Is this being dishonest??

[Charade]

I got a pop up for a free $100 Visa gift card if I participated in one of their offers. I did this before for a $50 Visa gift card for joining Netflix. One of the offers is to sign up on Ebay and place 2 "buy it now" offers within the next 7 days. Well, my gf is selling stuff on Ebay and they are "buy it now" items. Would it be dishonest to just buy her stuff to get the card?

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

From what I understand it is possibly against e-bay rules. (I had hubby buy something for me and learned after the fact that this was the case).

So dishonest no--unethical maybe. The card doesn't say what you have to buy from e-bay. And contingent upon the rules....I'm leaning towards unethical if that.

 

[ashjohnson80]

i don't know about the morality part or whatever but i do know from experience that ebay will suspend the seller's registration if the bid came from someone with a joint account or same isp.

 

[Charade]

i don't know about the morality part or whatever but i do know from experience that ebay will suspend the seller's registration if the bid came from someone with a joint account or same isp.

Well I don't want that to happen so I'll just find something else to buy.

 

[poohandwendy]

Ashjohnson is correct, they call it shill bidding. And it is against the big EBay rules. Actually, I am not sure if it qualifies for Shill bidding, because I think that is when you or a friend are jacking up the bid amounts with bogus bids and illegitimately forcing other buyers to pay more for the item, sort of. Actually, if you pay her for the stuff and Ebay/Paypal get their fees, not sure if you are really going against the rules. Hmm, gotta think on that. Most definitely unethical though, LOL
(can you tell I am thinking out loud?)


John, (gasp) you are such a scoundrel! jk

 

[ashjohnson80]

I think if it is from the same ISP address it doesnt matter if you pay for it or not, you're still going to get your account suspended.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I had my hubby buy something off of me. I think he must have done it at work as we received no warning. The bid didn't cover much and I didn't want to be out money (lesson learned). I was told by posters here in an e-bay discussion that that was wrong.

 

[Charade]

Ashjohnson is correct, they call it shill bidding. And it is against the big EBay rules. Actually, I am not sure if it qualifies for Shill bidding, because I think that is when you or a friend are jacking up the bid amounts with bogus bids and illegitimately forcing other buyers to pay more for the item, sort of. Actually, if you pay her for the stuff and Ebay/Paypal get their fees, not sure if you are really going against the rules. Hmm, gotta think on that. Most definitely unethical though, LOL
(can you tell I am thinking out loud?)


John, (gasp) you are such a scoundrel! jk

I wouldn't be jacking up the price because it's a "buy it now" item. She's not taking bids.

I don't want to get her in trouble but I don't thinks it's unethical. What would it matter to the promo people who I bought stuff from.

 

[poohandwendy]

I think if it is from the same ISP address it doesnt matter if you pay for it or not, you're still going to get your account suspended.

That is true and they will consider it shill bidding, regardless of the intent.

 

[poohandwendy]

I wouldn't be jacking up the price because it's a "buy it now" item. She's not taking bids.

I don't want to get her in trouble but I don't thinks it's unethical. What would it matter to the promo people who I bought stuff from.

The reason it's unethical is because you are not really paying for what they are selling...taking an interest in Ebay and supporting their sellers. Ebay is paying them to sell it. (at least that is what I think they are 'selling')

 

[ashjohnson80]

actually sellers pay ebay a fee for listing, and final value credits and for using their software and some other stuff.

 

[Charade]

The reason it's unethical is because you are not really paying for what they are selling...taking an interest in Ebay and supporting their sellers. Ebay is paying them to sell it. (at least that is what I think they are 'selling')

I would "pay" her with something else.

But I would be paying her. I'd still have to pay for the item through ebay.

Ok, this is crazy now. I won't do it. K?

Besides, she'd probably make me split that $100 gift card with her.

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL, you are going to hell for so many reasons, this one is just a drop in the bucket. Just deal with it.

 

[Charade]

LOL, you are going to hell for so many reasons, this one is just a drop in the bucket. Just deal with it.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I wouldn't be jacking up the price because it's a "buy it now" item. She's not taking bids.

I don't want to get her in trouble but I don't thinks it's unethical. What would it matter to the promo people who I bought stuff from.

FTR I considred it unethical asa stretch--only if e-bay had some sort of rule by it--or a pseudo rule.

Only b/c it was pointed out to me when hubby bought my item that was bad.

If the gift card doesn't specify anything--then certainly there is no issue.

If e-bay doesn't have a problem with it--then no issue.

 

[Planogirl]

LOL, you are going to hell for so many reasons, this one is just a drop in the bucket. Just deal with it.

Face it guy, you're just unethical.