is shill bidding is it illegal

It's against eBay policy and the seller can be reported.

Shill bidding is a topic which has been raised and debated throughout the ten-plus years since I first registered with ebay

All that time and you don't have a clue about shill bidding,:O

The responses encountered in the boards are of no assistance and never have been.

:^O

When people have suggested ebay ENSURE people can ONLY register with ONE ID --- they're shouted down by those who claim people NEED to have at least 3 IDs:  ' One for selling.  One for buying.  And one for the boards '.   And they trot out the usual justifications

If you actually know why then you should understand why  members use more then one ID.

This of course, assists and facilitates shill bidding

When someone has more than one ebay ID, they are able to shill bid their own item.  And they do

Sellers that have shill bidders use friends and family to do the shill bidding for them.

They do not register and use their own ID's,X-(

And by not ensuring ' One person, One ID' -- ebay gains

By not ensuring that sellers don't get auction bombed.

Buyers can keep their purchases separate or private.

Posting ID's can and are attacked but their other ID's are able to continue trading.

Ebay could very simply ensure each individual has only one ID -- therefore reducing shill-bidding -- but ebay has chosen throughout not to go that route, thereby allowing open slather re: shill bidding

As explained,that statement is incorrect,X-(

Please ensure that you know what you post is correct as posting incorrect information doesn't help anyone.