Sellers bidding on their own item with a phantom name, usually 'zero; rated ?

[samaxy]

I have noticed recently an apparent increase in the number of 'Zero Rated' bidders that are pushing up the price of an auction item, usually mobile phones.... towards the end of the auction. How can I find out if the seller of the item is phantom bidding' on their own item to artificially push up the price.

I have started using a snipe program to avoid being tempted to be drawn into the 'game', but I reckon the practice 'stinks' and will eventually cause problems for any integrity that eBay has.

[phorum_junkie*]

Although shill bidding happens it is not as prevalent as many people think, you need to check the number of items bid on, the percentage with that particular seller and the number of withdrawn bids for starters.

I doubt if a seller would need to shill bid on a mobile phone as they seem to sell for silly prices all on their own!

If you do think, after all those checks, that shilling is going on then report it to ebay.

A seller cannot directly bid on their own items but if they have created another id to do so then only ebay can check if there is a point of commonality between the two ids.

[emeraldtarpon · Accepted solution]

As fees increase,so does the shill bidding.

Ebay allows shill bidding as they get a higher FVF for doing so.

A live Auction house would go under VERY fast if they practised this sort of thing.....but Ebay is "online" and REAL faces don't exist here.

By the way,I used a live auction house and walked away with MORE of MY MONEY in MY pocket....so don't believe the tripe that is spewed on here about live auction houses being just as expensive to use as Ebay - THEY ARN'T AND YOU WON'T BE CONFRONTED WITH SHILL (faceless) BIDDING EITHER.

[davewil1964]

They are, you just got the item cheaper. But you would have paid a buyer's premium, which you don't here.

Live auctions also allow reserves, eBay auctions aren't auctions, as such.

You're comparing apples and oranges.