How many auctions are won by sniping?
No one, not even eBay, can tell how many bids are placed by sniping programs or websites. The reason is that the eBay API (a way for third-party software to access the eBay database) does not allow bids to be placed, so all snipe bids are made in exactly the same way as “normal” bids – through the eBay website. Desktop sniping programs generally place bids directly from users’ computers, so there is no centralised data on the bids that are made this way. Sniping websites, in contrast, place bids from their own servers, and some data is available on the number of bids made using their services: AuctionStealer: 6,000 to 15,000 per day Bidnapper: 10,000 per day eSnipe: 10,000 per day JustSnipe: 1,500 per day SnipeSwipe: 300 per day An rough estimate, based on the above, is 50,000 snipes per day from all the sniping sites — or 350,000 per week. Overall, the number of auctions won by last-minute bids is estimated by savvy eBayers to be around 5%. However, a sample of around 1000 auctions fr
