I was looking at the bid history on an item. the car had been sold earlier but I guess it fell through. what concerns me is, by looking at the bidding history, it was raised every few minutes to reach where it is now. makes me think it's just the guy and a buddy bidding on his own car. there have been 25 bids and it just got back on Ebay. strange, all the bids are just a few minutes apart. looks fishy

very popular practice...been observing that a lot in the last few years.

that kind of stuff will be done and is wrong I might add. however there is another way to look at it. If the item does not reach somewhere near the sellers price it will not be sold anyway. when I want to buy what I do is come up with a price that I want to pay and hope for the best. If it gets shilled or bid past that number I dont buy it.

I agree with the above. All these bidding practices are a bunch of BS, but the bottom line is there is a number that I am willing to pay and either I will get it, or not.

I aint no E-Bay pro. But cant you go in and let e-Bay do the bidding for you automatically if you chose that option? For example, I want to put my maximum bid on something at 10 dollars. Joe choses the automatic bid feature as well. And then E-bay starts the back and forth bid stuff.

But yeah, I realize that neighbors, family and friends can and do that sort of shenannigans.

I have had my bids pressed up by some shills before as well... now I use one of the bidding services that places the bid in the last seconds so I know that the bids against me are legit.

The "this is the maximum I will pay" method works, but the problem is, someone is more likely to "sneak up" on your maximum, and you pay what you are willing to pay, but probably more than you would have had to pay, if you held out and sniper bid. If I sniper bid, I still bid my "maximum" but with only a few seconds left, there's no time for someone to bid it up. You only lose is someone else's "maximum" is greater than yours--which is OK, if that was truly your maximum. Most of the time, you get it for lower than your maximum, but sometimes you also loose by $1. How many people who say, "my maximum is $100," wouldn't pay $101, if given the chance?

Yes, EBAY is a big scam. I have bid on many. I also won't bid unless I know the reserve. That is a totally dumb practice, the reserve. Ebay would be a better place without it. If you already know what is the minumum bid you will take, then list it. You also will find out that if the guy will NOT give you the reserve, he does not really want to sell the car and will ONLY play games with you.
I know people that sell on ebay and they say that they use the "buddy system" to make people think there is more interest in the item then their really is. They also do it to drive the price up to where they want. If it does not get there, then they will take it off.

Ebay is so screwed up. I have bid on nothing in the last year and keep getting told I need TO PAY for the item or my bidding privilages will be taken away. I never respond and can still bid if I want. The reason that I have never responded is because that is how these fake companies get your password and info. Ebay is still screwed up also. I am sure most already know that.

Reserve auctions are common place at most all auctions, it's a way a seller can protect himself from being low-balled... Why not ebay? If you are not comfortible with auctions don't go there! Don't confuse auctions with everyday market place buying and selling. Shill bidding exists but you can't say because an auction goes back and forth several time in a short timeframe it's anything more than a couple bidders testing the waters. I'm not saying it isn't shill bidding, you just can't prove it based on the bids and time frame alone.

Like everything else, "buyer beware" are words to live by...

From the policies page:

Shill Bidding is bidding that artificially increases an item’s price or apparent desirability, or bidding by individuals with a level of access to the seller’s item information not available to the general Community. Shill bidding is prohibited on eBay.
Because family members, roommates and employees of sellers have a level of access to item information which is not available to the general Community, they are not permitted to bid on items offered by the seller–even if their sole intent is to purchase the item. Family members, roommates or employees may purchase items from a seller without violating this policy simply by using purchase options–such as Buy It Now–which do not involve bidding.
eBay strongly encourages sellers with employees to ensure that their employees are aware of this policy and the possible consequences of violation.
Violations of this policy may result in a range of actions, including:

Listing cancellation
Limits on account privileges
Account suspension
Forfeit of eBay fees on canceled listings
Loss of PowerSeller status
Referral to Law Enforcement
Spend a few minutes taking eBay's tutorial on shill bidding (http://pages.ebay.com/help/tutorial/sbiddingtutorial/nonjs1.html).
If you believe that another member is artificially raising the price or desirability of an item by shill bidding please report (http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUs&wftype=2022&rcode=IV%25P10092&subject=Shill%20Bidding&bcrumb=+Home+%3E+Help+Topics+%3E%A0Rules+and+Polic ies%A0%3E%A0Rules+for+Sellers%A0%3E%A0Shill+Biddin g&instruction=&expirationDate=) it to eBay. Please be sure to provide the user IDs and the item numbers in question.

Jees, I've been on ebay since 1998, no one has asked me for a list of my friends and family so they can be banned from bidding on my stuff. What a bunch of hooey that statement is.

Jees, I've been on ebay since 1998, no one has asked me for a list of my friends and family so they can be banned from bidding on my stuff. What a bunch of hooey that statement is.

:confused:

I didn't read where it requests a list of friends and family :noway:

LOL!

i have to say, mostly everyone who has responded has had valid points. that being said I have used ebay both buying and selling for a number of years and can honestly say 99 % of all my transactions have been good, honest and pleasent deals. guess I have been lucky

I guess I could never partake in "shill bidding". I have no friends... I have no family. damn it!

There are flaws with everything, and creative people will always find a way to skirt the rules. Say what you will about ebay, but without it most of us would never have found certain parts for our cars.

:confused:

I didn't read where it requests a list of friends and family :noway:

LOL!

Qouted from the text from the Ebay page:

"Because family members, roommates and employees of sellers have a level of access to item information which is not available to the general Community, they are not permitted to bid on items offered by the seller–even if their sole intent is to purchase the item"

This would infer there is some official means of preventing this from occuring, so Ebay must have forgot to send me the forms so I could provide them with all the people that need to be banned from bidding on my stuff.

:D

Qouted from the text from the Ebay page:
This would infer there is some official means of preventing this from occuring, so Ebay must have forgot to send me the forms so I could provide them with all the people that need to be banned from bidding on my stuff.

:D


LOL - you're reading into it what you want. If you sell something on e-bay and your brother bids on it, you and he have violated ebay's stated policy. You, I and ebay all know it would be impossible to provide the list you feel they are asking for... ebay relys on member participation for most rule inforcement. Anyone think they have a better idea put it in writing and submit it to ebay, you could get rich solving problems ebay employees haven't been able to.

I have had my bids pressed up by some shills before as well... now I use one of the bidding services that places the bid in the last seconds so I know that the bids against me are legit.
The only way I bid anymore.

Reserve auctions are common place at most all auctions, it's a way a seller can protect himself from being low-balled... Why not ebay? If you are not comfortible with auctions don't go there! ...

I understand reserve amounts, but I don't know why a lot of sellers decide to make the reserve amount a national secret. Sometimes I just want to know if it's worth my time to bid. If the seller and I are miles apart on what we think an item is worth I'd like to a least know a ballpark figure. Starting an auction at .99 when the reserve amount is $1000 is ridiculous. I understand the emotional aspect of bidding and getting outbid and how that benefits the seller, but geez - why the big mystery?

I have asked ebay to look at a specific auction before, if I suspect something. It always has come back as legit bids. I am sure ebay does a lot to try and keep things legit. It is in their best interest. They can see IP addresses and see if one computer has several accounts. Even if you snipe in the last few seconds, shill bidding can run the price up a few minutes before the item closes. But I know it is frustrating at times.

sleepsinshed is correct. I would still be looking for some parts and maybe never found them w/o ebay. A reserve price only works if you are darn sure your part is worth what you are asking. If you want a specific price it should be listed as for sale for $XXX. It is not really an auction w/reserve prices. A reseve does give the seller a leg up to find a buyer that just misses reserve by a close margin.

Dennis, I think Mark was being facetious. Ay least I took it that way. The thing about friends and family is a disclaimer in case someone gets caught and tries to sue ebay.

i've been on eBay since it started. 99.9% of the transactions that i've been involved in all those years have been great. it sure puts you in touch with a lot of people whether you are a buyer or a seller.......nothing is perfect, but if you know what you are willing to spend for a certain item it works great. there are always going to be stupid little things that are going to pop up......but all in all, i've been able to find a lot of items at prices that i was willing to pay that i would have a hard time finding without eBay.

I think that in the case of someone who wants say 1000 bucks for their item but starts it out at .99 cents has something to do with the fees, or at least it used to. Ebay used to charge you based on the starting price of the auction, as well as the final sale price if there is a sale, so people start their ads at a really low price, and put a reserve on it. That might have changed now, but originally thats how it worked.

If an item is being shill bid, sniping in at the last minute won't do anything but run the price up to either your maximum price, or just over what the seller had the bids run up to. Don't forget the shill bidder has theoretically placed a bid equal (or will work it up over the course of the auction) to what the seller wants for the item so when you snipe in all your doing is raising the bid up to your max price of just over the shill bid. If you suspect there is shill bidding going on, walk away in all likelyhood there will be another item just like it tomorrow or next week.

I will put something I am interested in on my watch list, and watch the bid activity. If I see alot of activity/bidding I just stay away. I am not interested in any bidding wars!

I also will never bid on an item with more than 2 minutes remaining on it when I go ebaying.

I only use buy it now if the price is low, I never let my interest in an item sway my purchase intent, emotions and ebay = screwed!

I have a friend who insists the way to do it is to sneak up on a price until you are high bidder, then put another higher max bid in. I don't get that strategy, but whatever floats his boat.

I think a shill bidder would sneak up on the price. If he put in a high max, and let ebay automatically bid for him he runs the risk of being the high bidder. Then the seller would have to pay the fees with no real sale.

The only way I bid anymore.

That sounds good. What would the name of these services?

One easy way to see if you are being shilled is to look at the bidding history of the other bidders. If over 50% of their total bids are with the same seller - bingo. Most legit ebay bidders have a huge range of sellers they have bid with.

That sounds good. What would the name of these services?

One easy way to see if you are being shilled is to look at the bidding history of the other bidders. If over 50% of their total bids are with the same seller - bingo. Most legit ebay bidders have a huge range of sellers they have bid with.

bidding history only works if they won the item, or have they changed it so you can see bids not won when looking at a bidder?

Ebay is no different from a regular auction. We've all been to auctions where the seller has his buddy bid on an item to run the price up or to buy it back and protect the item. It's done all the time.

bidding history only works if they won the item, or have they changed it so you can see bids not won when looking at a bidder?

I think they did change it fairly recently. Just click on the number of bids, then on the name of the bidder you want to check out. His bidding history and percentage comes right up. Good way to see if you are being shilled.

Here's an example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/69-Camaro-LS-2-ProTouring-Resto-Mod-Custom-Body-Off_W0QQitemZ140215503021QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item1 40215503021

Car didn't sell, check out the high bidder. In the last 30 days, he has bid 4 times on 3 items. 75% of them were with this seller. Coincidence? Could be.

Poke around a bit, there are lots of them. Caveat Emptor.

oh your talking about number of bids a person has placed on that specific auction. Yeah you can usually guage if a person is shilling or not there, but sometimes you can actually just get in a bidding war.

I have a cpl rules for ebay use:
1. watch and bid within last 2 minutes only.
2. Look at feedback of seller, if only a buyer I am leary, even more if they got all their rep on little 1.00 or less junk items.
3. Never get in a bidding war
4. Do not get emotional, I have seen people get so into winning a certain item that the price ends up higher than I could get at a store.
5. If any doubts walk away, never risk that "its to good to be true deal".

oh your talking about number of bids a person has placed on that specific auction.

Negative. That information is also there, but its the other info that tells you if there is something funny going on.

Bids on this item: 2
Total bids: 4
Items bid on: 3
Bid activity (%) with this seller: 75%
Bid retractions: 0
Bid retractions (6 months): 0

Edited: Numbers from example auction above

oh cool, that is rather new. A GOOD FEATURE!