by Mike Gibson

Created on: March 28, 2009

There is a system that I use and a number of others on eBay use also... It's called "snipe" bidding. If you have ever bid on anything on eBay before you have probably had the experience of bidding early and being the high bidder for several days - only to find an email later on that your bid was surpassed at the last second. You were probably outbid by a "sniper" such as myself. I will explain how to do this - it is pretty easy and can also be pretty fun!

First - you need to decide on the highest price that you are willing to pay for the item - DON"T GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED with the item you want.. decide on a price (cost+shipping) and that MUST be your highest bid.

Next - look at the time the auction ends (the listing will show time zone - date, hour, minute, second)

Now - click on "watch this item" - it will be added to your items being watched list.

DO NOT BID - just make sure the item is in your "watched" list

Next - set a reminder for yourself about an hour or so before the auction is going to end (i usually put mine in my cell phone)

Now - your within a few minutes of the auction ending - your at your computer logged into eBay - open up the page in your watched list with your item auction.

This is very important - make sure your pc clock is accurate. To do this, I use this website - http://www.time.gov/timezone.cgi?Eastern/d/-5/java - you can even change the time zone to pacific time like eBay if you prefer... click on your pc clock (it should pull up and show you the time to the nearest second) - if your pc clock doesn't match the one on the website - your clock should have some type of button to synchronize - figure out how to do this and get your pc clock to match the official US Time.

Now that you are towards the end of the auction and your clock is coordinated - you need to open a new internet window or tab. Open the new window and highlight and copy the url of the auction. Go to the new window and paste that link. Now you will have the auction in two windows. The fun part is about to begin.

Next - place your highest bid that you are willing to make in the second window. Click "Place Bid". Now you will be in the "confirm bid" page. Check back to your first window (the auction listing) and look at the exact time the auction ends (note the minute and seconds). Click back to your "confirm bid" window. Now, click on your pc clock to open it (the seconds should be displayed).

Finally, when the clock gets to 8 seconds before the auction is set to end - click the "Confim" bid button (it takes a little less than 10 seconds for eBay to confirm the bid, this is why I confirm with 8 seconds left).

CONGRATS! You have either won the auction or another sniper has won it with an amount higher than you were willing to pay!

Learn more about this author, Mike Gibson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.