"private listing--bidders identities protected"
This is a new one on me. I'm involved in a current auction on ebay and wanted to see the other 12 bids. When I checked them, I saw something I have never, ever seen before: 12 bids which simply stated, "private listing--bidders identities protected." There was also one retracted bid (which would have been the new high bid) with the same language concerning the bidder's identity.
Can anyone tell me what is going on here? Is the seller or consignor bidding on his own item? Since when does ebay allow the bidder's identity to remain completely secret? I've seen other incomplete identifications of the bidder, such as r**1008, or something similar, but never "private listing--bidders identities protected."
Should extreme caution be the word of the day here?
Any help/advice will be sincerely appreciated.
Regards,
Larry
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