| For us cyber residents, eBay is the virtual Wal-Mart; it | | | | The next problem is that of available bandwidth and |
| is the next door shop where I can get the thing I | | | | response of the server. Matching the correct time |
| desire, for the price I dreamt of. While the former | | | | has a lot of variables. The time it takes for your bid |
| part of the previous sentence is true to an extent, | | | | to register at eBay, the bandwidth availability at the |
| the latter part, about the price, might not always be | | | | critical time of placing the bid, the competing sniping |
| correct. | | | | software through which others are bidding on the |
| There are instances where I put a bid on eBay and | | | | same product, and of course the associated security |
| such online auction sites assuming that the bid I | | | | issues are some of the random variables that have |
| placed is the highest and then suddenly prior to the | | | | to be taken into account prior to resorting to manual |
| closing of the auction, some clever person just | | | | snipe bidding. |
| outbids me and takes the dream away. I call him a | | | | There are however, some automated services |
| sniper. A guy (not always a person) sitting just for | | | | available on the internet which reside on servers |
| the target to come out and BOOM! The target is | | | | which are always on and provide a timed bid facility. |
| gone. | | | | They scan the eBay auction which has been entered |
| Auction sniping on eBay and other auction sites is a | | | | at the time of initiation and determine the current |
| method where the bidder waits until the last, maybe | | | | winning bid. At the time of close of the auction, they |
| just seconds before, to bid on the auction prior to | | | | feed another bid with the required amount so that |
| the auction's close. This often ensures that the snipe | | | | the winning bid is theirs. |
| bidder's bid precludes competing bids and wins the bid | | | | The software can be used for a variety of auctions |
| at the lowest price. This technique is being used | | | | like the English auction, the second highest auction |
| increasingly by bidders and there are automated bots | | | | and the open auction to name a few. They are |
| available to ensure that the snipe bidder win the | | | | custom made and can also be effectively be used to |
| auction with consistency. | | | | evade Twain marks, or the symbol entry facility |
| Ebay estimates that approximately 10-15 % of all | | | | being increasingly used today to evade automated |
| closed bids are being won today by eBay snipe | | | | programs. The security of your eBay id and |
| bidders. They are not complaining, and if some | | | | password are however threatened by some not so |
| quarters are, their resentment is not very vocal | | | | certified software agents. |
| today. The seller is getting the true price, or so he | | | | Snipe bidding is gaining popularity and the sniping |
| thinks, the middle agency is getting its share of | | | | software is getting more and more advanced. The |
| commission; the buyer is living to bid another day. Its | | | | advantages of sniping on eBay are many which |
| guys like me who wait patiently for a long time, for a | | | | include prevention of nasty emotional bid wars where |
| nice thing to come up, and end up losing it to a last | | | | people keep bidding and counter biding each other. |
| second bid. | | | | This leads to an overpriced auction, not |
| Snipe bidding at eBay and other auction sites is not | | | | advantageous to the final winner of the bid. The |
| without its share of problems. First, the snipe bidder | | | | process of the auction is getting automated and |
| has to be online just at the time the auction is to | | | | soon it just might become a case of a software |
| close. This becomes a hassle in case of time zone | | | | winning against another on eBay. Snipe bidding is |
| changes. The iPod available at the discounted value | | | | advantageous to an auction bidder and an accepted |
| might just be lost if the closing time happens to | | | | practice today. Try it and you might benefit. But for |
| match with your siesta time. To come to your | | | | guys like me, we will have to walk to the nearest |
| rescue are automated programs called snipe-bots | | | | store get what I desired; at the price the |
| which can be programmed to make the best bid at | | | | shopkeeper dreamt of. |
| the time of close of an auction. | | | | |