Bidder ID's and items kept private on sellers feedback

to protect the bidders from getting fake 'second chance offers' and other scams is one big reason

ebay makes auctions private automatically when they get above $250 (I think that is the price)

 

Sometimes the sellers decide to make the bidders ID's private so that other sellers can't email them and tell them that they have the same thing cheaper and sending them the link. On the feedback, this item was automatically be private if the bidders list is private.

Sometimes, sellers just think more people will bid if they think that other people will not see that they are bidding.

Its never something I have done, but I can see some benefits.

 

You can always go to goofbay.com
You can check out what someone has been buying and selling within the past month, even if their feedback is private.

 

You can not sell with private feedback but you can make auctions private. All my listings, regardless of what they are, are private because I had terrible problems with other sellers contacting my bidders

 

And I as a buyer prefer private listings.

The spam stops, privacy issues, etc.

 

Especially as eBay have now made it all so transparent with feedback. Around Christmas I get alot of buyers saying they are glad my listings are private as no one can see what they've bought

 

I also prefer the privacy as a buyer. i once found that a woman was outbidding me on something, so i looked at her previous purchases and she had bought clothes..i could see clearly what size she was, etc, and i thought it was really invasive, and wouldnt want someone doing that to me.

 

I remember seeing listings said they reserved the rights to cancel bids from private feedbacks. I don't think this is against eBay rules.