[TheTigerUK]

I have often thought shill bidding had gone on with some of the auctions i have followed.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267410/Ebay-seller-faces-fine-bidding-items-raise-prices.html

 

[Jeje3325]

But he said he wasn't aware he was acting illegally...

What a clown :-[

 

[sharkfinDave]

Oh I think this just happened to me today. ???

I put in a bid on an item today and was beat out last second of auction. 20min later I get a message, for a second chance offer for the highest bid I put in. Since I was beat out my bid stuck at my high point, and offered to buy it at this point. I didn't think about it and put in buy it now for the second chance offer, as I wanted the item. After some thought, I realized if the original winner has bailed out, leaving second chance for me, then I'm the new winner. How come the price don't go down to the next lower bidder I beat out, which in my case was about $30 less. I think thats the price I should've been asked to pay.

So, this makes me think its a scam on the seller's part. I think, he/she has a friend bid high bid to win, at the end to reveal my highest bid. Then 10min later cancel that bidder and offer the second chance offer at best possible sale. This seems plausible, am I too paranoid or what?
I just thought this was a little strange, and first time its happened to me. I only acted too fast a bought the damn thing because I really wanted the item. Patience in not my virtue. Or maybe its all this conditioning from being quick to reply i'll buy it in the sales forums. LOL.
If this incident was a coincidence, then I've just stumbled upon a loophole to driving up the highest bid in the end. >
Always scammers being creative to get more $$$.

I'll take this a lesson learned. I hope I can be more aware and reluctant in a similar future situation.
Cheers, Dave.

 

[JohnWN]

Can't remember the last time I used eb$y. Or wanted to. Too risky, unless you know the trader, and then why use eb$y?

 

[justsellbrgs]

ebay boils down to 3 auction types --- Shilled, sniped and buy it now.

 

[BobbyMike]

Maybe for watches... We've been selling on Ebay since 1999 ( under walters_international ). I'd like to think that we're honest. We're selling antique millinery trims though.

 

[catflem]

Sharkfin Dave

If you click on the winning bidders ID, you should see his bidding activity over the past 30 days. I often do this and many times I have seen that the winning bidder has little or no feedback, and that all of his bids over the time period have been placed on the same sellers items. Some of the guys that indulge in schill bidding aren't the sharpest tools in the box.

 

[JohnWN]

Oh, everybody on eb$y isn't crooked. But, as with too many things in life, the good guys get smacked along with the bad guys.
:-*

Maybe for watches... We've been selling on Ebay since 1999 ( under walters_international ). I'd like to think that we're honest. We're selling antique millinery trims though.

 

[Thesharkman]

.

I'll take this a lesson learned. I hope I can be more aware and reluctant in a similar future situation.
Cheers, Dave.

dave,

forget that! just take the bullet and get the negative. there's no such thing as a must have item. =)

<* shark >>><

 

[sharkfinDave]

Sharkfin Dave

If you click on the winning bidders ID, you should see his bidding activity over the past 30 days. I often do this and many times I have seen that the winning bidder has little or no feedback, and that all of his bids over the time period have been placed on the same sellers items. Some of the guys that indulge in schill bidding aren't the sharpest tools in the box.

Yeah you're right. Just check out past auctions for this guy, I found at least 7 bidders with loads of bid retractions.So my guess is these bidders are in cohoots with seller to drive up sales bids.
So beware of this ebay seller- yanpi7 , selling watches by shilling bids to get more $$$.

Dave.

 

[Isthmus]

Yeah you're right. Just check out past auctions for this guy, I found at least 7 bidders with loads of bid retractions.So my guess is these bidders are in cohoots with seller to drive up sales bids.

So beware of this ebay seller- yanpi7 , selling watches by shilling bids to get more $$$.

Dave.

Please add a report of this guy to the bad seller's section.

 

[aannddyybb]

If you take note, this guy was caught for lying about the mileage on a bus he was selling. The shill bidding charges were just tacked on since they already had him for another violation. Honestly, I doubt fleabay (or any government) would ever bring any charges against anyone just for shill bidding on fleabay. eBay makes more money the higher the sale price is, and in return the government makes more in taxes from eBay's profits.

andy b.

 

[sharkfinDave]

Please add a report of this guy to the bad seller's section.

Things keep moving around, lol. I can't find it. ???


Dave.

 

[BobbyMike]

Oh, everybody on eb$y isn't crooked. But, as with too many things in life, the good guys get smacked along with the bad guys.
:-*

You are, of course, correct!

 

[doctorc]

If you take note, this guy was caught for lying about the mileage on a bus he was selling. The shill bidding charges were just tacked on since they already had him for another violation. Honestly, I doubt fleabay (or any government) would ever bring any charges against anyone just for shill bidding on fleabay. eBay makes more money the higher the sale price is, and in return the government makes more in taxes from eBay's profits.

andy b.

Actually I just read a post and the article it linked to in the past few days (can't remember where, I'll have to look) where a man in Britain was charged for shill bidding to raise prices. His argument was that he didn't know it was wrong and anyway ebay let him sign up for two accounts. >

 

[Seikojohn]

I have often thought shill bidding had gone on with some of the auctions i have followed.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1267410/Ebay-seller-faces-fine-bidding-items-raise-prices.html

Shill bidding is a way of life for several very large dealers with 99%+ ratings. I'm most familiar with three Ebay watch dealers who specialize in Seiko, Citizen, Casio and a few swiss brands. They appear to have common ownership and the same shills appear on all three. In essence those dealers are using shills as a way around Ebay reserve fees.

They sell watches at good prices, not impossible steals. I've bought two watches from them with no problem. As long as you know what a watch is worth and bid accordingly you won't get burned by shills.

 

[Homocaballus]

I put in a bid on an item today and was beat out last second of auction. 20min later I get a message, for a second chance offer for the highest bid I put in. Since I was beat out my bid stuck at my high point, and offered to buy it at this point. I didn't think about it and put in buy it now for the second chance offer, as I wanted the item. After some thought, I realized if the original winner has bailed out, leaving second chance for me, then I'm the new winner. How come the price don't go down to the next lower bidder I beat out, which in my case was about $30 less. I think thats the price I should've been asked to pay.

Correct.

The problem is that ebay/paypal has an interest in that too as they get a % of the extra twice if you use paypal.
This is why one needs to be very carefull as ebay7paypal has a vested interest in the sales and will take action on behalf of the buyers only reluctantly.
Just take a look at ´russian diver´ watches. Ebay have been reported time and again what the real thing is and which sellers are downriht crooks.
There is even a info page written on it by a ripped of buyer and when you open that, you get half a dozen advertisements for the fakes. Real fákes intended to rip off: poorly made lookalikes with faked, ante-dated documents and all.
Vested interests do that.

 

[Isthmus]

ebay boils down to 3 auction types --- Shilled, sniped and buy it now.

Indeed. I only use the latter two when shopping on the bay. I find that it is the only way to ensure getting what you want.

 

[Homocaballus]

Indeed. I only use the latter two when shopping on the bay. I find that it is the only way to ensure getting what you want.

It does remind me of a remark about ebay I read: ´You are guaranteed to be the guy willing to pay the higest price world wide.´

???

 

[Isthmus]

True, but isn't that true of any auction? Also a bit of knowledge about what you are bidding on, together with some patience can go a long way toward ensuring that you are paying a fair price or even getting a great deal. The trick is to avoid overpaying for what you are getting.