EZ sniper FAQ's

What is a snipe?

A snipe is a last-minute, or last-second auction bid.

Why should I snipe an auction?

To win auctions, and save money. Sniping blocks competitive bids, except by proxy. It prevents other bidders from discovering your proxy bid. It keeps your interest in an item private. It protects you from being shilled. And, it's fun. See what independent university studies have found about the effectiveness of sniping.

Do sellers or eBay object to last second bids?

No. In fact, sellers recognize that snipers are enthusiastic, knowledgeable buyers who commit to a maximum bid and use the proxy system. Buyers like to snipe because it gives them more control over the purchase and price. And eBay says, "It's perfectly fine to snipe", and, "Sniping is part of the eBay experience." The only people who don't like sniping are incremental bidders. And, sniper services help to level the playing field for bidders who want to snipe and have to go to work or get some sleep. We feel each bidder should be able to find the bidding style that works for them.

What is the best bidding strategy?

Bid the highest amount you think the item is worth, and let the proxy system and EZ sniper do their jobs. If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on Bidding Strategy, or check out our Bidding Tips.

What makes EZ sniper different than other auction snipers?

There are several differences between EZ sniper and other snipers. First, there are two kinds of auction snipers: software and online services. EZ sniper is an online service. There is nothing to download or install, no updating of the software required when you use EZ sniper. Your computer doesn't have to be on, or online, to use our service. Second, EZ sniper is better than other sniper services because of our advanced bidding application, system reliability, and customer support. We have made the commitment to provide better service in these areas, and have been doing so longer than most other services. Finally, EZ sniper is the only bidding site to offer service to a wide range of auction sites including many international and specialty sites.

Why do I need to give my eBay user I.D. and password?

EZ sniper is not associated with eBay or any other auction site, and is not able to bid for you unless you allow us. EZ sniper acts as your bidding agent. To do so, your username and password for each auction site you want to bid on must be in our database.

Is EZ sniper secure?

Submitting a bid with EZ sniper is as secure as doing it directly with eBay. No one else will ever use it or see it. Read more about security here.

What is your privacy policy?

Attorney/client...doctor/patient...EZ sniper/bidder. The information you provide will be kept in the strictest confidence. It will not be sold or distributed to third parties. And everything you bid on is between you and the seller. Read more about our privacy policy here.

What does EZ sniper cost?

EZ sniper costs as little as 10 cents per snipe, and that is only charged when you win your auctions. But EZ sniper offers other payment options. EZ sniper is the only bidding service to offer your choice of commission service, flat-rate snipes, or subscriptions. Get complete information on our Prices page.

What auctions does EZ sniper work on?

EZ sniper works on more auction sites than any other service, and the number of sites is constantly growing. Supported sites include all eBay's sites, other international and specialty sites. Because the list is constantly changing, check out the latest information here.

How does it work?

EZ sniper is synchronized precisely with the auction site's clock and is continuously monitoring the connection between our servers and the auction site. When the time to bid arrives, EZ sniper submits your bid. There is generally no need to bid directly with the auction site manually. EZ sniper takes the guess work out of sniping.

Do you guarantee my bid will win?

Of course not. But we will submit your bid so that you have a better chance of winning. Enter a proxy bid for the most you think the item is worth and let EZ sniper do the rest.

How do I add an item to be sniped with EZ sniper?

There are three ways to add bids to EZ sniper for sniping. First, after logging into EZ sniper with your username and password, you will be on your My Auctions page. At the top of this page you will find the 'Add Interface'. Copy the item number from the auction site and paste it to EZ sniper in the designated space. Enter you maximum bid, select the auction site from the dropdown and press 'SNIPE'. EZ sniper does the rest.

Or, you can add the Snapper link to browser's toolbar. When you find an item you want on eBay, simply click the icon. EZ sniper's Snapper window opens on top of the auction page. Snapper will have the eBay item number already filled in. You may have to copy and paste the auction number for other auction sites. Just enter your username, password and maximum bid, select the auction site, then click 'add'. EZ sniper does the rest. It's a snap! Go to the Snapper page for complete instructions on how to add Snapper your browser's toolbar and use it.

If you are adding several bids for sniping, you may want to use the 'Bulk Add' feature. The link to the 'Bulk Add' interface is to the left of the 'SNIPE!' button on the add interface. When you click this link, you are taken to a screen that has instructions on how to use the 'Bulk Add' field. Put one auction and snipe information per line, and separate the information with a comma as is shown in the instructions. 'Bulk Add' takes the drudgery out of adding several bids when you want to snipe a lot.

For international bidding, EZ sniper makes no currency conversions. Just bid in the currency of the auction. That means, if the auction is in GBP's, you should value your bid in GBP's. The currency of the auction is the bold number displayed on the auction page. Any other value there is for your convenience. For example, if you are looking at a UK auction by way of the eBay US auction site, you might see a conversion into USD's. That conversion is only there for your convenience. Value your bid in GBP's. Also, do not enter any other characters other than numbers and a single decimal. DO NOT ENTER a comma, $'s or GBP, or anything other than the numbers of your bid with the single decimal in the proper place. All additions, deletions, and changes to your Pending Auctions list must be done prior to six minutes before the end of the auction.

If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on bidding or check out our Trouble Shooting pages.

Bidding in my auction is not in US dollars. Will EZ sniper work for me?

EZ sniper works with any currency. Just enter numerals, a decimal, then two numerals. Your bid will be interpreted in the auction's currency whether it's USD's, GBP's, EUR's or any other currency.

EZ sniper makes no currency conversions. The currency of the auction is in bold type. Don't be confused by the conversion in smaller type that eBay provides. It is only there as a courtesy to help you value your bid. Do not enter any other characters other the numbers of your bid and a single decimal. Do not enter USD's, CAD'S, $, �, i, �, or any other currency-related characters. Do not enter a comma anywhere in the number, even if bidding in Euros. They will result in errors in your bidding. Enter only numbers and a single decimal in the appropriate place. Because you are entering only numbers and a single decimal, your bid is not any particular currency, and allows us to bid in any currency on any of eBay's international sites. Confirm your bid is correct in the listing that appears immediately after you click the SNIPE! button.

If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on bidding in international currencies.

Will my bid be raised to just beat the previous high bidder or will EZ sniper bid everything?

In most cases your bid will be adjusted one bidding increment above the previous high bidder. EZ sniper uses the proxy system to bid just enough to make you the winner, up to your maximum bid. In reserve auctions, that may mean raising your bid more than one bid increment to meet the reserve. The proxy system is not used on Dutch auctions in which there is more than one of the same item up for bid. So, when EZ sniper submits your bid on Dutch auctions only, eBay will apply their rules for this type of auction, and it may means the full amount of your bid is used.

How do I delete or change a bid?

From your EZ sniper auction list, simply press the DELETE button on the bid listing to eliminate that auction. To change a bid, click the CHANGE BID button. All additions, deletions, and changes must be done prior to six minutes before the end of the auction.

If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on how the 'My Auctions' page functions.

What happens if two people are sniping the same auction?

If two people are sniping the same auction then the highest bid will win. If they bid the same amount the first bid to reach eBay will win the auction.

I forgot my username or password. What can I do?

You have a login to access your EZ sniper account, and you have a login for each auction site you use EZ sniper to snipe To have your EZ sniper login sent to the email address we have for you, click the 'Forgot Login?' link in the top right corner of the site. Enter your email address on the page that opens. Your username and password will be emailed to you. If you have a spam blocker enabled on your computer, be sure it allows emails from ezsniper.com through. Your bidding usernames are visible on your 'My Account' page once you have logged in.

How do I change my username, password or e-mail address on EZ sniper?

You have a login to access your EZ sniper account, and separate logins for each auction site you use EZ sniper to snipe. To change any of your logins, click the 'CHANGE LOGIN' link in the upper right corner of the site. You will be taken to your 'My Account' page and the 'Manage Logins' tab. If you want to change your EZ sniper login, use the 'CHANGE' button next to it. If you want to change any of your bidding account logins, use the 'CHANGE' button next to any of your active bidding accounts. You may also ADD, DELETE or VERIFY bidding accounts from this interface. If you are not logged in when you click the 'CHANGE LOGIN' link in the upper right corner of the site, you will be asked to log into your EZ sniper account.

How do I change the eBay login, or any of the bidding account logins I have on file with EZ sniper?

You have a login to access your EZ sniper account, and separate logins for each auction site you use EZ sniper to snipe. To change any of your logins, click the 'CHANGE LOGIN' link in the upper right corner of the site. You will be taken to your 'My Account' page and the 'Manage Logins' tab. If you want to change any of your bidding account logins, use the CHANGE button next to any of your active bidding accounts. If you want to change your EZ sniper login, use the CHANGE button next to it. You may also ADD, DELETE or VERIFY bidding accounts from this interface. If you are not logged in when you click the 'CHANGE LOGIN' link in the upper right corner of the site, you will be asked to log into your EZ sniper account.

How do I adjust the bidding interval so my bid arrives at the auction site a few seconds before the end of the auction?

This adjustment is available on your 'My Account' page, on the Settings tab. Our default is 4 to 5 seconds before the end of the auction, and we do not suggest a bidding interval any shorter, but you may have a longer, or shorter, interval if you feel it gives you an advantage.

What do the terms mean that I see on my auction page and archive?

The status of your bid changes as the auction progresses until you get the final response to your bid. These are the status reports you will see, and what they mean.

Pending - your bid is in the database awaiting the end of the auction.
Queued - EZ sniper is preparing to submit your bid.
Won - Congratulations!
Done - The auction is over, all necessary follow up is complete.
Bid Too Low - Your bid was lower than the minimum bid when it was submitted.
Reserve - The auction's reserve was not met.
BIN - The auction ended with eBay's® Buy It Now feature.
Early - The auction ended early. Refer to the auction page.
Late - The bid was submitted, however it arrived or was confirmed after EOA.
Error - The bid was submitted, but an interruption prevented the bid from being accepted.
Password - Login information was incorrect.
Blocked - The user is barred from this seller's auctions.

If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on Bid Responses.

I didn't win the auction. What went wrong?

Probably nothing. Usually when an EZ sniper user doesn't win, bidding just went past the maximum the user set. Sometimes the difference between the current high bid and the user's maximum bid is less than the minimum bid increment and EZ sniper is unable to bid. Occasionally the seller ends the auction early. There are a variety of outcomes that will result in not winning an auction. Just click the bid response button on your bid listing to get more information.

If you need more information, please go to our Tutorial page on Bidding Strategy, or check out our Bidding Tips.

I bid more than the winning price. Why did I lose?

Usually it is because your bid was below eBay's minimum bid increment. There is a sliding scale of minimum bid increments, and they are different for each currency. The increments increase as the bidding gets higher. Each currency has its own scale of bidding increments. Find out more about the increments using these links:

For USD's
For GBP's
For EUR's
For AUD's
For CAD's

What is EZ sniper's Contingency feature?

Select this feature to automatically cancel bids on later auctions after you have won an earlier one. This way you don't win more auctions than you want.

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