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Milton
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 230
Location: Arvada, Colorado
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 Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:36 pm Post subject: Ebay sniping sucks. |
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Just a note to let you all know of my recent experience with sniping Ebay.
I have been looking for a 50 amp alternator to replace my puny 32 amp on the K100. Found one on Ebay from a K1100 with a $35 starting bid. So yesterday I set up a sniping account with some web site that has a sniping tool. Set my maximum bid at $50. Waited to be the proud owner of a 50 amp. Auction ended. I didn't win, someone sniped me for $63.87.
No more K1100 alternators on Ebay but there are numerous R1100 and R1150 alternators that will work. So.....
Today there was an alternator from a R1100S for $40. So okay, cool, I'll just set up my snipe for $70 that should do it. There have been no bids on the alternator as the bidding closes. My sniping web site informs me that I won. Then seconds later it tells me that someone else has sniped me again. They won for $71. Well, crap, this isn't working out as I had hoped. Then...
I went back to Ebay to set up another snipe and noticed that there was a 1999 R1100GS alternator available with a buy it now price of $50 so I just purchased it outright .. screw the screw .. and saved $21. Hope it works.
_________________
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick!
1992 K100RS 48K. Dead for now.
1998 Triumph Tiger 43K->56K. Doin it in the dirt.
1978 Honda CB400T 32.5K. For my boys.
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Stoked Steve
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 01 Sep 2004
Posts: 1402
Location: Virginia Beach, VA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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Snipe upon others as you would have sniped upon you!
I find the "buy it now" feature much more simple and less dramatic, if it's a fair price.
_________________
Steve
Virginia Beach, VA
93 K1100RS Mystic Red SOLD
12 Suzuki DL650A VStrom |
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rydor
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 16 Nov 2006
Posts: 1304
Location: Southern Illinois, U.S.A.
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Ebay should find a way to stop those programs. If the item goes for higher than what you want to spend, you weren't getting it anyway. Sniping programs have ruined Ebay. |
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Flying Duck
PsyKotic Waterfowl
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
Location: Bumf***, WA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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| rydor wrote: | | If the item goes for higher than what you want to spend, you weren't getting it anyway. Sniping programs have ruined Ebay. |
Your first sentence is 100% right on.
I completely disagree with the second statement.
And just how can you tell if an item had been sniped by a sniping program? Answer: You can't - because someone could just as easily have sniped it by hand. If I'm not going to be around then I use a sniping engine but usually I snipe by hand and have the timing down pretty well. As a losing bidder you can't tell the difference.
What has really happend is that eBay buyers are more sophisticted than they used to be so most experienced buyers don't bid until it's very close to the auction end. Because of this buyers will generally get a lower price by sniping - either manual or automated - so in the end sniping works in the buyer's favor because items used to get bid up higher prematurely.
It's a little frustrating as a seller because an item will sit there with no bids for ten days and then sell for whatever it's going to sell for. (Although you can see the number of watchers and gauge interest to some extent.) But hey, that's how life goes....
This is really the crux of the issue:
| rydor wrote: | | If the item goes for higher than what you want to spend, you weren't getting it anyway. |
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE |
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Phil Marvin
Rider in the Sky
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 1389
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, All,
I'm an old fart. I don't have a sniping program. An item I wanted closed at exactly midnight 5/17. So at 10 seconds before midnight I bid just a bit higher than the high bid. I'm now the new owner of a '95 K75RTP with 15k miles.
Ride Safe,
Phil Marvin
'95 K75RT
'95 K75RTP
'94 K75A/3
Last edited by Phil Marvin on Tue May 19, 2009 9:49 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Flying Duck
PsyKotic Waterfowl
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
Location: Bumf***, WA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:47 pm Post subject: |
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Way to go, Phil. 
What's the item number?
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE |
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Phil Marvin
Rider in the Sky
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 1389
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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Hi, Drake,
It was item 270388744315. Now I have to figure out how to get to northern Missouri to pick it up and ride it home. I may ride it to Hungry Dungee I or I may ride the K75A/3. Looking forward to it!
Ride Safe(ly),
Phil Marvin - El Paso, TX
'95 K75RT
'95 K75RTP
'94 K75A/3 |
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Off the grid
Chaotic Good
Joined: 05 Jul 2006
Posts: 3414
Location: At the local taco truck waiting for Jo.
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject: |
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Good looking scoot! And only 15k miles?
_________________
Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
2009 Husqvarna TE610. "The dirty Italian mistress"
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Flying Duck
PsyKotic Waterfowl
Joined: 27 Jan 2005
Posts: 10102
Location: Bumf***, WA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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Wow! Only 15k on it. That's a steal.
What product do you recommend for cleaning the donut icing from the grips? 
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE |
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Milton
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
Posts: 230
Location: Arvada, Colorado
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject: |
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Congratulations to you Phil, nice looking bike. Saw some similar bikes this past weekend at Denver BMW but only they were R bikes and being used as lead bikes for the traveling BMW demo trailer. That top case is pretty funky, looks like it could hold a bunch of stuff. For the police bikes I think it holds all their electronic gear, radio etc.
I'm not a very sophisticated Ebay shopper and only use Ebay 0-5 times a year. In the past I have been sniped several different times on items I really wanted so I figured this time I would try and beat the bidding war. Oh well I saved $21 and ended up with what I wanted anyway.
Milton S.
_________________
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick!
1992 K100RS 48K. Dead for now.
1998 Triumph Tiger 43K->56K. Doin it in the dirt.
1978 Honda CB400T 32.5K. For my boys.
Last edited by Milton on Tue May 19, 2009 10:18 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Phil Marvin
Rider in the Sky
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 1389
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject: |
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| Flying Duck wrote: | Wow! Only 15k on it. That's a steal.
What product do you recommend for cleaning the donut icing from the grips? |
Hi, Drake,
My daughter has 3 cats. I'll let them clean off the glaze or powdered sugar. They should do a good job!
Ride Safe(ly)
'95 K75RT
'95 K75RTP
'94 K75A/3 |
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Jim
Site Admin
Joined: 17 May 2003
Posts: 3841
Location: WHERETHEFUNNEVERENDS
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:25 pm Post subject: ebay/K75 |
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Hey Phil - congrats!!! Nice bike, good price! I'd love to have a bike like that. Enjoy it!
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000
"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed." |
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fnord
Mad Brick Rider
Joined: 23 Oct 2008
Posts: 147
Location: Colebrook, CT
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| Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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http://www.gixen.com/
Gixen is a great sniping site, it has won me all kinds of good stuff.
One error that you made was in sniping for round amounts -- $40, $70, etc. I've found over the years that sniping for just a little more -- $41.75, $73.50 wins a lot more often than you'd think. It doesn't have to add much to the price, it just has to be a little more than the round amount in people's heads.
Think of it like paying a low tax, but it doesn't go to the gummint.
The other error is completely slipping my mind now. It was perfect advice, too. Would've solved world hunger.
Ah, well.
[edit] Oh, right, it wasn't an error, it was about Gixen... (the other reindeer)
Gixen will let you set up a "group," so if there are 4 alternators on eBay, you add all four auctions and your highest bid (for each individually), and it will snipe until it wins one. Once it does, it stops.
_________________
1993 K1100RS
1999 Jeep Wrangler |
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Saltcreek
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
Posts: 957
Location: New Hampshire
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 7:39 am Post subject: |
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My new Craigslist Reader program is currently searching the entire country for K75rt. It's about 40% through and no hits. Next, Canada?
_________________
Jim
1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold 
2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium |
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Geoff
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 551
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| skdonlan wrote: | Snipe upon others as you would have sniped upon you!
I find the "buy it now" feature much more simple and less dramatic, if it's a fair price. |
Same here, especially if it's something I need for a repair.
_________________
2000 R1100RT
2008 H-D Electra Glide Ultra Classic |
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Phil Marvin
Rider in the Sky
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 1389
Location: El Paso, Texas, USA
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 2:29 pm Post subject: |
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| skdonlan wrote: | | I find the "buy it now" feature much more simple and less dramatic, if it's a fair price. |
Hi, All,
The above is true, but also check the shipping charges. There's a guy in Miami with stuff still listed. A K11 ignition lock is at $100 Buy It Now with $50 shipping. The same seller has a set of forks for, I believe, $250 plus $200 shipping. Caveat Emptor.
Ride Safe,
Phil Marvin - El Paso, TX
'95 K75RT
'95 K75RTP
'94 K75A/3 |
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Geoff
Flying Brick Rider
Joined: 08 Feb 2007
Posts: 551
Location: Illinois
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| Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Phil Marvin wrote: | | skdonlan wrote: | | I find the "buy it now" feature much more simple and less dramatic, if it's a fair price. |
Hi, All,
The above is true, but also check the shipping charges. There's a guy in Miami with stuff still listed. A K11 ignition lock is at $100 Buy It Now with $50 shipping. The same seller has a set of forks for, I believe, $250 plus $200 shipping. Caveat Emptor.
Ride Safe,
Phil Marvin - El Paso, TX
'95 K75RT
'95 K75RTP
'94 K75A/3 |
I never had this problem.
This same guy likely uses the same shipping charges for his auction items, too.
_________________
2000 R1100RT
2008 H-D Electra Glide Ultra Classic |
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