Invisible Ebay bidders....? (1 Viewer)

[maddadicus]

How can an auction be legal and open if all the bids are cloaked with... private listing - bidders' identities protected Even the winning bidder is not revealed. How in the world are we to know if there is not shill bidding going on? Most of my issues are with a certain seller, who has decided to cloak his auctions and the process. I have filed a complaint with Ebay, but it is fast becoming obvious that this once reasonably honest market site is no longer..Michael

 

[hsm]

How can an auction be legal and open if all the bids are cloaked with... private listing - bidders' identities protected Even the winning bidder is not revealed. How in the world are we to know if there is not shill bidding going on? Most of my issues are with a certain seller, who has decided to cloak his auctions and the process. I have filed a complaint with Ebay, but it is fast becoming obvious that this once reasonably honest market site is no longer..Michael

ha, I think I know that seller....I once lost an auction, then given a second chance offer to buy the item 5 minutes after bidding closed! I called the on it and they basically skirted the issue.
besides that I have been happy with my transactions

 

[Beaufighter]

How can an auction be legal and open if all the bids are cloaked with... private listing - bidders' identities protected Even the winning bidder is not revealed. How in the world are we to know if there is not shill bidding going on? Most of my issues are with a certain seller, who has decided to cloak his auctions and the process. I have filed a complaint with Ebay, but it is fast becoming obvious that this once reasonably honest market site is no longer..Michael

Cheers Michael:
This might help...just check the respective sellers feedback as in time they will have received and or left feedback for the item-that is if you are interested in who won the auction. I would think shill bidding might be easier to prove these days with PayPal and whether money has actually changed hands. It sure has changed a lot since my first buying/selling experience back in 1998!
~Marc

 

[Phantom Warrior]

Cheers Michael:
This might help...just check the respective sellers feedback as in time they will have received and or left feedback for the item-that is if you are interested in who won the auction. I would think shill bidding might be easier to prove these days with PayPal and whether money has actually changed hands. It sure has changed a lot since my first buying/selling experience back in 1998!
~Marc

Yes it has changed, and not for the better if you are an occasional seller. As for not knowing who the buyer is and shill bidding, the only real defense is to bid only what you think the item is worth. Then at the worst, you won't get a bargain but will only pay your price.

If I am approached by the vendor a short time after the auction ends for a second chance bid, I probably won't bid on anything from that vendor again. And IMO best offer bids are not worth the effort - I think that most of them are really disguised "buy it now" auctions.

Terry

 

[jazzeum]

I think in the UK this is the norm and it may be a function of Ebay's interpretation of privacy laws.

 

[Gideon]

I went the direction of private bidders for the following reasons:

1. A few nutty bidders were contacting bidders and buyers on active auctions to complain about me. Complaints to eBay never resulted in any action so that just had to end
2. There was a discussion on this very board about how buyers started figuring out who was who and would track each others activity and buying habits which was unsettling to some (including a few who have bought a considerable amount from me)
3. There were also some disputes which arose where a person leaving a last second bid would get sniped and I would get caught in the middle of it even though they received a proper "you've been outbid notice"
4. On several occasions, I got caught in some weird bid fixing where someone would bid, something would happen and in the last moments of an auction a bid retraction was made reducing the price of an item significantly. Two of the bidders are actually members on this forum. I had no idea what this was about but I don't think it was fair to me as a seller nor as a fellow board member.

As far as shill bidding is concerned, it is just as likely on non-private listings as it is on private ones. I've been out bid on several things only to get an email a few hours later - "hi, just to let you know I have another one exactly like it..." I didn't go for it neither.

If, at the end of an auction, you get a second chance offer, I would think that is fishy too. That isn't right. However, in several cases I've been through (though rare) I will have a bidder who doesn't pay and I offer a second chance or re-list an item. But that's only after a few weeks of trying to sort out the problem.

People get busted for shilling all the time. It sucks but it's been a part of eBay since the beginning.

Edited to Add: If you've been to some country auctions, you might notice there's always a bidder way in the back of the room who randomly jumps in at the awkward moment between "twice, three times...... annddddd, c'mon folks, it's going cheap, and I have xxxx $'s"

 

[Phantom Warrior]

I went the direction of private bidders for the following reasons:

1. A few nutty bidders were contacting bidders and buyers on active auctions to complain about me. Complaints to eBay never resulted in any action so that just had to end
2. There was a discussion on this very board about how buyers started figuring out who was who and would track each others activity and buying habits which was unsettling to some (including a few who have bought a considerable amount from me)
3. There were also some disputes which arose where a person leaving a last second bid would get sniped and I would get caught in the middle of it even though they received a proper "you've been outbid notice"
4. On several occasions, I got caught in some weird bid fixing where someone would bid, something would happen and in the last moments of an auction a bid retraction was made reducing the price of an item significantly. Two of the bidders are actually members on this forum. I had no idea what this was about but I don't think it was fair to me as a seller nor as a fellow board member.

As far as shill bidding is concerned, it is just as likely on non-private listings as it is on private ones. I've been out bid on several things only to get an email a few hours later - "hi, just to let you know I have another one exactly like it..." I didn't go for it neither.

If, at the end of an auction, you get a second chance offer, I would think that is fishy too. That isn't right. However, in several cases I've been through (though rare) I will have a bidder who doesn't pay and I offer a second chance or re-list an item. But that's only after a few weeks of trying to sort out the problem.

People get busted for shilling all the time. It sucks but it's been a part of eBay since the beginning.

Edited to Add: If you've been to some country auctions, you might notice there's always a bidder way in the back of the room who randomly jumps in at the awkward moment between "twice, three times...... annddddd, c'mon folks, it's going cheap, and I have xxxx $'s"

Disturbing that 2 Forum members would pull the bid retraction stunt on a fellow Forum member

Terry

 

[Gideon]

I was furious about it. As soon as my auctions went private bidder they never came back - back talking about how they "would never bid on a private auction listing" also citing the potential for shill bidding. To be clear, this is not a swipe at the point OP is making. Michael's point is very valid.

Problem in the bid fixing is that I was bound to sell the item even though that happened. eBay has no provision for that type of behavior unless they are the ones who catch it. If you with-hold the item, eBay can and will sanction a seller. So, I got screwed.

You'd be surprised, there is a lot of "if this bidder is bidding on that item, I won't bid" - a lot of arrangements like that. Then some people make arrangements and open up another bidder id and then it's a load of drama. I hate drama. Drama on eBay means something goes from being a simple transaction to something personal and I alwys have the threat of unwarranted negative comments I can't respond to. Really not fair.

 

[PJDeluhery]

Wow! This is a Phd. education on ebay practices and what's going on. An eye-opener to me. I'm glad we have this area and Changing Guard as alternatives. I don't need the drama.

 

[tdubel]

I was furious about it. As soon as my auctions went private bidder they never came back - back talking about how they "would never bid on a private auction listing" also citing the potential for shill bidding. To be clear, this is not a swipe at the point OP is making. Michael's point is very valid.

Problem in the bid fixing is that I was bound to sell the item even though that happened. eBay has no provision for that type of behavior unless they are the ones who catch it. If you with-hold the item, eBay can and will sanction a seller. So, I got screwed.

You'd be surprised, there is a lot of "if this bidder is bidding on that item, I won't bid" - a lot of arrangements like that. Then some people make arrangements and open up another bidder id and then it's a load of drama. I hate drama. Drama on eBay means something goes from being a simple transaction to something personal and I alwys have the threat of unwarranted negative comments I can't respond to. Really not fair.

HOLY CRAP Gideon, I had no idea something like that happened to you, that is really crap. We will have to converse on this some time.

TD

 

[Gideon]

HOLY CRAP Gideon, I had no idea something like that happened to you, that is really crap. We will have to converse on this some time.

TD

In total, I've been on eBay since 1996. I have experienced some insane, confusing, wonderful, exciting and mind boggling things. Goes with the territory.

I just hope Michael isn't saying that all sellers who use the private bidder option are suspicious or shady. That's not fair. Sure some are but shady sellers have always been out there regardless of private bidder options or open for all to see. Even with Southeby's and Christies - I've seen stuff go down where it is clear there is an arrangement between a bidder and the house. While some of the fairest auctions I've attended have been Ralstons in CT.