A Defense of Sniping

Awhile back I got a nasty email from someone who lost an auction when I came in at the last minute and outbid him. The auction was for a red shirt with a guitar embroidered on it.

Nice shirt, by the way.

I just ran across the email that I sent back to him. I think it's fairly restrained, considering his tone. And I actually received a nice response back from him.

If you're one of those people who complain about "sniping" in online auctions, it won't change your opinion. But I dare you to present a valid argument to my defense.

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His email

Enjoy the shirt...it is because of poaching jerks like you that I am now and forevermore withdrawing from this Ebay crap...nice bid...2 seconds to go and you got in. I am so very impressed.

My Response

Rather than merely ignore or be amused by your email, I'll respond for what it's worth.

You would probably be surprised to find out that I'm not a jerk at all; in fact, I'm a nice guy who got burned on too many auctions myself. To quote our esteemed former president...I feel your pain. I learned quickly that Ebay is not a gentlemen's club, but a marketplace with a cruel learning curve. Everything changed for me when it finally sunk in that all auctions ended the same way - the winner was not the one who bid at the last minute, it was the one who was willing to pay the most for the item.

Using the shirt auction that I won is a perfect example. I had absolutely no idea what your maximum bid was. But I knew the maximum *I* was willing to pay: $25.75 . I looked at the postage ($4.25), figured the most I was willing to pay overall was $30, subtracted the $4.25 and reached the figure I was willing to spend. I was actually surprised that I won, because I figured there was a good chance your bid was $30. Ebay stresses in their literature that you should always bid up front with the maximum amount you were willing to pay.

Was $22 the maximum you were willing to pay? If so, why be angry? The only advantage I gain from bidding at the last minute is that someone who bid less than the maximum they're willing to pay doesn't get a chance to have second thoughts and bid again. If you were willing to pay more for the shirt, you should have bid more in the first place, or at the very least rebid yourself with a higher amount at the last second, to prevent a last minute higher bid from someone else.

I have largely stopped bidding at all except at the last minute. Why? Because it was costing me more money. If I bid for something, and someone else for whom money is no object decides they want the same item, they just keep bidding and bidding until they surpass my maximium bid and price me out of the auction. By letting them bid first, they bid less and I have a greater chance of coming in at the last minute and getting the item when they have no time to rebid. But the fact remains the same: If they had placed their bid at the absolute maximum they were willing to pay, I probably wouldn't have won. People tend to bid the highest amount that doesn't hurt their sensibility, then when they lose they think "I probably should have bid more."

Anyway, you probably have ideas about fair play and sportsmanship that were offended by my last minute bid. I assure you that my intention was not to "beat you." It was to win the auction for the shirt. I'm never happy about upsetting anyone. But it is a mistake to think of ebay is terms of fair play and sportsmanship. It's not online gaming, and it's not a sport. It's a marketplace, with rules and regulations. The rules do not preclude or even discourage last minute bidding. It's a proven strategy for winning and saving money in the process.

Now, if you're really willing to pay more for the shirt, here's the url for a place that sells them. I bought one from them a month ago. I liked it so much that I decided to go for the one on ebay as a backup (for when I get the inevitable salsa or wine stain on it.)

http://store.yahoo.com/wildaboutmusic/142030370.html

At the risk of introducing you to something that represents everthing you might despise, you might also want to take a look at this site as well. I use them to place bids for me when I won't be near a computer as an auction closes.

http://www.auctionsniper.com

I know you said you're abandoning ebay. Obviously, that's up to you. But I would urge you to stick around and get a feel for the place. 5 months is not long enough to get past the frustration level. It took me awhile, but now I seldom lose. When I do, it's always because my maximum bid is lower than someone else's. In that situation I'm not happy, but neither am I offended. It was worth more to someone else than I was willing or able to pay.

In any case, best of luck to you whether you stick around or leave ebay behind. If you stick around, be forewarned: when the same shirt comes up for auction in black (saw it at a House of Blues club,) I'll be there trying to win it.

Sincerely,
Bill

P.S. re: that bid with 2 seconds left - I'm not that good. I unknowingly had my caps lock key on and had to frantically try several times to get my password right. More like one minute in most cases.