How to deal with Shill bidders?

[Vroomfunkel]

I just bid on a Saturn game that I quite want. It's fairly rare, but was badly listed so when I found the page, it had only had 2 views - one mine, and the other presumably the sellers. I usually don't bid until near the end of an auction, but I placed a bid on this one. A couple of hours later, I am outbid. I am suprised, since it is unlikely anyone else would spot it so soon if no-one had seen it before ... it had already been up several days. My suspicions are raised when the high bidder turns out to be a new user called nat_1234, who registered a couple of days after the seller began his auctions. I do a quick search on items he has bid on .. and he has bid on three items, all of which are being sold by the same seller as the auction I bid on.

Now, am I leaping to conlcusions, or is this pretty damning evidence of shill bidding? And what do I do about it? The price on this game is still pretty cheap for what it is, and I would still like to win it .. so I don't want to get him chased off ebay. But I also don't want to have to bid against that kind of tactics ... any advice anyone?

Please resist the temptation to go and look for the auction I am talking about, since it now only has 4 pageviews - two from me .. and I would like to keep it that way as good evidence of my theory if I need to back it up...

Vroomfunkel

[evilmess]

Let it ride and try to snipe it back in the remaining few seconds

[esquire]

Retract your bid. Make him get stuck with it.

[jonjandran]

I had the EXACT same thing happen. And I mean exactly.
Then with 1 day to go the 0 feedbacker gets his high bid canceled "for having negative feedback" and now I'm the high bidder .
The problem of course is I am the high bidder for my highest amount instead of the 1 dolar I was originally the high bidder for.
I'm thinking about cancelling my bid.

[Flack]

I feel no responsibility in purchasing items when I suspect foul play is going on, and I think if more people did that, some of those people would quit shill bidding.

[Darth Sensei]

I had the EXACT same thing happen. And I mean exactly.
Then with 1 day to go the 0 feedbacker gets his high bid canceled "for having negative feedback" and now I'm the high bidder .
The problem of course is I am the high bidder for my highest amount instead of the 1 dolar I was originally the high bidder for.
I'm thinking about cancelling my bid.

I absolutely would cancel my bid. Period.

D

[Griking]

If you cancel your bid are you able to place another bid later in the life of the auction?

[Vroomfunkel]

Well, the story goes on!! I left my bid, and did not bid again. I was knida hoping he would get nervous and retract his bid near the end, but he didn't.

However, a couple of days later, he did send me a "Second Chance Offer" because apparently, the "high bidder didn't pay for the item". No shit ...

So I got the game for my original bid price. I'm gonna pay him, wait for the game and then send him a cautionary email warning him not to be a dumbass in the future.

Vroomfunkel

[Darth Sensei]

Or you'll do what?

Listen, if you buy that item you're just promoting his stupidity. Tell him you'll pay less than what you originally went to.

Or don't buy it. There are plenty of honest sellers out there.

D

[Vroomfunkel]

I am getting the game for my original bid price, which was £3.99 - and was also the start price for the auction. I am more than happy with that, because a) it is very cheap for that game and b) it is the minimum amount that I originally bid. I see no reason to turn that down. Plus this guy has to pay his seller fees twice which should be some form of punishment.

And I will warn him against using such practices in the future. I won't tell him how I knew, I will just let him know that it is very easy to tell, and that if he does it again then he is very likely to get reported and kicked off ebay.

If you feel particularly strongly about it, look up his other auctions and email the winning bidders to let them know they've been diddled. I am quite happy with the course of action I have chosen.

Vroomfunkel

[Ed Oscuro]

eBay isn't exactly renowned for their anti-shill policies (or their anti-piracy policies either) but they have busted shill bidders before. Report it, they should do something about it.

Damn people who pull that sort of stuff.