Posted By:
MWI think that Jeff makes some very good points on this subject -- sniping is certainly not against the rules on eBay; however, collusion between bidders to buy something at a lower price could, in some cases, be construed to be auction interference. Besides, I know of many circumstances where sniping actually prevents items from selling at an inflated price. More often than not, competitive bidding well before an item ends is more responsible for higher prices than sniping. If sniping is a problem for some bidders, I would just recommend setting a maximum bid amount and leaving it at that.
Granted, there are some individuals who are more computer literate and who are able to use various techniques and programs for bidding at the last nanosecond -- but this is an integral part of Internet auctions. It should not be viewed as something unusual or unexpected. EBay is a great way for hobbyists to acquire items that they previously would have had trouble locating; along with this "privilege" comes other technological "devices" that may be undesirable for some. That is part of the dynamic nature of transacting business on the web.