Thread: Shifty e-bay bids ?

I think it's common practice, Apricot.

Caveat emptor.

Hi Apricot

very possibly you are spot on.

I use ebay the same as any auction.

1.Decide what you will pay.

2. Set alarm for 5 min before auction ends.

3. Type in your max bid. It will only bidup to that amount by enough above the last bid.

4. Walk away once you have placed the bid.

cheers
dazzler

Originally Posted by apricotripper

I completely apologise if I get this wrong...but the plane up for auction here....

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....tem=6255682386

looks very suspicious to me.

Its starting bid was $49.90, and has had 7 bids ! ....I checked the bid history, and each of those 7 bids were made by the same bloke, all within a few seconds of one another. And the bids didn't escallate as you'd expect. They were all $49.90 bids.

The guy who made these bids is new. Just 1 positive feedback. I clicked his name to read his feedback, and strangely, theres a similar needless repitition going on in his feedback as well. 3 feedbacks, worded exactly the same within a few seconds of one another..

So, dare I say it...It looks like(I'm not saying it true. LOOKS LIKE )the bidder is also the seller. LOOKS LIKE the seller has created a different identity (the bidder) gave him a little fake reputation some how, then bid on his own item 7 times at the same low starting price, to make the item look like its hot property to encourage others to get in a bidding war. Betya...

It looks suspicious also cause just a few days ago there was a real bidding war going on over an identical plane, that went for way over its normal value (over $100)....he could have seen this...and the idea clicked.

You can tell I like myth busters.....Am I just being paranoid ? ...

mythbusters rule.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

I completely apologise if I get this wrong...but the plane up for auction here....

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....tem=6255682386

looks very suspicious to me.

Its starting bid was $49.90, and has had 7 bids ! ....I checked the bid history, and each of those 7 bids were made by the same bloke, all within a few seconds of one another. And the bids didn't escallate as you'd expect. They were all $49.90 bids.

The guy who made these bids is new. Just 1 positive feedback. I clicked his name to read his feedback, and strangely, theres a similar needless repitition going on in his feedback as well. 3 feedbacks, worded exactly the same within a few seconds of one another..

So, dare I say it...It looks like(I'm not saying it true. LOOKS LIKE )the bidder is also the seller. LOOKS LIKE the seller has created a different identity (the bidder) gave him a little fake reputation some how, then bid on his own item 7 times at the same low starting price, to make the item look like its hot property to encourage others to get in a bidding war. Betya...

It looks suspicious also cause just a few days ago there was a real bidding war going on over an identical plane, that went for way over its normal value (over $100)....he could have seen this...and the idea clicked.

You can tell I like myth busters.....Am I just being paranoid ? ...

Hi Tripper, I have had a look at the highest bidder's history and the bid history of the previous items he has bid on.

I have also looked at the item's that the seller has previously sold, along with the bidding history on those items. Didn't find the alleged shill bidder(jeffrey?) in there.

It is unusual that he has put seven bids in, one after the other..(however, this boogie behaviour is not uncommon with newbies )The price will not go up until someone else bids.
You could also argue that it is shill bidding, because the seller has a reserve and may be pushing the price up to get it over the reserve.

Either way, he will only shoot himself in the foot .

Do your research and bid what you think at the end of the auction. Maybe ask some question's to get a better idea of the condition.........or just use this www.auctionsniper.com

Hi Jake...

What is happening here is that the bidder is trying to see where the reserve is. As soon as he bids the same or more than the reserve, the bid price will jump up all in one go.

Reserve prices must be back on eBay-they weren't an option here for a long time. I don't normally get too caught up in items with a reserve price-it often isn't even met until the last few seconds.

Greg

It's a US listed item. EBay US still has reserves. Even though the item is in AUS. A little trap for the unwary. ALWAYS LOOK AT THE CURRENCY...

Dan

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Am I just being paranoid ? ...

No not at all. Everyone IS out to get you...:eek:

Dan

report it to ebay, there pretty strict and if he is doing what you say they may ban him...we don't want halfwit, money hungry, imbred, lowlife, scumbag, unloyal wankers spoiling it for everyone else...

ggrrrr, see now you made me cranky....

Originally Posted by ss_11000

mythbusters rule.

G'day,

Ooh yeah! The one about the exploding cannon has to be the best yet, 2nded by the exploding cement truck.

Apricotriiper, sure looks that way.

I've been looking at eBay the last week looking to buy a 78 Stanley to make up for the bits I'm missing on my Grandad's old 78, but at the prices I'm watching them go for is beyond what I'm prepared to pay. Instead I'll keep looking out for one at g/sales, markets etc. I think eBay prices for planes is over inflated. Maybe I'm after a beaut bargin or I'm too stingy with my hard earned mula.

How can he be bidding the same amount each time and hope to achieve anything?
7 (or whatever) bids at the same amount would make it look attractive I guess, i.e. dialling up the bid counter, but who would that attract?

I don't see anything untoward here at all.

The bidder bought a record plane and some blades from one seller in England. He obviously paid right away, and the seller left feedback on all items at once, which is how you do that on a multiple sale. Since they are all from the same seller, only one feedback is credited towards the total.

Now the bidder is repeatedly pinging to try and discover the reserve price. I guess that whatever his highest bid ammount is remains below the reserve price, so the seller has to wait for another bunny to get into a bidding war to see where the price is going to go.

Where were you guys five months ago when I sold one of these for $45.00?

Greg

The bid amount won't ratchet up because he's bidding against himself and the reserve price. I think that this is a flaw in the eBay programme- the top bid below the resereve should be the current bid, since its not going to be honoured anyway.

The only way that a single bidder's bidding will increase the price is the one time he hits the trip wire of the hidden reserve price.

Greg

Greg, sounds like your right.....Maybe I am being paranoid afterall... unless Dans right, Oh shiiiit ! :eek: WHO exactly is out to get me ! that gives me the willys Dan Spose, starting threads like this doesn't help.

Clinton, I don't really know the pychology behind it all..... I was thinking, if the price was kept low, with a lot of bids, then it was more likely to bring in new bidders than if taken high. I'd say, not many people would bother checking out bid history. First time for me today.

sorry. I stuffed there.

Dan's right. Paranoid is good.

I was going to ratchet the bidding up, but I don't want to encourage American dollar listing locally.