• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Shill ebay bidder question

Started by Firespitter,

14 posts in this topic

Firespitter

Firespitter

Posted
Posted

If you suspect a shill bidder on Ebay, is there a reason or basis to report? Is there some specific criteria or rule that they are breaking, and what constitutes proof (if any?) Or is it just one of those "Just be glad you didn't bite" type of siituations?

 

Ebay doesn't divulge info on other bidders except for repeated bids on the same item or same seller (seller 1, 2 ,3 etc.) But the situation was this:

 

I was bidding on a comic book and was outbid by an ebayer with (4) total feedbacks (100% positive) about 10 mins before the end of the auction for more than average price. Looking at the overbidder's bid history, they'd made 461 bids on 121 items the past 30 days, 45% of the bids (210) were with this Seller 1. Averaging 1 or 2 bids on every item in the 30 days history. So they've bid 461 times, and only won enough unique auctions to garner 4 feedback.

 

Seems very shilly to me or really a huge fan of this seller but only willing to drop 1 or 2 bids on an item before giving up. I'm not really upset about losing the item. The suspected shill did not win it. Comic book went over price IMO, and I already have many copies, but seems like the kind of thing that ebay doesn't want people doing.

 

The winning bidder was a third bidder that outbid the "shill" one at the last second. It has no feedbacks for the past 30 days and shows 0% positive but (60) feedbacks. So now my paranoia has me thinking the seller may have out-shilled himself with a dual shill system having not gotten what they wanted for the comic.

 

It occurs to me the first shill account (4) feedbacks tries to drive up the price 10 minutes before the end of the auction, but that account has a 100% feedback and doesn't want it to win another one of his own auctions. Realizing that their 100% positive feedback shill account is about to win the auction, they use a second (disposable) shill account with 0% positive feedback to take the neg at the last minute. (I don't know???). It just seems very odd.

 

Sound suspicious enough to report?

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rjrjr

rjrjr

Posted
Posted
If you suspect a shill bidder on Ebay, is there a reason or basis to report? Is there some specific criteria or rule that they are breaking, and what constitutes proof (if any?) Or is it just one of those "Just be glad you didn't bite" type of siituations?

 

Ebay doesn't divulge info on other bidders except for repeated bids on the same item or same seller (seller 1, 2 ,3 etc.) But the situation was this:

 

I was bidding on a comic book and was outbid by an ebayer with (4) total feedbacks (100% positive) about 10 mins before the end of the auction for more than average price. Looking at the overbidder's bid history, they'd made 461 bids on 121 items the past 30 days, 45% of the bids (210) were with this Seller 1. Averaging 1 or 2 bids on every item in the 30 days history. So they've bid 461 times, and only won enough unique auctions to garner 4 feedback.

 

Seems very shilly to me or really a huge fan of this seller but only willing to drop 1 or 2 bids on an item before giving up. I'm not really upset about losing the item. The suspected shill did not win it. Comic book went over price IMO, and I already have many copies, but seems like the kind of thing that ebay doesn't want people doing.

 

The winning bidder was a third bidder that outbid the "shill" one at the last second. It has no feedbacks for the past 30 days and shows 0% positive but (60) feedbacks. So now my paranoia has me thinking the seller may have out-shilled himself with a dual shill system having not gotten what they wanted for the comic.

 

It occurs to me the first shill account (4) feedbacks tries to drive up the price 10 minutes before the end of the auction, but that account has a 100% feedback and doesn't want it to win another one of his own auctions. Realizing that their 100% positive feedback shill account is about to win the auction, they use a second (disposable) shill account with 0% positive feedback to take the neg at the last minute. (I don't know???). It just seems very odd.

 

Sound suspicious enough to report?

 

 

 

What would be the purpose of leaving a negative for their own shill account? (shrug)

 

Also, maybe someone can correct me here, the 4 feedbacks would indicate to me that that buyer has dealt with 4 different sellers, but does not indicate how many times they dealt with the same seller.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Doohickamabob

Doohickamabob

Posted
Posted
It occurs to me the first shill account (4) feedbacks tries to drive up the price 10 minutes before the end of the auction, but that account has a 100% feedback and doesn't want it to win another one of his own auctions. Realizing that their 100% positive feedback shill account is about to win the auction, they use a second (disposable) shill account with 0% positive feedback to take the neg at the last minute. (I don't know???). It just seems very odd.

Your entire analysis sounds very well thought-out and completely plausible. The best thing you can do is to publicize the auction here (link to the actual item page on eBay) and let others have a look. You can also report it to eBay but it's doubtful they'll take meaningful action -- though maybe if they get multiple reports for multiple auctions, it will be enough of a pattern to rouse them from their slumber.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
lightninglad

lightninglad

Posted
Posted

I think we sometimes read too much into these things.

 

I don't do auctions very often, but during my last one I had 3 bidders who bid the item up early. They're feedback totals were (1), (0), and (0). I thought to myself, "this is going look like I'm shilling the auction". A 1000+ buyer put in a bid at the end and won the auction.

 

I have quite a few (0) feedback buyers who buy from me. They pay, I ship. So not EVERY low feedback account is a shill. I think we're overly paranoid at times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chaseman210

Chaseman210

Posted
Posted
I think we sometimes read too much into these things.

 

I don't do auctions very often, but during my last one I had 3 bidders who bid the item up early. They're feedback totals were (1), (0), and (0). I thought to myself, "this is going look like I'm shilling the auction". A 1000+ buyer put in a bid at the end and won the auction.

 

I have quite a few (0) feedback buyers who buy from me. They pay, I ship. So not EVERY low feedback account is a shill. I think we're overly paranoid at times.

 

Of course low feedback buyers are real. But the OP's situation is a bit different I think. Of the buyers you mentioned, you'd have to factor in bidding history. With the OP, the low feedback buyer bid on the one seller's auctions 210 times in the last thirty days. With that kind of bidding activity, it just seems really likely, to me at least, that he would be bound to have gotten more than 4 feedback.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Firespitter

Firespitter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I just didn't want to "make work" for boardies out of this, especially because it might just be my overactive imagination. The auction was for a Next Men #21. the link is here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331798099078?ssPageName=STRK:MEDWX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1435.l2649

 

 

I noticed that the original prospective shill d**d (4) had bid on another 4 of that same seller's auctions yesterday not winning any of them.

The actual winner "f**y"(qty 60 but 0% positive feedback) of the auction that I had bid on, bid on 2 other auctions by that same seller in the same hour. No other activity by that ebayer.

 

As I say, this all seems odd but could just be some oddball buyers, and I just have too much free time on my hands.

-Terry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Noble Nostalgia aka Nikelspot

Noble Nostalgia aka Nikelspot

Posted
Posted

That is my book. I promise you it's not a shill. i wouldn't shill first of all and not on a $50 book for sure. I get a lot of eBay lurkers, new, and repeat customers because of my feedback and the kinds of books I list. I understand your concern though. But just look back in my completed section and see how cheap many of my books have ended lol Why would I shill a $50 book and let high-end books well below market? If you still have concerns you can write eBay or ask me any needed questions. Best, Nik

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Firespitter

Firespitter

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I agree, it isn't very effective when you have so many better books. But the bid history was odd on both of those ebayers to a puzzling degree. I've gotten into the habit of looking at people's bid histories for sellers as well on books like this simply because it is one of those "Why would someone bother printing up a fake book for $50? It's hardly worth the effort." yet I've managed to buy one a few years back. I think it falls into a niche of not being important enough to look at with a magnifying glass, yet for an investment of $10 on a color printer, it's a good turn-around on the person's money.

 

You should be happy to know you have some very dedicated ebay shoppers.

I apologize for coming across as accusatory.

-Terry

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Go to topic listing