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> I'd be surprised if most if not all snipes were't automated. I don't think people sit round their PC with their finger on the buy button as the auction counts
by Ao7bei3s 11y ago
> I'd be surprised if most if not all snipes were't automated. I don't think people sit round their PC with their finger on the buy button as the auction counts down.
Most non-technical people, heck, even most technical people I know who use eBay regularly, don't use snipers. (Too bad for them.)
> Another idea is: why doesn't eBay write their own bots for users to use, and call it a "bidding strategy"?
eBay takes a percentual share of the selling price, so they have an interest in high selling prices. Making sniping easier would lower selling prices. When all (or most) bidders will make bids shortly before the auction, and - which is the important part - see each others bids and respond to them, that drives up the selling price "nicely".
- exelius 11y ago> eBay takes a percentual share of the selling price, so they have an interest in high selling prices. They could also charge for snipe bots; setting off an arms race inside their platform which they profit from. I mean, it's scummy, but so is every eBay seller at this point.
- Ao7bei3s 11y agoI doubt that'd work; I don't think they could make it expensive enough that they don't loose money without driving users to free sniping tools. (It's funny that there's a fee for the auction scheduling feature when good auction scheduling increases selling prices.)
- exelius 11y agoEasy, just charge say 1% of the selling price to snipe. Your "pro" buyers will still flock to free tools (because they know how to use them) but occasional buyers might go for it. They also have the "Buy it now" feature which kind of does the same thing.