Originally Posted by
eachan
Why do you think sniping is a benefit?
One thing is that it can cut down on "emotional bidding".
If you put in a max bid on an item, eBay will only put in the next bid increment, and your max won't necessarily be bid at that moment. However, the number has just ticked upward - Movement! - and other interested parties might start bidding, and this might be early in the auction. The upward bidding war starts as soon as people start making visable bids.
With a sniping program, I do the same thing: decide how much I want to pay. However, the program doesn't bid that amount until some predetermined time (usually a few seconds before close of bidding). Of course, if someone has a higher max amount than I, they will win - rightfully so, and no different from any other auction. However, if the item has "flown under the radar" and the amount has stayed relatively low until the end of auction, the chances my maximum will win is likely increased. The bid hitting late in the process prevents a last minute bidding war with people becoming emotionally involved with rapidly escalating 'current price' scenarios.
Nothing is underhanded, and you aren't spending any more (but potentially less) for an item you are interested in. You just aren't showing your hand early, either by how much you wish to spend, or
by even indicating any activity or interest at all.
On top of that is the exact same "set it and forget it" aspect - I don't happen to always be around a computer or device at the time of an auction close and this makes certain I don't miss out on something I am interested in.
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