Help for getting what you want using eSnipe

[Guest gkentsmith]

Hi,

I posted this earlier to a rather old thread and also in the Advent section. This is not specific to any "wanted" item in this forum, but more specific to eBay. It is how I get most of my wanted items and win most of the appropriate auctions (about a 98% success rate). This in no way is meant to promote the use of eBay; I only want to help our members make effective use of that resource if they are desperate enough (lol).

There is a web site called eSnipe (www.esnipe.com) that exists specifically to do what we all need to do at times. I'm almost sorry to give this out because it'll probably cost me an auction or two in the future.

When you sign up at eSnipe you simply buy some points (one cent per point, and you can use PayPal to buy them). You buy in increments of 1000 points or more (that's $10 for the math impaired - lol). Then, as items come up on eBay that you want to have you simply enter the auction id and specify the max amount you're willing to pay. A side benefit from this is that you avoid tipping your hand and you stay out of bidding wars.

eSnipe then does everything else for you. At 6 seconds prior to auction end (you can change the number of seconds if you want) it enters your max bid amount (if no one has bid higher already) and if no one else is using eSnipe and outbids you, you automatically win at the lowest amount you needed to win based on eBay's bid structure. Your cost is a deduction in your point balance equivalent to 1 point per dollar of the final selling price NOT INCLUDING shipping. So a $30 final sales price costs you 30 points; you started with 1000 points, so you can see that this works out pretty well. There is no charge unless you win.

If memory serves, eSnipe even gives you some free points to start with, and eBay doesn't object to the eSnipe use. As a matter of fact, I was told that the eSnipe product changed hands a while back, and it was bought on eBay by the current owners who used eSnipe to buy it (lol). Click on the link and read their main page - it'll answer any questions you might have.

Hope this helps everyone,

Kent