I have noticed that i have lost a few auctions to what i believe is double sniping. two bids going in at the last min to help guarantee the win. have you heard of this and how might it be possible without driving the bid to your max.

I can't tell for sure what you mean without knowing an auction number.

As I understood, someone else was sniping for the same auction as you were. The highest bid wins.
If you lost an auction because your bid was lower, that means it was out of your budget.
If you actually agreed to pay more, then you should've put your maximum snipe higher (up to your budget) to avoid loosing to another sniper next time.

So the only ways to go around are:
1. Snipe higher (up to your budget limit for that particular item).
2. Find another item if you lost to someone else who was prepared to pay more. You will find a better deal at the end.