Shill Bidding on eBay

ummmm.....in August 2007, eBay changed their system so that you don't see bidder's actual IDs. Instead, eBay masks the user ID with the anonymous IDs you saw. Sellers can see the actual IDs, and the winning ID is shown at the end of the auction. The idea according to eBay is that it enhanced user privacy. You can read more about it here.

In short, I don't think any nefarious was going on. You likely just got outbid.

todd

eBay implemented a hidden bidding system. You don't see bidders names.

:> I wanted a half-dozen old 1940's half dollars. :>

:> Well, every time I bid, someone with the name e**r, i***i, d***d, :> 5***s, etc. I saw several dozen names all 5 characters long with :> '***' in the middle. :>

:> I reported it to eBay (which is a PAIN IN THE BUTT) because you have :> to search and search to find out how to report shill bidding. :>

:> I reported about 6 cases. I don't expect this to make any difference :> at all.

: ummmm.....in August 2007, eBay changed their system so that you don't see : bidder's actual IDs. Instead, eBay masks the user ID with the anonymous IDs : you saw. Sellers can see the actual IDs, and the winning ID is shown at the : end of the auction. The idea according to eBay is that it enhanced user : privacy. You can read more about it here. :

: In short, I don't think any nefarious was going on. You likely just got : outbid.

: todd

The basic stategy with ebay auctions is to wait to the last seconds to bid. Constantly bidding to become top bidder only drives up the price. I use auction snipping software to do my bidding, put in the amount you want to bid and go on my way. If I win great, if not then it wasn't worth it then.

Maxwell Lol wrote: ... Besides the fact is was in all likelihood the obfuscated bidder ID as others noted, what possible relation does it have to do w/ r.w???

--

Isn't it hard to talk with that hook, line and sinker in your mouth? ;)

Isn't it hard to talk with that hook, line and sinker in your mouth? ;)

And especially when being reeled in at the same time. ;~)

never mind. This is a new eBay thing to hide people's identities. (Smack forehead) Duh!

That's my philosophy, also. It seems like the eBay universe is populated by people who either don't understand "proxy bidding" or who are driven by the idea of "WIN AT ANY COST". Never did understand how paying more for something than you thought it was worth could be considered "winning". Entering a proxy bid during the final seconds is the only way to protect yourself from the "I've simply got to WIN" folks.

But eBay likes it that way since their take is a percentage of the final bid and it's to their advantage for the sale price to be as high as possible.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

Which is also the reason eBay is pushing this FREE SHIPPING BS to Sellers. It's just a way for them to extend their Final Value Fee to include the shipping cost.

Well that is true to a point.

Within a specific auction, one can tell if the bidder is the SAME bidder doing the bidding.

If you see the same "hidden" name reoccurring without other competing bids countering it, shilling is likely occurring.

====== For that to happen, the high bidder has to be bidding against himself, which doesn't happen on ebay. What you might be seeing is the high bidder actually entered a bid higher than the bid shown. Just as the seller's reserve is "secret", ebay simply entered his bid as the next increment above the old high bid but doesn't disclose the actual bid amount. As new bids come in, ebay will bid the next higher increment on his behalf up to the amount actually bid. And so on until he is no longer the high bid. This should, but doesn't actually, favor simply entering a single bid at the highest price you're willing to pay. It doesn't actually work for the very reason that snipes exist and, indeed, why there is so much angst about perceived improprieties: The folks shopping on ebay are almost to a one all lowballers and cheapskates. It has been many years since I bought anything on ebay. The local used equipment market is better represented in craigslist.

No it's not indicative of shill bidding.

Bidder X, an independent non shilling bidder just decided to increase their bid. If no one else bids against them and the current price (one step above the next highest bid from another bidder) is $10 you might see multiple bids of say $10 from buyer X, any other bidder then has to beat buyer X's top bid which might be $10,000 or more. Get a bid nibbler bidding against a much higher (and hidden) bid and the bid count will go through the roof.