eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y16/m05/i23/s01

 

'eBay auctions continue to falter, with auction format listings declining 20% in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period the year before - yet the marketplace has failed to address a critical problem that stands in the way of auction aficionados."

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

just goes to show how ebay realey dont care about sellers profits and are shooting themselves in the foot every time they mess with things starting to get out of hand in the name of profits for ebay makes one wonder in the months to come how many sellers say good bye to ebay????

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices


@pierrelebel wrote:

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y16/m05/i23/s01

 

'eBay auctions continue to falter, with auction format listings declining 20% in the first three months of 2016 compared to the same period the year before - yet the marketplace has failed to address a critical problem that stands in the way of auction aficionados."


 

I do note that the article's title and content don't quite match up.

 

eBay is accused of blocking third party snipers (like eSnipe) from properly sniping because of more stringent security measures.

 

Sniping by the buyer via eBay is not blocked.

 

-..-

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

Ah yes-- unintended consequences.

 

From the Gixen thread:

 

Ebay target what they consider might be sources of hacking attacks... sniping services get caught in the cross fire of that.

It is not Ebays' intention to close down sniping services, however they show little regard that the measures they take may indeed cause such services to become not viable to continue operating.

To elaborate on the technical details of how Ebay make things more difficult, is complex, and different every time Ebay make such changes, so it isn't possible to predict where issues will arise next. To do so, in great detail, could also help those trying to circumvent Ebay security, causing an even faster escalation in the measures that Ebay are taking... and so it is not in the interests of the sniping services to reveal too much of that detail.
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Mark

 

Gixen is a sniping service. I have never used it myself.

This is like the random shutdowns of ToolHaus, which allows easy access to all eBay feedback, back to 1995. At least now eBay allows us to specifically look at negative and neutral feedbacks received.

But ToolHaus allows us to see negs and neuts left for others too.

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

Mind you, the main reason for the decline of auctions is the lack of interest in them by buyers.

 

As far as I can see, eBay only keeps them because it is one of the few differences between them and other generalist sale sites.

 

With the rise of the impulsive mobile phone buyer, auctions are going to continue to decline.

 

 

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

"the main reason for the decline of auctions is the lack of interest in them by buyers."

 

Bingo!

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

 


ypdc_dennis wrote:


I do note that the article's title and content don't quite match up.

eBay is accused of blocking third party snipers (like eSnipe) from properly sniping because of more stringent security measures.

Sniping by the buyer via eBay is not blocked.

-..-


There are other problems with the article as well.

 

When judging if auctions have declined in number one has to consider absolute numbers rather than percentages.

If the types of items have increased in number which do not lend themselves to the auction format (and there are many), then the percentage of actions will be down even if the actual number of auctions is stable or growing.

 

In addition, eBay requires that users of Sniper services verify accounts now and then and until the user does so snipes are not placed.   This has been going on for years and it's not new.

Once the account has been verified it's business as usual.

eBay has no interest in blocking buyers from bidding and spending their money.  They'll take it any way they can.

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

I personally have no issues with it. I am a steady buyer and I snipe all the time. I dont use any tool, its just me counting down the time and striking at the right time. If a buyer is really interested in the item they will do the same. With mobile applications there is no excuse that a buyer can't bid wherever he or she is. I see no loss for sellers here.

 

Besides its more exciting to be there in the moment.

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices


@femmefan1946 wrote:

Mind you, the main reason for the decline of auctions is the lack of interest in them by buyers.

 

As far as I can see, eBay only keeps them because it is one of the few differences between them and other generalist sale sites.

 

With the rise of the impulsive mobile phone buyer, auctions are going to continue to decline.

 

 


Absolutely, totally, and completely.

 

I sort solds by highest price first. All the highest prices are BIN. The lowest prices are always auctions that generally end at 1/4 (one quarter) what BIN goes for.

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

When I run my "loss leader" auctions, that is exactly my experience.

 

Something that sells BIN regularly for $14.99 at auction will close at my start bid of $4.99 if it goes at all (I stopped starting stuff at 99c because of this otherwise it would bee 99c and as we've discussed in the past, the most complaints tend to come from the folks who pay 99c for items!!)

 

In the good old days one could count on about half the BIN price at auction. Anymore, 25% to 33% is what one can expect.

 

There seems to be increased visibility for the BIN stuff if one is running auctions, that's virtually the only reason I run any auctions anymore....

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

I am a steady buyer and I snipe all the time. I dont use any tool, its just me counting down the time and striking at the right time. If a buyer is really interested in the item they will do the same.

 

Except....

DH snipes through a service because his favoured collectibles mostly turn up in Australia . It's one pm here in Victoria BC and six am in Adelaide Australia, right now.

If his Australian auction ends at six pm he would have to be up at one am. And that is just not going to happen.

 

But many buyers just don't get a thrill out of auctions. We bid once, bid our maximum and if we lose, well, the other guy overpaid, the sucker.

Message 12 of 15
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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

Thats what I do in cases like that. Place your best bid and hope for the best.

Message 13 of 15
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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

Buyers have declined to a point where you just cant do those 9.99 auction starts. I used to do auctions and started at that amount, then moved it up to 89.99 auction start. Because most just stayed sold at the 89.99 starting price, I now only do BIN. Not enough buyers out there to create a good auction. Miss the old days.

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eBay Blocks Snipe Bids, Leading to Lower Selling Prices

It is simplistic to say that the market has changed. I opened my store a decade ago and immediately got much higher prices than auction ever generated.

 

Ten years ago, buyers wanted not now right now.

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