Nothing can be more frustrating than getting excited about an item on eBay that you really want only to be outbid in the final minutes by another bidder. How did this happen? Simply put, another buyer placed a higher maximum bid than you and moved above you as the top bidder. In eBay language, this type of bidder who waits to bid until the final second of an auction is called a “sniper.” Although it is frustrating, this is a valid way of winning auctions on eBay, but there are things you can do to try to defeat sniping, last-second bidders on eBay. Use the search box along the top of the eBay home page to find an item you’d like to win in an auction. Remember, your competitors cannot see your Max Bid and do not know how high you are willing to go. If you put in a Max Bid that is too low, someone with a higher Max Bid may outbid you immediately. This may true even though the Max Bid you entered was higher than the current bid shown on the item listing. When this happens, you’ll usually be notified immediately and given a chance to make another bid. Maximize your own use of the automated bidding system. Let eBay keep an eye on your items for you and continue to keep you competitive in the auction with its automated system. In the final 15 minutes, log back onto eBay and go to your My eBay page. Find the item in your “Items I Am Bidding On” link and go to your item’s page. On the item listing you will see a “1-Click Bids” button. This is a one-step way to quickly increase your bid by one bid increment with each click in the final minutes. One strategy is to put in a super-high Max Bid, so that a sniper won’t be able to overbid in the final seconds. Keep in mind, however, this could mean you end up paying more than you planned for the item. In the final 15 minutes of a listing you will see a “Refresh” link appear on the page of the item that you want to win. By clicking on this button every second, you will be able to see at the top of the page the current bid price, bid history, time left and high bidder. This is as “realtime” as you can get in the bidding war in the final seconds.
