Sniping services

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

I get the convenience factor! I said that already. Peter told me there have been thousands of posts about how it will protect me from being shilled. That's what I'm not getting.

I like watching auctions end provided it's not 3am.

It won't protect you from all shilling as there are many ways to shill, and different reasons people do it. So if for example someone is intent on essentially establishing a reserve, there isn't anything you can do about it. But if you put your high bid out there during an auction, as opposed to doing it by snipe, people see it and can try to run you up and either outbid you and then retract, or outbid you and hope to push you higher, or if they are good with reading the increments, string bid and stop short and leave you at your max. If your bid isn't out there, they can't do any of this.

Maybe overall it doesn't make much difference, I don't know that anyone has that data, but it seems to make sense not to put a target on your back?

[Snapolit1]

Wouldn't someone who wants to effectively shill their auction just use a sniping service themselves?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Wouldn't someone who wants to effectively shill their auction just use a sniping service themselves?

No because there is a much higher risk, I would think, of winning the auction that way whereas the intent is usually to push the bid as high as it goes without winning. Which, it seems to me, is easier to do with a bid on the books to shoot at.

[botn]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Wouldn't someone who wants to effectively shill their auction just use a sniping service themselves?

If they are simply trying to protect the item they could or might but use a sniping service they could also do that by simply dropping a bid in early. If they are trying to run up the perspective buyers or create false competition they would absolutely not use a sniping service.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Snapolit1

Wouldn't someone who wants to effectively shill their auction just use a sniping service themselves?

The huge danger with using a sniping service to shill an auction is that putting in a snipe does not allow time for a retraction. We have all seen eBay accounts that have dozens or hundreds of retractions. Last second shill bids are a dangerous game because the bid cannot be retracted. The shill bidder could accidentally win the auction with a last-second snipe.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

The huge danger with using a sniping service to shill an auction is that putting in a snipe does not allow time for a retraction. We have all seen eBay accounts that have dozens or hundreds of retractions. Last second shill bids are a dangerous game because the bid cannot be retracted. The shill bidder could accidentally win the auction with a last-second snipe.

This is true but why would the shill bidder care if they won. Just another non paying bidder or Seller/shiller just cancel the transaction to avoid fees. Then relist using the same or different account.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by bnorth

This is true but why would the shill bidder care if they won. Just another non paying bidder or Seller/shiller just cancel the transaction to avoid fees. Then relist using the same or different account.

This is true if the shill bidder is shilling their own auction. I was thinking more along the lines of a situation in which someone consigns a card to a third-party seller like PWCC or Probstein.

[sedin26]

The main reason I would use a sniping service is for bidding on a high number of low value cards that end too quickly to be able to do it manually. The stuff I bid on tends to be lower end (for example, 1958 Topps Commons) and will often only attract one or two bidders.

I find under these circumstances that a snipe is effective, as the other bidder is often not going to also snipe...this seems to lower the cost for me as compared to trying to put in a higher bid earlier.

I used to have auctions open on my PC, iPad, and phone and try to manage it that way but it was stressful and sniping makes it a lot easier. I imagine this strategy would not work for higher end/more expensive items that attract more bidders.

[JustinD]

I guess do what you want because to every reply someone says "but what about this?"

Well, I wear my seatbelt everyday because it adds a bit more protection than when I don't. Will it 100% stop me from being killed? Well no, but I was hit at a light by some tweaker on illegal meds at the start of the month crushing me between his van and an SUV at a stoplight and walked away just with a bad attitude and a new lawsuit to file because of the belt keeping my face from going through the windshield that day.

If using a simple free service helps just 5% of the time it's officially better than not using it. If that doesn't make sense then I am the confused one.