Anti Sniping: Propel the Auction to Higher Bids

Have you ever been running an online auction and as the bidding is closing there is a surge in activity? The winner is the one that got that very last bid in at the instant before the auction closes. The winning bidder is super happy but how much higher could the bids have gone?

We at Auctria call these bidders ‘snipers’ and have the answer: an ‘anti-sniping’ feature.

Here are a few real-life scenarios that illustrate the situation:

Example #1: Hockey Tickets and a Zamboni Ride at an NHL game.

Had the item had a hard close and no anti-sniping, the closing bid would have been $220. Because the anti-sniping feature was selected the bidding for this item was extended for an additional 10 minutes each time a higher bid was placed within 5 minutes of the end. The final bid was $280 yielding an additional $60.

Here is the timeline and bidding that occurred:

Example #2: Reserved Seats at Graduation

Without anti-sniping final bid would have been $235
Final Bid $280 Here is what the clock looked like during the anti-sniping period.

Set Up Anti-Sniping Rules on Auctria

Prevent bid sniping by last-minute bids outbidding people before they have a chance to react.

• "Anti-Sniping" defaults are set under Website → Online Bidding
• Two new options to specify an anti-sniping trigger window and an anti-sniping extension
• Any bid placed within the trigger window will cause the closing time to be extended by the amount of the extension period