eBay Sniper Hints and Tips
Here are a few pointers on how to make the most of the eBay Sniper, if you follow the guide below YOU WILL win more auctions.
Make sure you understand and perform all of the steps below, which are ordered MOST to LEAST important, if you cover all of them the likelihood is YOUR SNIPE WILL WIN...
1. Check your eBay details are UP TO DATE
Often a snipe fails due to a user changing their eBay username or password and forgetting to update Goofbid. It is vital that you have entered the correct username and password onto our system otherwise it is impossible for us to place a bid on your behalf. We recommend you check your eBay account details are up to date before placing a snipe to ensure you haven't entered them wrong or forgot to update them.
When you enter your password, we check it immediately and if it is incorrect you will get a message which says "Your eBay login details are incorrect" - so to be 100% sure please check your eBay Details here >>
2. Create a secure eBay password
If your eBay password is deemed to have a low security score this can result in an extra security step (or captcha box) on login which can block a snipe from being placed. If your password is a single English word or noun (such as your name or favourite sport) followed by a number, such as "john1" or "football99" then you NEED to change it immediately. We recommend using passwords which mix case, and have at least one number - try putting two words together plus a number (for example "My99Password").
Once you have updated your password at eBay, come back to Goofbid and update it within the My Details section of the site. Changing your eBay password is easy, simply follow the instructions here >>
3. Be aware of bid increments
To become successful at sniping it is essential that you understand eBay Bid Increments and where they change. Many eBayers are not aware of the increments eBay use, and are perplexed when their snipe doesn't win despite being higher than the final sale price.
For example, if an auction is currently on £30.00 and you set a snipe of £30.02 (2p above the current bid) you will not win the auction as the next minimum bid requirement is £31.00 (bids in this price bracket go up in £1 increments). This is the main reason snipers lose an auction; their snipe was slightly higher but failed to meet the next increment.
Familiarise yourself with eBay Bid Increments you will start to win more auctions.
4. Bid to the max
We have a lot of people who fall foul to bid increments and set a snipe which is equal to (or slightly above) the winning auction price, but not a high enough bid to outbid the highest bidder. If the sniper had been willing to pay just a little bit more they would have won the item. So if you really want the item, remember; your snipe is the final say you have in the auction.
Ignore the current price of an auction (this is rarely what it will end on), instead set your snipe to the MAXIMUM price you are willing to pay for the item. The sniper will automatically bid to the next available bid increment (not your maximum bid). For example if you placed a snipe of £50.00 on a £10.00 item, and the auction was bid up to £30.00 your snipe would win at £31.00 (not £50.00).
In sniping your absolute maximum you will only lose an auction when the final bid price goes above the maximum amount you wanted to pay.
5. Never bid even amounts
eBayers are fairly predictable and often bid in even amounts (whole numbers such as £10, £15, £20 and so on). When this is done using Automatic Bidding (also known as Proxy Bids) it means even if you snipe higher than the current bid price, you will still be outbid should their proxy bid be higher than your snipe (because technically their bid was placed before yours). Because of this, it is vital that you snipe HIGHER than the bidders proxy bid.
The best chance you have on beating proxy bids in by bidding an uneven amount above the MAXIMUM amount you want to pay, and when you do this - do not forget about eBay Bid Increments. For example, the chances are that an item currently at £26.00 will have a max proxy bid of £30.00. So by setting your snipe ABOVE £30.00 (such as £31.70, not £30.00) you will have a much greater chance of winning the item (rather than equalling the highest price and coming second). So in bidding slightly higher than than the maximum price you want to pay you will often win the item by tipping the auction to it's next bid increment.
6. Link your PayPal account to your eBay account
eBay Sellers continue to have more methods of blocking unwanted bidders. As a bidder, you need to ensure you that you cover as many seller requirements as possible. A common reason for a bid being blocked is failure to Link your PayPal account to your eBay account - anyone using a sniper should link their PayPal account to their eBay account otherwise, your snipe may be blocked by this seller requirement.
It is VERY easy to link your PayPal account to your eBay account, simply follow these 3 steps >>
7. Confirm your Primary address
A Confirmed address helps verify your identify therefore can help meet buyer requirements (meaning your snipe is less likely to fail). If you have more than one address associated with your PayPal account (a home address, a work address) it may be the case that your Primary address is not confirmed, for successful sniping it is important that you confirm your Primary address.
It is really easy to confirm your Primary address, simply follow the instructions here >>
8. Turn off your PayPal Security Key (if you have one)
A PayPal security key is an optional setting in PayPal which gives you an extra layer of security when you log in to your PayPal account. It creates random security codes to use along with your regular username and password.
Unfortunately this extra layer of security makes it impossible to snipe an item, so make sure you do not use a PayPal Security Key. If you do, it is impossible to snipe an item if a seller enforces PayPal security keys. You can find out more about PayPal Security Keys here >>
9. Remove the Buy it Now
Some auctions are both auction format and have a Buy it Now price. This means that you run the risk of someone else using the Buy it Now and winning the item whilst you are waiting to snipe. On auctions of this format, if you place a bid on the item (which meets the reserve) the Buy it Now option disappears.
So place a manual bid on the auction until the reserve is met (removing the Buy it Now option) and then set a snipe for your max bid.
10. Tool yourself up
Finally, use other free Goofbid tools and combine them with a snipe. Often you can get items cheaper by searching for misspelt items. Also, keep an eye out for auctions ending between midnight and the early morning. When people are in bed, they are not bidding, so there are opportunities for bargains (and a sniper never sleeps).
You can find all these tools and more in the eBay Tools drop-down in the main header at Goofbid.com
11. Check your emails
Our system will automatically notify you should a bid higher than your snipe be placed on an item. It's important to check these email notifications to ensure you increase your snipe max bid to be above the next bid increment.
12. Follow us on Facebook
You can talk to us directly via our Facebook Page - so if your snipe does fail let us know, we're constantly looking at ways to improve our service and Facebook is a great way of hearing your feedback. If you Follow us on Facebook you'll also be the first to hear about new tools, eBay deals, powerseller secrets and hints and tips. Click here to view our Facebook Page >>
Happy Sniping!! :)
