Shill Bidding

[crypt_keeper000]

I am bidding on this item at the moment (292825479835) and I have a nasty feeling someone is shill bidding, it might just be my imagination because over 10+ other bids I was bidding on (from China) the guy was blatantly doing just that, but I caught him out and reported him to Ebay.

So maybe I'm just imagining things with this one but I do find it strange that a person with absolutely "0" feedback is suddenly bidding on an expensive item, yet he has not one bid on anything else anywhere.

I am winning at the moment but if I see this guy again bidding on this item I am in two minds whether I should contact the seller and warn him if he is shill bidding he will be reported but also I really do not want to let this item go but I don't want to be overcharged for something I could have gotten cheaper.

Any advice is appreciated.

[repentatleisure1952]

Have you considered that the bidder with zero feedback may want the item & created an account with this in mind...idk?

If I were to bid on this item I would consider the manner in which you bid to be odd.

I do not worry about other bidders...I place one bid for my not one penny more max 2 seconds from the end of the auction & let the cards fall where they may.

[lyndal1838]

The only peculiar bidding pattern that I can see is yours.

If you do contact the seller I would think you might find yourself blocked from bidding and your present bids removed.

If you don't want to pay through the nose for an item just wait till the auction is nearly over then place one bid.....your highest amount.

Every time you pace a nibble bid you are showing your hand and inviting others to outbid you.

[imastawka]

Very strange bidding.    

You've let them know way ahead of time that you are willing (very willing) to pay way over the top for this item.

If it is shill bidding happening, then you have given them the ammo IMO to make you pay top dollar.

[4channel]

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@crypt_keeper000 wrote:

I am bidding on this item at the moment (292825479835) and I have a nasty feeling someone is shill bidding, it might just be my imagination because over 10+ other bids I was bidding on (from China) the guy was blatantly doing just that, but I caught him out and reported him to Ebay.

So maybe I'm just imagining things with this one but I do find it strange that a person with absolutely "0" feedback is suddenly bidding on an expensive item, yet he has not one bid on anything else anywhere.

I am winning at the moment but if I see this guy again bidding on this item I am in two minds whether I should contact the seller and warn him if he is shill bidding he will be reported but also I really do not want to let this item go but I don't want to be overcharged for something I could have gotten cheaper.

Any advice is appreciated.

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Some sellers create sock-puppet accounts  and then bid in their own auctions to bump it up.  The heavy hitting will be evident in the last 5 mins.

[davewil1964]

The heavy hitting would normally happen in the last few seconds. That is when astute buyers place their bids, or have them go live if using a sniping service.

Nothing sinister or underhanded about it. Just PRUDENT bidding in order to maximise their chances of winning the item. It also, as opposed to nibble bidding, reduces the chances of the seller shilling. Which is not necessarily the case in this instance.

[brerrabbit585]

You're leaving yourself wide open to having someone (not the seller) run you up just for the fun of it. Anyone can see that you've got 11 bids above the current top bid and they can safely put a few bids in without any fear of becoming the top bidder. You might scare the odd other bidder off but they're more likely to be tempted to have a bit of fun and run you up out of spite.

The zero feedback bidder is behaving exactly how you'd expect a newbie to, but with your feedback you should know better by now.

[imastawka]

I also notice that the pics are stock photos and not pics of the actual item.

Not really allowed.  You can use a stock photo, but a photo of the actual item for sale

is supposed to be shown.  Buyers must know what they are actually buying.

I'll be watching this auction with interest.

[padi*0409]

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@brerrabbit585 wrote:
You're leaving yourself wide open to having someone (not the seller) run you up just for the fun of it. Anyone can see that you've got 11 bids above the current top bid and they can safely put a few bids in without any fear of becoming the top bidder. You might scare the odd other bidder off but they're more likely to be tempted to have a bit of fun and run you up out of spite.

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Completely agree brer, even when I was a newbie to eBay I wouldn't bid like that - way too easy for other bidders to raise the auction bids. For auctions bidding in the last 30seconds is the only way to go.

Did you see the postage on it though ? Admittedly "express" and I'm in rural WA but even so..................

                     

[imastawka]

  Woah....missed that bit!

$125.50 from Sydney to Melbourne?