shill bidding

[56bsadave]

is shill bidding is it illegal

[cq_tech]

This is precisely the reason that I refuse to purchase anything on ebay via auction, and have only bought BIN items for at least 3 years now.

The sad fact is that it's been a very long time since ebay did anything to indicate that they have their members' best interest at heart (mine included).

The only thing they're interested in is the bottom line on their profit & loss spreadsheet, and their so-called "Community Values" are an absolute crock, and should have been revised years ago. 😞

[jilson2010]

"Update on the shiller from post 35 is that they are NARU'd.'

Indeed, but I continue to watch. It only took a couple days before she signed up her new shiller who is already active on a number of listings, and already reported to eBay. Perhaps second time around they will take more appropriate action?

[go-tazz]

Indeed, but I continue to watch

I save one of their listings in my watch list,(usually the newest one),]:)

That way I can continue to check them,:-D

Mind you I get a few comments asking why I have a dress in my watch list that wont fit my OH,:^O

That's along with gold necklaces,baby strollers,chain saws,furs,cameras,etc.

OH was disappointed when I first told her that none of it was for her,(but was somewhat pacified when informed that they are scam listings that I keep an eye on),:-p

It would make it quite easy now to hide a genuine item in my watch list and she wouldn't know,B-)

[go-tazz]

This is precisely the reason that I refuse to purchase anything on ebay via auction, and have only bought BIN items for at least 3 years now.

I put items that I'm interested in on my watch list and do a check on them on the last day,(if I see shill bidding it gets reported and a note added).

Then if I want to go ahead and try to "get" the item, I either place my maximum bid with Gixen or I try and snipe the item myself,:-D

If I win fine,if not,well bad luck as there is always next time for anything that I'm likely to buy,;-)

[jilson2010]

Can someone offer some insight? I'm wondering why after a sellers shill account is NARU'd d, the seller retains their 'Top Rated Seller' accolade from eBay? Isn't that complicity in defrauding the sellers customers?

[go-tazz]

I have no idea why that seller seems to have some sort of protection apart from them selling over $1400 worth of items in the last month ?

This is the first one that I have come across that hasn't been restricted to BIN's after their shiller was NARU'd,X-(

This is the reply I got to the latest report,:-(

However, in this case, we don't see enough evidence to confirm that a violation has taken place.

30-Day Summary

Total bids: 185

Items bid on:77

Bid activity (%) with this seller:100%

Bid retractions: 1

Bid retractions (6 months): 1

As everyone knows it's a blatant case of shill bidding but the shiller must be using a different ISP address and doesn't have the same last name as the seller,(no other criteria must now be looked at to check shill bidding),X-(

The last ten items have been won by the shiller,(I wonder if the asked for combined postage),:^O

They haven't left feedback for anyone since the 15th of January,(it was for their NARU'd shiller).

[sillysillysheep]

Shill Bidding is a big problem still.

I doubt ebay scans for....or has a system in place that alerts them to multiple accounts coming form the same ISP.

Just like it is up to members to report items that do not comply with Ebay listing policys.

I have been told numerous times that they cant find every illegal/inappropriate item, that it is up to us the community to report such items.

In bidding, it is very easy to catch and see rookies making rookie mistakes, not so easy to catch a seller using his own buying account to lift the price X-( when he is bidding on hundreds of items a month to supply his stock.

Want to beat shill bidding....DON'T NIBBLE BID!

Bid Once, Bid Last..THEN DO YOUR HAPPY DANCE!

[davewil1964]

At least one seller shills near the end to drive the price up to what they consider is acceptable. If they win, they seem happy with that. If somebody else beats the shill, they've achieved their aim.

It's all well and good to say the buyer is not paying more than they're prepared to, but they still end up paying more than the value as determined by the membership.

If the shiller wants more, they should start it at what they want; it may not sell, but selling to yourself ends up costing and eroding their profit. Or list at BIN.

[jilson2010]

"However, in this case, we don't see enough evidence to confirm that a violation has taken place."

Yes, I had the same canned reply when I reported the first shiller, but after I protested I received a different response (they were investigating).

It appears this seller is now using a second shiller with 16 feedback, a friends account perhaps, check it out & let me know what you think go-tazz?

I reported, but I'm guessing the more reports eBay receive the more likely they are to act.

[go-tazz]

Yep,noticed that and it seems to be going the same was as when the first shiller got NARU'd.

There either has to be someone there that's telling them what to do in regards to shilling or they are getting told to change each time,(without their account being affected,X-(

IMO,they are getting assistance instead of sanctions because they bring the money in,(by either genuine buyers or their shill accounts),:-(

I presume this shiller will go the same way and they'll just create another,X-(

Or they'll work out that we will keep reporting them and that they might have to take action by sanctioning the seller,]:)