ShipGoodWill bidders "sniping" auctions?

[FIREarly]

W*rk colleagues of mine told me to buy a computer monitor from ShopGoodWill.com (auction site) to save $$ for monitor. MULTIPLE times the monitor is bidded on in the last 10 seconds of the auction. This is often caused by "sniping" apps/browser extensions that auto place bids right before the auction ends.

Is anyone else aware of this type of stuff or know how to win these auctions?*

*Plan 1b is to buy a new monitor on Black Friday (if it's on sale) but this is only once a year.

 

[Sunset]

Wait until 8 seconds are left and bid.

 

[38Chevy454]

Does that site automatically increase your bid if you put a maximum amount? Or is it just your bid at the time you place it?

If automatically increases, put your max amount you would pay. If someone snipes you then they are paying more than you wanted to.

If no auto increase, then put your bid in at the end. Play the sniper's game as well.

 

[braumeister]

Does that site automatically increase your bid if you put a maximum amount?

Yes, that's called proxy bidding and the site allows it.

 

[OldShooter]

Does that site automatically increase your bid if you put a maximum amount? Or is it just your bid at the time you place it?

If automatically increases, put your max amount you would pay. If someone snipes you then they are paying more than you wanted to.

If no auto increase, then put your bid in at the end. Play the sniper's game as well.

Yes. On eBay at least, you enter your max bid and their software will only bid that max number if it is necessary to win.

Re sniping, like it or not it is the way experienced bidders work. Bidding before the final few seconds is counterproductive and will tend to increase the final price of the item because it leaves other bidders time to respond to your bid. I've been using EZSniper lately (https://www.ezsniper.com) and am very happy with it. My eBay feedback is 885 and I'm sure the majority of my purchases have been sniped.

 

[NW-Bound]

What some auction sites have done is to automatically extend the auction time by 1 minute or so after the last bid. This will bring in extra money for the seller, and it makes so much sense.

 

[easysurfer]

On ebay, I snipe because I can .

 

[OldShooter]

I snipe because it saves me money and with the sniping tools it is trivially easy. I just set up a snipe this afternoon for an auction that closes in a couple of days. Now I can forget about checking it and simply wait for the results email.

Re extending the auction end when there is active bidding, I have seen many smaller sites that do that. AuctionArms is one; their extension period is 10 minutes. One of life's mysteries for me is why eBay does not do this. It would absolutely drive final prices up and hence their fees.

 

[FIREarly]

I snipe because it saves me money and with the sniping tools it is trivially easy. I just set up a snipe this afternoon for an auction that closes in a couple of days. Now I can forget about checking it and simply wait for the results email.

Re extending the auction end when there is active bidding, I have seen many smaller sites that do that. AuctionArms is one; their extension period is 10 minutes. One of life's mysteries for me is why eBay does not do this. It would absolutely drive final prices up and hence their fees.

Everyone, great info. Read eBay a few times. Do you know which extension/app works with ShopGoodWill.com?

 

[Aerides]

I have been sniping since forever, manually. My record is 2 seconds.

When I bid on goodwill auctions I treat them like ebay, and go at the last possible second.

 

[OldShooter]

Everyone, great info. Read eBay a few times. Do you know which extension/app works with ShopGoodWill.com?

Google “bid sniping software” and start asking the vendors. The one I mentioned, EZSniper, seems to be pretty capable. You might check with them.

I have been sniping since forever, manually. My record is 2 seconds. ...

Kind of fun, actually. Thrill of the hunt and all that, but you have to remember to be physically present when the auction closes, even if it is at an inconvenient time.

 

[aja8888]

I have been sniping since forever, manually. My record is 2 seconds.

When I bid on goodwill auctions I treat them like ebay, and go at the last possible second.

I started selling and buying on eBay in 1998 (the good old days). I use sniping software too! My feedback rating is 99+% with thousands of transactions. I sold and bought computer parts, antique model airplane kits, tools, etc.

Bring A Trailer auctions (classic auto auction site) sets a 2 minute clock after the final bid to bring in additional bids, if wanted, and ends the 2 minute clock when there are no more bids ten seconds later after the 2 minutes runs out. If bids are still being placed, a new 2 minute clock starts. Some crazy bidding wars go on on that site.

 

[kingkarmann]

I started selling and buying on eBay in 1998 (the good old days). I use sniping software too! My feedback rating is 99+% with thousands of transactions. I sold and bought computer parts, antique model airplane kits, tools, etc.

Bring A Trailer auctions (classic auto auction site) sets a 2 minute clock after the final bid to bring in additional bids, if wanted, and ends the 2 minute clock when there are no more bids ten seconds later after the 2 minutes runs out. If bids are still being placed, a new 2 minute clock starts. Some crazy bidding wars go on on that site.

Ditto from a BAT ADDICT!