Frequently Asked Questions

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

Is it bad auction etiquette to snipe?

On the contrary. Sellers recognize that snipers are enthusiastic, knowledgeable buyers that 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, "Sniping is part of the eBay experience." The only people who don't like sniping are incremental bidders, like "lowballers" and "nibblers." We feel each bidder should be able to find the bidding style that works for them.

What makes Bidnapper different than other auction snipers?

There are several differences between Bidnapper and other snipers. First, there are two kinds of auction snipers: software and online services. Bidnapper is an online service. There is nothing to download or install, no updating of the software required when you use Bidnapper. Your computer doesn't have to be on, or online, to use our service. Second, Bidnapper 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, Bidnapper is the only bidding site to offer service to a wide range of auction sites including many international and specialty sites.

What does Bidnapper cost?

Get complete information on our Prices page.

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

Bidnapper is not associated with eBay or any other auction site, and is not able to bid for you unless you allow us. Bidnapper 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.

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

You have a login to access your Bidnapper account, and you have a login for each auction site you use Bidnapper to snipe To have your Bidnapper 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 bidnapper.com through. Your bidding usernames are visible on your 'My Account' page once you have logged in.

How do I change my Bidnapper username, password or e-mail address?

You have a login to access your Bidnapper account, and separate logins for each auction site you use Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper account.

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

You have a login to access your Bidnapper account, and separate logins for each auction site you use Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper account.

Is Bidnapper secure?

Submitting a bid with Bidnapper 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... Bidnapper/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 auctions does Bidnapper work on?

Bidnapper 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.

What is the best bidding strategy?

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

Do you guarantee my bid will win?

You are guaranteed to succeed when you use Bidnapper.com. We do not guarantee you will win every auction you bid on, but we do guarantee you will win during your free trial and your subscription to Bidnapper. If you do not win an auction any time during your 15 day free trial, we will extend your free trial. And, when you subscribe, if you do not win any auctions during your subscription period, we will extend your subscription. Either way, you are "Guaranteed to Succeed" with Bidnapper.com.

How does it work?

Bidnapper 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, Bidnapper submits your bid. There is generally no need to bid directly with the auction site manually. Bidnapper takes the guess work out of sniping.

How do I add an item to be sniped with Bidnapper?

There are three ways to add bids to Bidnapper for sniping. First, after logging into Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper in the designated space. Enter you maximum bid, select the auction site from the dropdown and press 'SNIPE'. Bidnapper 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. Bidnapper'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'. Bidnapper 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, Bidnapper 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.

How do I delete or change a bid?

From your Bidnapper 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.

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.

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

In most cases your bid will be adjusted one bidding increment above the previous high bidder. Bidnapper uses the proxy bidding 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 bidding increment to meet the reserve. The proxy system is not used on Dutch auctions. So, on Dutch auctions only, when Bidnapper submits your bid, eBay will generally apply the full amount of your bid. Get more information on Dutch auctions here.

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

Bidnapper 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. Bidnapper 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 in international currencies.

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 didn't win the auction. What went wrong?

Probably nothing. Usually when a Bidnapper 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 Bidnapper 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. Bidnapper tells you what happened in your auction with the "Response" on your bid listing.

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. Find out more about this by searching 'bid increments' on your eBay Help page.