Sniping: Pros and Cons

eBay management doesn't have an official position on sniping, although it has the company's tacit approval. Many experienced eBay users not only participate in sniping, but also regard it as a kind of game. (Sellers like sniping, of course, as long as it helps to drive up the prices of their items.) It's the community of less-experienced usersor those used to more traditional auctionsthat is less likely to embrace sniping as a practice.

Most bidders who despise sniping say that it takes all the fun out of the auction process. Experienced snipers say that sniping itself is fun, that it can be kind of a game to see just how late you can bid and still make it count before the auction closes.

Whether you like it or not, sniping works. After all, if you place a high enough bid at the last second, there's no time for anyone to respond with a higher bid. The last high bidder always wins, and a sniper stands a very good chance of being the last high bidder.

Can a sniper lose an auction? Yes, under these scenarios:

• First, there might be another sniper in the queue who places a higher snipe than your maximum bid. A last-second bid of $35 will beat out a last-second bid of $30 any day.

• Second, your snipe might be too early, allowing time for the previous high bidder to receive an outbid notice and respond with a higher bid.

• Third, your snipe might not be high enough to beat out an existing high bid. (That's why I told you earlier to always bid the maximum amount you want to payit can ward off some cheap snipers.) If the current bid is $25 but the high bid (not known to you) is $35, you'd be beat if you "only" bid $30.

If you've ever been outbid on an item at the very last moment, you know that sniping can win auctions. Even if you hate sniping, the only way to beat a sniper is to snipe yourself.