Ebay: Reporting a member for Shill bidding

[poohandwendy]

Hi all,

I am posting this as an FYI and also to ask fro advice.

I recently bid on a leather console armrest for my car (ours has scratches in the leather)...after being the 2nd bidder, my DH noticed the bidding went up and checked the bidding history (because it went quickly from 2 bids to 16 bids). He showed me something interesting: the seller was bidding against me, on their own item, in order to raise our bid! This is called shill bidding and is illegal.

As to not reveal the actual sellers name, I will call the sellers Ebay ID 'PAW100' ...well, after we placed a bid, PAW200 bid 14 times, in a row, against me. I still was winning the item, but it really made me mad because after a small amount of research...I realized that these 2 very similar names were one and the same person (from the same exact town). Not only that, he/she had actually left feedback for the second ID, apparently they 'won' their own auction. (there are other things that prove they are the same person)

I sent an email to the seller asking why they were bidding against me on their auction and recieved a reply that pretty much said, "I don't understand your question". They didn't bid on the item after my warning that I was onto their 'game', I would have retracted my bid if they had, and I won the auction.

Now, I am planning on notifying Ebay of their activity, but I want to wait until I receive my item because they have one negative feedback regarding not shipping an item. I don't want to chance their being suspecded and my being totally out of luck.

I have been watching their activity and have noticed that they are still at it...bidding against other poeple in their own auctions. I really feel bad for the other members who are not in a fair bidding war and may not be aware of it. My question: Would you notify the other people bidding on their other items that this is happening?

I just wanted to let everyone here to know that this does occur and to keep an eye on bidding history if there is anything suspect about how an auction is going.

I want to make it clear that I have every intention of notifying Ebay as soon as I receive my item. I just don't want to end up caught in the middle of the mess while they have my money and I have no product.

Any thoughts or experiences with shill bidding?

 

[ducklite]

I think you are very wise to wait until you have the item, then definitely report the seller to E-Bay.

Anne

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I absolutely agree with Ducklite.

Also if you paid using PayPal you could also ask that you be refunded anything above what would have been the winning amount without the shill bidding.

 

[Belle5]

That's really sad because you would have likely paid a MUCH lower amount had they not bid against you. I hope you actually recieve your item as you are dealing with highly dishonest people. I, too, would report this to paypal. Maybe you can be refunded the difference. Hopefully, they won't hold it against you that you didn't report it right away!

 

[anditoo72]

I don't know that I would have given them any money and reported them before the auction end. IMO that is really low to do to people, how unethical. I am sorry that happened to you and good for you for not letting it happen to others. That is sad, very sad

 

[poohandwendy]

Thanks for the responses.

LOL, the only reason I didn't retract my bid is because I really wanted the item.

That's really sad because you would have likely paid a MUCH lower amount had they not bid against you.

Actually, maybe not. There was another bidder after he/she was forcing the bidding up, so I still did have some legitimate competition.

I also think he/she messed up bigtime because I think all of the bidding activity could have scared others away (thinking that they didn't have a chance of winning an auction with so much interest). When an item has 19 bids, many times people will pass it up thinking they are unlikely to win against others with high interest in the item. I ended up winning it for probably $20 less than other similar items have gone for.

HOWEVER, this practice is HIGHLY unethical and illegal (from what I read on eBay).

I am torn because a) they have my money and I really want the item and b) I am leery that I won't receive it and he/she is a hit-and-run artist looking to get lots of money in their paypal acct and then get out of dodge....

Well, it was only $80...so if I am being foolish by allowing time to receive the item and if I end up not getting it and/or my money back, my bad. Another lesson for me.

Either way, I WILL be notifying eBay. I am hoping this person is unaware that this practice isn't tolerated and is just thinking they are outsmarting the masses. Hopefully they are ONLY being greedy and NOT professional con artists. (not that it isn't totally wrong either way)

Ebay states that, depending on the circumstances, they MAY give someone the benefit of doubt (that they are unaware of the rules) and not suspend them immediately. But, if after investigating the circumstances, they feel this is blantant fraud, they will suspend that member and any other name associated with their email and home address indefinitely.

 

[M. Eisner]

I am confused. So you knew they were placing shill bids, making them disreputable, and yet you continued to bid? Why do business with a crooked seller? This whole thing confuses me, based on knowing ahead of time that this seller was doing bidding that eBay prohibits, then sending them money and now worrying about getting the product. You should have stopped bidding and reported them immediately.

 

[Tink10]

It's a small world.....

I've seen the auctions by the seller that you're talking about. It turns out that the Seller in Question & the Bidder in Question are definately one in the same.

Both bid on each others' auctions......If you do a search on Ebay for auctions listed by the Bidder in Question....you'll see the same auction listing format & bids by the Seller in Question.....

I couldn't bring myself to bid on the item from them that I was looking at............That Makes Me Mad!

 

[gigi1313]

it just seems so dumb on their part... wouldn't it be easier to just set a reserve price rather than risk negative feedback and/or being reported? a great big DUH to that seller!

i agree that reporting them is necessary! good luck and i hope you get your item!

 

[poohandwendy]

Originally posted by M. Eisner
I am confused. So you knew they were placing shill bids, making them disreputable, and yet you continued to bid? Why do business with a crooked seller? This whole thing confuses me, based on knowing ahead of time that this seller was doing bidding that eBay prohibits, then sending them money and now worrying about getting the product. You should have stopped bidding and reported them immediately.

Actually, I didn't realize when I placed my second bid what was going on, I thought the item had just gone up due to normal competition. I won the item based on that second bid. (I should have been more clear of the way the timeline went in my OP, sorry. I knew much more information when I posted than I did while the auction was going on and after I paid them)

I actually wasn't totally sure this seller was shill bidding until the auction was over. But, I was suspicious and would have retracted my bid if the seller bid against me again, which he/she didn't. So, yes, I do see your point.

The only reason I paid the seller was because I wanted the item and they do have mostly good feedback. It was the research I did afterwards that made it clear that this was definitely shill bidding. If I end up losing my money, it will be a lesson for me.

Either way, it is certain to now that this seller is shill bidding and I will report them to Ebay.

Both bid on each others' auctions......If you do a search on Ebay for auctions listed by the Bidder in Question....you'll see the same auction listing format & bids by the Seller in Question.....

Wow, yes, it is a small world. Frustrating, huh? Fortunately, I have never run into this before, but I am sure this practice is more common than I could imagine. There are tons of really great eBay sellers out there, shame some don't want to play fair. What surprises me is that this seller made 2 names that are SO similar. I would have never even thought anything of it had the names been totally different.

Of course, that makes me wonder how many times this has happened and I didn't have a clue.

it just seems so dumb on their part... wouldn't it be easier to just set a reserve price rather than risk negative feedback and/or being reported? a great big DUH to that seller!

That's how I feel. Just list your items higher...easy solution and much more honest.