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The Swoopo Guide

 


This guide contains some valuable information about how to bid on Swoopo. We start with a quick overview of Swoopo and then move on to basic and advanced bidding strategies. If you want to learn how to win an auction, then take your time and read all of these points. You won't regret it!
 

All About Swoopo

What is Swoopo?

Swoopo is one of the world's most innovative auction sites. Every day we sell brand new, top-name products at incredibly low prices. We are the creators of "Entertainment Shopping" on the internet, and one of the first companies to combine e-commerce and entertainment. All of our auctions are buzzing from the first to the last second.
 

How does Swoopo work?

For a really quick overview of how Swoopo works, take a look at this tutorial video.


To get started, you need to buy some bids. Each bid costs 60 cents and are sold in BidPacks of different sizes. Bidders have the choice of placing single bids or using the BidButler.

Buy Bids


In our standard auction format, each bid placed increases the price of the product by 12 cents and the auction countdown by up to 20 seconds.


Auction Types

Apart from the standard auction on Swoopo, we also have some others which allow you to use different strategies. From Penny Auctions, to NailBiters, you can can see them all in the video below.


The BidButler

Have you tried bidding using a BidButler yet? If not, you're probably missing out on one of the best-kept secrets on Swoopo. BidButlers let you bid even if you’re not sat at your computer. If you need to grab a coffee, the BidButler can bid for you so you don't miss out.


To use it, just tell the BidButler the minimum and maximum price at which you want him to place your bids, as well as the number of bids you're prepared for him to use and he'll do the rest! If there is a BidButler battle between two or more BidButlers, then the time will only ever increase up to a maximum of 5 minutes, regardless of how many bids have been placed.

Watch the video below for a reminder of how it works, and a demonstration of the BidButler in action.


Auction Timers

On Swoopo, the auction time increases with each bid placed. This allows other users the chance to bid, and join in on the fun. Each auction will either have a 10, 15, or 20 second auction time and you can see this on the auction detail page. All auctions start with a 24 hour countdown. As long as the timer is above 2 minutes, no bids placed will add time to the clock. However, once the counter is below 2 minutes, each bid placed will add a maximum of 20 seconds. But, it will never go beyond 5 minutes regardless of how many bids are placed. Check out the video below for more information
 


How many bids does it take to win?

It's important to understand what it takes to win an auction on Swoopo. A basic rule of thumb is that high value items attract more bidders, and therefore require more bids to win the auction because there's more competition. Now, from time to time everyone will assume this, and you may be able to walk away with a brand new Playstation 3 for just a few bids. Take a look at the example products below, which show the average number of bids to win an auction.



Basic Bidding Strategies

Start small

On Swoopo you’ll see everything from USB sticks, to 42" LCD TVs. Some items are worth $20, some are worth over $1,000. As you can imagine, the more expensive items attract the most bidders, which makes them harder to win. So if you’re new to Swoopo, you should go for one of the cheaper items as you’ll have a greater chance of winning, plus you’ll get to learn how Swoopo really works. It just takes a bit of practice! 


Go for a Beginner Auction

A Beginner Auction is only open to bidders who’ve never won before, so this is a great opportunity for you to win your first item! Using all of these tips, and your own bidding strategy, you’ll bag a bargain in no time. And who knows, your next win may be an Apple MacBook or 42” LCD TV!

Click here to view our live Beginner Auctions (only visible to logged in, non winners).


Take your time

This is very important! First, take your time and understand how Swoopo works. Watch the video, read through this guide, and browse some auctions. You’ll be surprised how much of an advantage you’ll have by following this simple tip. Secondly, once you’ve found an item you want to bid on, just watch the auction for a few minutes. See who’s bidding, and how much they’re bidding. You need to work out the best time to enter the auction so look at the past ended auctions and you’ll get an idea of how many bids are needed, and what price this item normally goes for. 


Make sure you have enough time

If you’re about to eat lunch, or take the dog for a walk, don’t start bidding on an auction! Some auctions will end quickly, but some will go on for a few hours. So if you’re serious about winning an item, make sure you have enough time to keep bidding. However, you could set up a BidButler to bid while you’re away from the computer!


Focus on one product at a time

This is by far, the biggest mistake made by new users on Swoopo. We offer so many GREAT products that people do not know what to bid on first. So instead, they place a couple of bids on several items all at the same time. It’s great when someone wins an item with just 1 bid, but it doesn’t happen that often. Instead of bidding on more than one auction at a time, just choose one and stick with it. You will have a much better chance of winning the item if you take this approach.

 

Scope out the competition

Swoopo is one of the most competitive sites on the internet. So help yourself by taking the time to know who you’re up against. When you’re watching an auction, spend a few minutes and get an idea of who’s bidding, how often they’re bidding and what sort of strategy they’re using. On an auction page you will see the recent bidding history, and how many people have bid in the last 15 minutes.

Bidding History

If you see an auction with lots of recent bidders, it’s probably best to find one with less competition. However, you shouldn’t just rely on the bidders in the last 15 minutes, you need to watch the auction and see how active these users really are.


Bid late, but not TOO late

This is another big mistake made by beginners on Swoopo. If there is an hour left on an auction, don’t bid! This is a golden rule: ONLY BID IN THE LAST 10 SECONDS. You would think that bidding in the last second would be the best approach, but there are a few reasons why this isn’t the case. The main reason is that internet lag may prevent your bid being processed in time.  To keep it simple, there are lots of bids placed on Swoopo. We have to process these and perform calculations, update databases, and output the results back to the website, all in a fraction of a second! If a delay occurs anywhere along the way, and you place a bid with just 1 second to go, then your bid may not register, and the auction would end, assuming there are no other bidders. So, to be safe, try and bid when there is at least 3 seconds left on the clock. Alternatively, set a BidButler, as this will never be affected by internet lag.


Don’t be afraid of the BidButler

If you look through the ended auctions on Swoopo, you will see that lots of auctions are won by people using a BidButler. It’s simply because a lot of people love to use it! If you’re bidding on an auction and you spot a scary BidButler, then try not to be put off. You have the advantage because you’re actually watching the auction, and you know what the competition is like. If several single bidders are battling with a BidButler, then sit back and watch. Save your bids, and jump in when the time is right. Remember: just because they’re using a BidButler doesn’t guarantee that they will win the auction. If you really don’t like the BidButler, then lookout for a NailBiter auction, where no BidButlers are allowed.
 

Don’t be afraid of actually using the BidButler

The BidButler is a powerful tool, if you get the timing right you can scare off other bidders by placing one. Nobody likes to see their bids matched over and over again by your all conquering BidButler, you might just persuade them to give up and try again next time.

On the other hand, some people have a ‘fire and forget’ policy with the BidButler. It is easy to swoop in and win with a quick single bid if your rival has gone to make a cup of coffee safe in the knowledge that their BidButler will protect them. We’ve noticed that users tend to set the ‘Bid To’ value of their BidButlers to a round number, so watch out for this and you might be able to snap up a bargain by simply clicking on the “Bid” button when a BidButler has just finished.


Keep a price limit in mind

It’s easy to get carried away in an auction when you really want something! But, remember that each bid costs you 60 cents. So you have to bear in mind the current auction price, and how many bids you’ve placed. The good news is, with Swoop it Now, even if you don’t win the auction, you can still buy the item minus the cost of your placed bids! So it’s a win-win situation.


Don’t run out of bids

Give yourself a better chance of winning an auction by having lots of bids in your account. For example, instead of buying the Small BidPack, go for the Medium or Large BidPack instead. Not only do you need to make sure you have enough bids in your account before you enter the auction, but also during. You would kick yourself if you were in the middle of a bidding battle, and had to stop and buy some more bids, only to see that the auction ended! You can help prevent this by following some of the earlier tips, like working out when to bid, how long the auction will run for and roughly how many bids it will take to win the item.


Don’t get distracted

If you’re bidding on Swoopo, try not to multitask. Turn off the TV, pause your MP3 player and shut down solitaire. Do whatever it takes to ensure you can really concentrate on an auction!


Pick up some FreeBids

We often run special offers, where you can get your bids back, or get extra FreeBids with every purchase. While some apply to all users, we also have exclusive promotions for users who subscribe to our newsletter. So sign up today if you haven’t already, and don’t miss out on those great offers. Just click here and enter your email address to subscribe.

You can also get a friend to sign up to Swoopo, and if they buy a BidPack we’ll give you some FreeBids! Just login, and click here to tell your friends.


Tips to reduce bidding/timer lag

We mentioned Internet lag in an earlier bidding tip, which could cause your last second bid not to be registered. On top of that, you may also experience general computer lag, perhaps if you’re running several applications at the same time, or browsing several websites in multiple tabs. Here are some tips to reduce both internet lag, and general computer lag:

  • Shut down resource intensive applications.
    Software such as Adobe Photoshop or Apple iTunes can often cause your computer to run slowly, especially if it’s an old laptop or PC.
  • Make sure you’re using an up to date Internet Browser.
    You may be using Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari. Whichever browser you use, look for an update button and download the latest version.
  • Close any programs that require an internet connection (apart from your browser)
    For example, close down any torrent applications, stop playing Call of Duty on your Xbox, stop streaming the latest episode of Lost. This will give you the best possible experience when bidding on Swoopo. On top of this, these are all distractions!

 

 

Advanced Bidding Strategies

Auction Sniping

In the conventional sense, ‘auction sniping’ is bidding in the final few seconds of an auction. On Swoopo it’s slightly different, because everyone is bidding in the final 10 seconds.

When we refer to auction sniping, it’s about coming into an auction, and winning with just a handful of bids. There are several ways you could do approach this:

  • As the price of an auction increases, it naturally attracts fewer bidders. As this happens, you’re in a better position to potentially win with just a few bids. The end price you pay may be higher than normal, but as it requires fewer bids to win, you’ll still walk away with a bargain.
  • It’s all about the competition. If you’ve watched the auction for a while, you will have an idea of how many people are bidding. If you spot just a few bidders, then jump on in.


Aggressive bidding

Although this is not advanced in terms of complexity, is does require an experienced bidder to be confident enough to pull it off. It is also a risky strategy, so proceed with caution.

First, find an auction with little competition, that is free of any BidButlers (a NailBiter auction is perfect for this). Once you start bidding, try and forget about bidding in the last few seconds. You need to appear as though you have 1,000 bids in your account, and will do anything to win the product. I.e. intimidate the other bidders. As soon as you’re outbid, hit the bid button. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Eventually, the competition will dwindle, and they’ll probably move on to another auction, leaving you to win the auction!


BidButler layering

The BidButler can be a powerful tool, as long as you know the rules, so just to refresh your memory:

  • You must book a minimum of 2 bids for the BidButler to be able to bid.
  • You can only book one BidButler at a time. As soon as the first BidButler is no longer active, you can book the next BidButler.
  • Your maximum price has to be at least $1 higher than the current end price.
  • You can book a maximum of 50 bids on the BidButler.
  • A BidButler can be deleted at any point. All unused bids at the time the BidButler is deleted will be returned to your account.

The main problem you’ll face when using the BidButler is getting into a bidding battle with another BidButler. If this happens, all your bids will be placed instantly and you’ll lose your footing in the auction.

The concept of BidButler layering is placing just a small number of bids, within a small price range, to test the BidButler competition. This enables you to make a better decision on which bidding strategy to use. If another BidButler kicks in, just watch the auction for a bit longer, and let the single bidders compete against the other BidButler. Repeat this until you’re confident that a BidButler is no longer active.

The ideal scenario is that you see no BidButler competition with your initial test, in which case place the maximum number of bids, and begin to intimidate the newer Swoopo users. This is another technique on how to bully your way to success.



To learn more about how Swoopo works and how to participate, please visit