Shill bidding?

[Dublinjeff]

Hi lads just a quick one,
I have a basic idea of what's involved, just looking for some advice
I'm bidding on an item at the minute. I bid early a good bit above the 99p start price. I got a message quick enough to say I was outbid, by £1, private bidder listing!

in fairness the item hasn't yet reached what I reckon it might sell for.
I stuck in another bid, a bit more again only to be outbid this evening, again by £1, private bidder again :?

Does this smell of shill bidding?

 

[rob71]

Not sure... I'm dubious about private listings though, and I was outbid at the last second on 3 items over the weekend, all from the same seller. Makes me wonder what they have to hide by making them private. I guess if I see them listed again that will answer everything. Keep a look out for yours if you don't win it this time.

 

[jedi_masters]

It's difficult being a private listing. Sounds to me its the usual case of you and someone else really want the item. I had this recently with a Han Solo MOC. Everytime I bid, he bid again and vice versa. Its dificult sometimes to know when shill bidding is taking place as people who really want an item will just keep bidding which makes it look like shill bidding.

 

[Palifan]

It's difficult being a private listing. Sounds to me its the usual case of you and someone else really want the item. I had this recently with a Han Solo MOC. Everytime I bid, he bid again and vice versa. Its dificult sometimes to know when shill bidding is taking place as people who really want an item will just keep bidding which makes it look like shill bidding.

That wasn't that palitoy ESB Han was it? That auction had two bidders constantly swapping first place with each other right to the end, quite exciting to see!

 

[jedi_masters]

Yea it was but didn't I bid after about £80. The guy had it up as you know for £250 I think so I think his reserve was gonna be near that.

 

[plantman]

when you know this is going to happen just place your top offer in and walk away, otherwise if it is shill bidding you could get into a bidding war and pay more than you wanted.

Andy

 

[Dublinjeff]

when you know this is going to happen just place your top offer in and walk away, otherwise if it is shill bidding you could get into a bidding war and pay more than you wanted.

Andy

Yeah, good advice, that's what im going to do later :wink:

 

[Nick_IoW]

Got something similar going on with a Pali LotJawas at the moment - purely private bidding. What concerns me most is this is a guy I believe did some shill bidding to up the price of his 8pk of Meccano Jawas last week (who then offered it to me for £5 less than what the two dodgy bidders left it at - obviously I didnt got for it, and he cant even shift it after relisting it for £400 less than what he offered it to me for - some muppets out there).

Its actually put me off of something I would genuinely like to buy.

 

[plantman]

Got something similar going on with a Pali LotJawas at the moment - purely private bidding. What concerns me most is this is a guy I believe did some shill bidding to up the price of his 8pk of Meccano Jawas last week (who then offered it to me for £5 less than what the two dodgy bidders left it at - obviously I didnt got for it, and he cant even shift it after relisting it for £400 less than what he offered it to me for - some muppets out there).

Its actually put me off of something I would genuinely like to buy.

lol yep same guy contacted me too with a re-offer, needless to say i said no, looking at his picture i see bent cards, possible had summat on top of it, if all of those are creased the its £60 each....

 

[jasdev999]

eBay should take this private bidding system out completely. Helps no one but eBay as they make more money through shilling and re listed items. I place my top bet and walk away though sometimes it's really tempting to keep on going.

Is there a system to report shill bidding whilst the auction is on?