentioned has sniped on a number of recent auctions, so you can be sure that he planned to do so, regardless of what you did.

I really don't see where your strategy needs to be refined, unless you did not bid your absolute max. It is the HIGHEST bid that wins, not the last. When you get down to the last 10-15 seconds of an auction, it really does not matter, as last-second bidders have made their plans and are already set up to snipe, by whatever method. So put your all into that snipe.

yes yes yes, I know the highest bid wins, etc etc etc.

If my snipe went in at the designated 8 second point, and he was able to get in, then good luck to him.

Lets not get away from the fact that as my snipe was placed early, someone was able to snipe me, probably manually. As this was not a peak time on ebay, I am confused as to why. No one likes to lose without knowing why and how.

One of the main attractions of sniper is to avoid bidding wars. All who use this service have benfited from not getting into these expensive battles, even if they are only sniping so they don't have to monitor the auction.

I used to use a 5 sec lead, but the advice here is that may be too short in peak periods, hence why I use 8. If that is to be increased by sniper even in non peak periods, then I'll to back to 5, which will be placed at 7 secs.....and then won't be beaten by manual bidders!

Sniper is an excellent product, and I will continue to use it for every bid placed, but I need to know its parameters so my strategy is appropriate.

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Lets not get away from the fact that as my snipe was placed early, someone was able to snipe me, probably manually. As this was not a peak time on ebay, I am confused as to why. No one likes to lose without knowing why and how.

I'll to back to 5, which will be placed at 7 secs.....and then won't be beaten by manual bidders!

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You say you understand that it's the high bid that wins, but then insist it's not your fault because AS bid early for you. You didn't lose because your bid was placed early. You lost because you didn't bid high enough.

Item # 5511063039: You lost the auction. If your bid had been placed at the requested 8 seconds you would have lost. If your bid had been placed at 5 seconds you would have lost. If your bid had been placed at ONE second you STILL would have lost. The last auction you posted shows that.

The term 'slow at eBay' is very missleading... there is no such thing. slowER might be better. On Sunday evenings your bid might be placed 30 seconds or more early as Christmas gets closer!

Spend less time on when, and more on how much.

I wish people would stop assuming that I am criticising AS.

If you read where I stated that I wanted to understand how and why all these snipes were not placed at the times I set, then we might not be taking this so personally.

I understand busy times....it is not Xmas, it is August. It was not a Sunday night.....in the US, the UK or here in Australia, it was in fact a Thursday.

In all but 2 examples (there were others that night) I had the highest bid. I won - YAY! Or I lost as I was oubid by proxy. The "early" snipes were irrelevant. I am only referring to the auction I lost # 5511099259....not the one where I was outbid by proxy (yes, I know that it would not have mattered when the bid was placed, but then, that was there for illustration purposes only, as were the others).

In the other case, (it was helpfully noted that this was the one where I was outbid) someone had the time to outbid me, probably manually. Strangely, the 2 seconds AS added is exactly the lead time that the other bid was entered. HMMM......If my snipe was placed when set, then he likely misses out.

I come back to my question, when there is some competition, do I set the lead time very low to stop someone being able to snipe me (manually or not)?

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If my snipe was placed when set, then he likely misses out.

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Incorrect. Other snipers are going to bid anyway. (manual or not)

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I come back to my question, when there is some competition, do I set the lead time very low to stop someone being able to snipe me (manually or not)?

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NO

I'm beginning to feel AS should do away with lead time entry. Perhaps they should have only one choice... As late as possible with current web traffic.