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Measuring the Benefits to Sniping on eBay: Evidence from a Field Experiment

Author

Listed:
  • Sean Gray

    (Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, U.S.A.)

  • David H. Reiley

    (Google, Inc., U.S.A.)

Abstract

Bidders on eBay frequently engage in sniping: that is, submitting a bid seconds before an auction closes. Using a field experiment, we attempt to measure the size of the benefit of sniping (if any). To do this we selected pairs of auctions that were as identical as possible (same item, same quality, same seller, similar closing time, et cetera). In one auction of each pair we submitted an early bid, and in the other we submitted the same bid exactly ten seconds before its close. Our results, from a set of 70 such pairs, indicate no benefit to sniping: we found evidence of 2.54% lower prices for the sniped auctions, but we did not find this benefit to be statistically significant. Additionally, we use our data to make a survey of the incidence of sniping and compare our findings with those of Roth and Ockenfels (2002).

Suggested Citation

  • Sean Gray & David H. Reiley, 2013. "Measuring the Benefits to Sniping on eBay: Evidence from a Field Experiment," Journal of Economics and Management, College of Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, vol. 9(2), pages 137-152, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:jec:journl:v:9:y:2013:i:2:p:137-152
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patrick Bajari & Ali Hortaçsu, 2004. "Economic Insights from Internet Auctions," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(2), pages 457-486, June.
    2. Jeffrey C. Ely & Tanjim Hossain, 2009. "Sniping and Squatting in Auction Markets," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(2), pages 68-94, August.
    3. Alvin E. Roth & Axel Ockenfels, 2002. "Last-Minute Bidding and the Rules for Ending Second-Price Auctions: Evidence from eBay and Amazon Auctions on the Internet," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 92(4), pages 1093-1103, September.
    4. Lucking-Reiley, David, 2000. "Auctions on the Internet: What's Being Auctioned, and How?," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(3), pages 227-252, September.
    5. Dan Ariely & Axel Ockenfels & Alvin E. Roth, 2005. "An Experimental Analysis of Ending Rules in Internet Auctions," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 36(4), pages 890-907, Winter.
    6. David Lucking-Reiley, 2000. "Vickrey Auctions in Practice: From Nineteenth-Century Philately to Twenty-First-Century E-Commerce," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 183-192, Summer.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Marie BLUM & Régis BLAZY, 2021. "The three stages of an auction: how do the bid dynamics influence auction prices? Evidence from live art auctions," Working Papers of LaRGE Research Center 2021-10, Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie (LaRGE), Université de Strasbourg.
    3. Wen Cao & Qinyang Sha & Zhiyong Yao & Dingwei Gu & Xiang Shao, 2019. "Sniping in soft-close online auctions: empirical evidence from overstock," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 179-191, June.
    4. Ravi Bapna & Robert Day & Sarah Rice, 2020. "Allocative Efficiency in Online Auctions: Improving the Performance of Multiple Online Auctions Via Seek‐and‐Protect Agents," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(8), pages 1878-1893, August.
    5. Yan Chen & Peter Cramton & John A. List & Axel Ockenfels, 2021. "Market Design, Human Behavior, and Management," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(9), pages 5317-5348, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bidding; second-price auction;

    JEL classification:

    • C93 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Field Experiments
    • D44 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Auctions

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