Free eBay Sniper Hints and Tips
Here's a few pointers on how to make the most of the eBay Sniper...
1. Bid to the max
If you really want the item, remember; your snipe is the final say in the auction. We advise that you set your snipe at the MAXIMUM price you are willing to pay for the item. The sniper will automatically snipe at the next bid increment (not your max bid). So for example an item at £10.00 with a max snipe of £50.00 would not bid £50.00; it would go up to the next increment and snipe £10.50 (but if the auction reached £49.00 it would snipe £50.00).
2. Never bid even ammounts
eBayers are fairly predictable and often bid in even amounts (whole numbers such as £10, £15, £20 and so on). When this is done using Automatic Bidding(also known as Proxy Bids) it means even if you snipe higher than the current bid price, if it is lower than their proxy bid you will lose - so it is vital that you snipe HIGHER than the current winning bidders proxy bid. So for example, if we have an item which you really want to win for £30.00, others may also value this item at £30.00 (and are likely to proxy bid £30.00 - an even amount). If you set your snipe slightly above the amount you want to pay (for example try sniping at £31.70) you will often win the item by tipping the auction to it's next bid increment.
3. Be aware of bid increments
Some snipes fail despite being higher than the final sale value, this is usually down to bid increments. For example, if an auction is already at £30.00 and you bid £30.02, you will not be the winning bid if increments are of 50p. You would need to bid £30.50 to become the leading bidder. To avoid these situations, remember to bid an odd amount higher than the bid increment value. Familiarise yourself with eBay Bid Increments you will start to win more auctions.
4. Remove the Buy it Now
Some auctions are both auction format and have a Buy it Now price. This means that you run the risk of someone else using the Buy it Now and winning the item whilst you are waiting to snipe. On auctions of this format, if you place a bid on the item (which meets the reserve) the Buy it Now option disappears. So place a manual bid on the auction until the reserve is met (removing the Buy it Now option) and then set a snipe for your max bid.
5. Tool yourself up
Finally, use other free Goofbid tools and combine them with a snipe. Often you can get items cheaper by searching for misspelt items. Also, keep an eye out for auctions ending between midnight and the early morning. When people are in bed, they are not bidding, so there are opportunities for bargains (and a sniper never sleeps).
6. Check your eBay details are correct
Often a snipe fails due to a user changing their eBay username or password and forgetting to update Goofbid. It is vital that you have entered the correct username and password onto our system otherwise it is impossible for us to place a bid on your behalf. We recommend you check your account details are up to date before placing a snipe to ensure you haven't entered them wrong or forgot to update them.
7. Check your emails
Our system will automatically notify you should a bid higher than your snipe be placed on an item. It's important to check these email notifications to ensure you increase your snipe max bid to be above the next bid increment.