OnBidder

As most people who have used eBay will have noticed, a number of auctions are lost to bids that are placed in the dying seconds of the sale. This is because the bidders are using 'sniping' software which takes over the bidding process from the user.

Ebay's own proxy bidding system is intended to defeat this kind of thing; you place a maximum bid on the site and the site's computers then bid up to that maximum as required.

But anyone using such software can, in theory, bid up to your maximum and then place another bid one increment past it to win the auction at the last moment. OnBidder promises to give you the same power.

OnBidder is a simple download that is easy to install. It comes with a 14-day free trial, during which the software can be used to the full, after which time it works only with a subscription.

Once installed, using it is simply a case of entering your eBay username and password. There are menu options to search or browse eBay from within OnBidder, so it's not necessary to use an internet browser.

After choosing an item, press the Insert key to get OnBidder on the case. Set a maximum price and the computer does the rest of the work.

Does it work? Yes, to a point. Because OnBidder is based on your PC, the PC needs to be on and connected to the internet as auctions you are bidding on draw to a close. But we were able to win our test items without a problem. The auction groups, where it will bid on several similar items but ensure that you don't win more than one, are a good idea.

There are free alternatives but none has the same power as this one, and some are loaded with spyware. The only real downside is that your computer has to be connected to the internet at the end of the bidding process, which might mean leaving it on all day or night.