Now you can win EVERY bid on eBay the lazy way thanks to this clever ‘sniping’ trick
Snipers say that if you're not sniping, you're driving up prices for everyone else
IF you have your eye on an a product on eBay, the worst thing you can do is to bid on it in advance, as acting too soon means you will drive up the price of the item.
The best way to win every auction is perfect for lazy bidders - you just need to swoop in and deliver a killer bid about 10 seconds before the deadline, leaving no time for others to fight back with a sniping tool.
What is sniping?
Sniping in its most basic form is simply waiting until the very last second of an eBay auction and quickly plugging in a bid that is slightly higher than the user before you.
It's a controversial practise, and in some eyes, it's considered cheating - although .
In fact, many snipers believe that anyone that doesn’t regularly snipe is at best a fool, or at worst driving up prices for everyone on eBay.
Savvy shoppers want to avoid biding wars, as they encourage crazy prices on weird items such as Donald Trump merchandise or new £5 notes selling for £300,000.
He told The Sun: "I remember using eBay in the mid nineties and putting last second bids in on cassette concert recordings.
"It's an ethical way to bid because eBay is an open playing field. There's nothing to stopping anyone from bidding however much they want, and when they want."
How can I beat snipers?
Many eBay shoppers feel as though they’ve somehow been cheated when bids appear at the very last moment of an auction, so if you do plan on winning a bid against a sniper, you have to be seriously dedicated.
Bidding against a sniping tool makes winning tough but not impossible because snipers are at the mercy of internet speeds.
Networks have downtime and they fluctuate in speed depending on traffic and conditions.
While it is the case that the later a bid, the less time competitors will have to respond, it’s also true that leaving only one or two seconds before an auction closes may mean that your bid just doesn’t get there in time if your internet speeds are slow.
She said: "Obviously, that means you're staying up to watch the auction end.
"I have also heard of black market software that will beat any eBay sniper, but you should only ever use a recommended tool as you are handing over your eBay password."
What are the best sniping tools?
Professional eBay snipers don't believe in paying for sniping tools, with MoneySavingExpert forum users recommending Goofbid or Gixen.
Both these tools are tried and tested and will snipe on your behalf. Bidders enter the product ID, the maximum bid and the amount of seconds before the end of the listing that you're prepared to place your final bid.
However, sniping savers need to be aware that there are potential cons to the practise. Sniping websites need your eBay login information to place bids on your behalf, which means that you’re not only counting on eBay to protect your personal information, but on the sniping service too.