Opinions please re possible shill bidding

[*Heather*]

I have been watching and bidding on some items (and bidding a decent price) from a seller, ijeb-estatediamonds, but I suspect shill bidding because all of his items have a lot of bids. Plus, I never seem to win anything. Then I see this guy's feedback...
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAP...k&myworld=true

Does this make anyone else suspicious? Or am I being paranoid because I am always getting outbid by one increment.

[mcoop13]

Edit: Sorry it took me a while to realize that you were sending us the link to a user's feedback who only recieved feedback from the seller you mentioned. This is definitly suspicious..

[CowPrincess]

I had a look on Goofbay, and that bidder has spent more than 28000 Pounds, all with the one seller, in 120 days. If I had time, I'd go thru the list and see what items the bidder won that are now back listed with the seller.

And the prices are HIGH compared to how other comparable stuff sells for. (I'm a jewelry fan, don't buy a lot, but DROOL over many auctions!) IMHO a definite SHILL


http://www.goofbay.com/ebay_bid_hist...bl_submit.y=11

[hotshot]

Obvious shill.. Too many coincidences

[denimbarks]

It is suspicious for sure, but usually shillers aren't supposed to win the auctions. Maybe this is some sort of reserve price protection. Leaving feedback is pretty dumb though. If you report it, eBay might take a look.

Quote:

Or am I being paranoid because I am always getting outbid by one increment.

Wouldn't you always only be outbid by one increment? If you're outbid, I mean.

[mmmsc]

Very hard to prove shill bidding, but it looks like it here to me. I mean seriously would this one person buy every single item the seller has for sale?? Uh, no.

[CowPrincess]

Maybe the seller turns around and makes 2nd chance offers, once the underbidder's highest bid is known.

[mmmsc]

Originally Posted by CowPrincess

Maybe the seller turns around and makes 2nd chance offers, once the underbidder's highest bid is known.

Cowprincess, brilliant -- I bet it could be sort of deal like that -- the 2nd chance offer. Or else he just uses this 2nd bidding ID and sets a very high "reserve" bid with that, so he's guaranteed he will get a certain price for his items (I.e. he is "winning" his own auctions and then putting them back up when he doesn't get the price he wants.)
OP, I once had a similar situation where I bid but could not win a person's items; they were all "won" by the same (or maybe two other) Id's. Ebay would not touch it. SO I guess ebay either condones, or it is hard to prove.

[Love2LoveU]

Originally Posted by mmmsc

Cowprincess, brilliant -- I bet it could be sort of deal like that -- the 2nd chance offer. Or else he just uses this 2nd bidding ID and sets a very high "reserve" bid with that, so he's guaranteed he will get a certain price for his items (I.e. he is "winning" his own auctions and then putting them back up when he doesn't get the price he wants.) .

What a hassle, why not just list it for the amount you want to get and be done with it already. Just to save a few dollers.

That feedback defiantly looks suspicious both sellers have left feedback for each other for multipule items.

[CowPrincess]

Quote:

SO I guess ebay either condones, or it is hard to prove.

If the auction closes, and there's a "high bidder" who supposedly pays, ebay gets their listing fee AND final value fee. What does ebay REALLY care about except money? Seriously.

It is not terribly difficult to prove shill bidding -- there have been a number of people who've had their accounts suspended for supposedly shill bidding when in fact they have been INNOCENT. So if the innocent can get suspended, one would HOPE the guilty would be suspended too. But with a scam of this magnitude, (about $46,000 USD at today's rate) ebay's getting substantially enriched so I can see they'd be reluctant to shut it down.

[shibumiflowers]

Wouldn't this person totally get killed from fees? (Listing and fvf)