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Bidding Techniques On eBay

If you're new to eBay, it's very easy to get carried away bidding for items. You may even, in the excitement of the auction get carried away and pay over the value of the item, or more than what you wanted to. There are a few bidding techniques that exist on eBay when your out to win that all important auction.

Early Bidding

By bidding early on in the auction within the first few days, this shows your a serious bidder & gives you time to work around any restrictions the seller has put on their auction. Occasionally, auctions are pre-approved to restricted bidders only, in which case you have to contact the seller and obtain permission to bid. Bidding early ensures you don't forget about the auction & if you enter your maximum bid in the first instance you can forget about the auction until it ends. On the downside bidding early on an item, unfortunately can drive up the auction price as it shows there is an interest in the item.

Manual Sniping

Sniping, is the method of placing a bid within the last few seconds of the auction. This gives you the chance to win the item, without giving others the time to bid again and outbid you. As long as you bid the maximum your prepared to pay then your bid should be successful - unless others have earlier placed a higher bid. Remember eBay uses proxy bidding. However, although you want to leave it to the last possible moment - remember you need to log into eBay, place your bid, and confirm your bid so give yourself enough time to do this. Also, others may be using the same technique so you could still lose the auction.

eBay is one of the few sites that approves of snipers. "Sniping is part of the eBay experience and all bids placed before a listing ends are valid - even if they're placed one second before the listing ends", eBays help system is quoted as. Other auction sites, do not look on the practice the same and if a bid is placed within the last two minutes, the auction is extended allowing others to counter-bid. Automatic Sniping

There are hundreds of software programs, that will snipe for you automatically within the last few seconds of an auction. On the whole, they are successful. Exactly the same as manual sniping, with the bid being placed in the last second but the system is usually more precise and reliable. You simply enter the auction item number, the cost your prepared to bid and your eBay account details so the software can log into your account.

Searching google, you should find both free and paid for versions of eBay snipers. You'll also find, those which run though a web server - or software versions which you install on your pc. Generally speaking, those services which run online though web servers are considered to be more reliable.

Contact The Seller

Always, my favourite tactic especially if your determined to win the auction or need the item urgently. Contact the buyer, let them know what your prepared to pay and see if they'll end the auction early - or if they'll switch it to a Buy It Now auction. Obviously you'll have to make an offer higher than the current bids, or there's no incentive for the seller to change the format. Some sellers will agree, and while the majority will send a response such as "they want to let the auction run it's course" occasionally they'll agree. However, be careful of completing the auction away from eBay as this will violate eBay rules and give you little protection as a buyer.