Auction Sniping

What Does Auction Sniping Mean?

Auction sniping is a technique where a user in a timed online auction waits until the time limit is nearly expired before entering a bid. The other participants in the auction do not have enough time to enter a counterbid, allowing the sniper to win the auction. A sniper may enter the bids manually or use a software package to do so.

Techopedia Explains Auction Sniping

Auction sniping is a legitimate way to get an item without engaging in a bidding war, but it does cause hard feelings among the other bidders. Online auction sites have taken some steps to minimize the prevalence of sniping, including requiring a CAPTCHA before entering a bid and adding a “buy now” button for bidders who are willing to forgo the auction process to leave with the item.

Related Reading

Margaret Rouse

Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

All Articles by Margaret Rouse