Re: Ebay bids on HP41CX, twice. Message #11 Posted by Dallas Osborne on 17 Nov 2008, 2:24 p.m., in response to message #10 by Dan Grelinger
YES!
I agree with the issue at hand; there seems to be a significant issue with 'price handling' on ebay. However I would like to chime in on ebay’s behalf (not something I ever thought I might do) regarding a very shady bidding history on my current auction.
The situation is: I currently have an auction where there appears to be a bit of shifty bidding. First, one member placed a rather significant bid on my auction. The sale price moved up to, apparently, the next bid higher than the current bidder's maximum (i.e., the bid went to $192.50). I was happy with the spike...then within a few hours the bid was retracted as an 'Administrative Cancellation' and the bidder was reported to me as "Not a registered user". This bidder (silveriob2005) is now not even listed on the bidding history. Obviously the active bid went back down to the prior $130). Now for the meat of this diatribe: a short while later, 'another' member (physicsnerd.12) bid once only and just below the value the prior bidder exceeded. It simply looks like a probe for the bid limit and another bid to raise the bid up to that value. If this happened to an auction I was looking at, I would quickly leave that one alone, remember the seller, and never ever consider them for a future purchase.
I received a very prompt email from ebay and then we discussed the issue over the phone. So, in light of that, I would say that ebay is at least making an effort in the shill bidding department.
I really have no idea what this member would have to benefit from this. It certainly doesn’t seem like they are really interested in winning my sale. I have my suspicions, but they edge on conspiracy. Off and on, you see, I have been selling my collection and, while checking the market, I, as many of us, noticed there are a couple of sellers that purchase cheap and sell only in a 'buy it now' format for outrageous amounts. This generally benefits me and I am certainly guilty of hoping my sale will be higher because of these folks are consolidating the market. But, are these cats working the market and trying to throwing suspicion on other sellers? Or are they using methods like this to artificially jack up the ‘bluebook’ price so their ‘buy it now’s have a better shot at selling?
I don’t know. It is certainly sneaky, if true. And it bugs the tar out of me. Perhaps the classified section is going to be my venue.
*Stepping off my soap box*
Thanks for the thread where I could vent my frustrations.
-Dallas
Dan,
If you would like to take gander at the bidding history on the auction I am referring to, look for the pair of 41c units that are finishing this afternoon. My ebay ID is 'landon.rosspe'. The bid from silveriob2005 occurred at: (taken from the cancellation section of the page since it doesn't show on your version of the bid history).
Bid: Nov-12-08 16:59:48 PST
Cancelled: Nov-13-08 13:16:06 PST
The result was that physicsnerd (the only bidder for $185) moved the bid up to $190 without actually placing a real bid.
Your thoughts? Or am I just a crazy old coot?
-Dallas
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