[jmc316]

This is exactly it. I don't use a snipping program but I always wait until the last possible second to put in my max bid.

Using the $20 example. If I put it in with three days left then inevitable someone comes along and will bid $5 (their max bid). They see that didn't work, so then all of a sudden their max bid is $8. Then they put in $12, etc. etc. Where if you had just waited to put in your max bid, then there bid would have remained at $5, and you win it for $5.50 as opposed to the other person having time to "feel out" your max price and driving up the costs.

Given ebays current structure it makes NO SENSE AT ALL to bid until the final seconds. However if they went to the structure of if there is a bid in the last five minutes, then the auction is extended for another five minutes, that would eliminate the advantage of snipping.

That may work in your example, but if we use my $20 example of what my personal max is...If I put a bid in 15 seconds before closing on an item that is currently at $5 to win and I put my max bid in of $20 and the current bidder is at $22 for his max...then my sniper program didnt do any good as I still lost...or does the sniper program have a way to know what someone else's max bid is?