This entire thread has been discussing ebay in terms that are simply not
applicable to the way the site runs. It is more of a site for online
sales, similar to Amazon (buy it now on epay) or "let's see what we can
get someone to pay" rather than having auctions.
With any bidding, you have to have some sort of time limit, of course,
both to force the seller to make his mind up what he'll take, and to let
prospective buyers know when to expect a decision.
But all of the comments are thinking of the auctioneer at the front of
the room type auction, and this isn't that.
Sniping is a tool that has developed online, but I have seen it in
haggling at such events as the TRW swap meet, though with face to face
offers on the spot, you can get fist fights. I suspect this grabbing of
an item from another without the chance of some recourse is what is
causing all the emotion here about sniping on ebay.
However, the rules are what they are, ebay hasn't changed them for legal
or other reasons, and the simple fact is that if the item is for sale
for a variable offer amount, there is no reason on ebay or anywhere else
to disclose what you wish to pay until the last second, as it will allow
others information to adjust their bidding.
Noone on this thread has done anything but describe other sales methods,
and still have not given any reason why the sniping is wrong on ebay bid
sales.
If a seller wishes to get more for an item, they can list the item like
I do for a buy it now or offer, on an ongoing basis. It only costs me
$0.25 / month to carry my items with asking prices I would like, and
anyone is welcome to bid down to any amount they like and if I like it
I'll take it. I find that to be a much better model anyway than asking
a small amount and hoping someone will give me what I secretly hope to
get for it as a seller.
And I can immediately close out a sale that way, rather than waiting
around for an auction to end. It would be nice if list something at
some value and someone would want to pay me more, but the simple fact is
I know what things are worth, and doubt that will happen. I'm not
looking to set a value on an item in the market as far as a top value.
I realize that this does not apply if you have some rare item that you
wish to have the market show you what it is worth, but you can start the
auction at what you think you want to get, and let an auction take
place. Still not unfair to the seller.
On 2/21/2011 10:15 AM, Chuck Guzis wrote:
On 21 Feb 2011 at 17:32, Philip Pemberton wrote:
"Going once... going twice..."
"Fifty quid!"
"Fifty quid to the gentleman in the middle... do I hear fifty-five...
going once..." "Fifty-five!" "Would the gentleman in the middle care
to counter? Going once, going twice. Sold."
Sure, and that's the way
almost every other online auction used to be
run, with the notable exception of eBay.
Ubid.com still works that way, Excite! and Yahoo! auctions worked
that way as did OnSale, all of which are history.
I submit that the "auction ends precisely at xx:yy:zz" was one of the
features that made eBay attractive to buyers. A sweaty-palms
approach to auctions, with high adrenalin levels. Turns the whole
affair into a sport more than a business transaction.
Sniping does avoid the adrenalin rush. Occasionally, I'll get an
email informing me that I won or lost and I'll say "Gee, did I bid on
that? I don't remember." Some of that, could also be due to age and
the ossification of grey matter also...
--Chuck