Ebay Shill bidding?

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by boneheadandrube

I know there are ebay resellers of all collectibles who will put opening bids on every auction listed at .99c as soon as they are listed as a blanket strategy hoping to win 1 item that falls through the cracks. It seems like something from an "ebay! Work from home" type of book.

There was an instance of this bidder placing a bid less than a minute after the item was listed. I know of no app or alert, that informs you that quickly of an item being listed. If there is one...what is it?

[ALBB]

I like that one.. " well, its already got a bid,, must be good " ! LOL

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Also an opening bid eliminates the danger of someone making and offer or using a buy it now.

[Aj-hman]

I am a eBay buyer and noticed when I wanted a 1989 Ken Griffey jr PSA 10 that the fix was in. Check it out for yourself. This card will sell at auction for around $400 every time. My theory is that sellers have created multiple accounts one to sell and one to buy. Possibly have their buddies/ coconspirators drive up the prices on their auctions. If their buddy wins then they keep the card and resell it again until it “auctions” for their price.

[drcy]

I haven't examined the bid patterns posted and am accusing no one of anything. However, I did want to point out that shill bidding can be used to prevent low sales and not just to raise high sales to artificial heights.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by drcy

I haven't examined the bid patterns posted and am accusing no one of anything. However, I did want to point out that shill bidding can be used to prevent low sales and not just to raise high sales to artificial heights.

I would think a smart shill bidder would only shill bid on under performing items and only up to reasonable market value so as not to throw up any red flags. If you shill way over market value every time...well forget it...who would be that bold.

[RedsFan1941]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

I would think a smart shill bidder would only shill bid on under performing items and only up to reasonable market value so as not to throw up any red flags. If you shill way over market value every time...well forget it...who would be that bold.

yes ... who?

[RCMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by drcy

I haven't examined the bid patterns posted and am accusing no one of anything. However, I did want to point out that shill bidding can be used to prevent low sales and not just to raise high sales to artificial heights.

I don't know who outbid me. It was prolly Steve. I know it wasn't Dr Cycleback.

[wondo]

Originally Posted by Aj-hman

I am a eBay buyer and noticed when I wanted a 1989 Ken Griffey jr PSA 10 that the fix was in. Check it out for yourself. This card will sell at auction for around $400 every time. My theory is that sellers have created multiple accounts one to sell and one to buy. Possibly have their buddies/ coconspirators drive up the prices on their auctions. If their buddy wins then they keep the card and resell it again until it “auctions” for their price.

Could that $400 price area also be the market price for a 1989 UD Griffey PSA10? Am I missing sarcasm?

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Also an opening bid eliminates the danger of someone making and offer or using a buy it now.

This seller doesn't offer buy it now or best offer. Straight auction.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

There was an instance of this bidder placing a bid less than a minute after the item was listed. I know of no app or alert, that informs you that quickly of an item being listed. If there is one...what is it?

I was just listing cards the other night and very shortly (not sure if it was under a minute, but it could have been) I start getting emails about offers to buy 5 things I just listed.

[Fballguy]

Originally Posted by hcv123

I was just listing cards the other night and very shortly (not sure if it was under a minute, but it could have been) I start getting emails about offers to buy 5 things I just listed.

A one off situation I could maybe understand. But every listing the guy puts out there? How does he know so quickly? Unless he spends his days and nights hitting the refresh button on his search results every 10 seconds, not sure how you'd accomplish that.

[Tim Zwick]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

A one off situation I could maybe understand. But every listing the guy puts out there? How does he know so quickly? Unless he spends his days and nights hitting the refresh button on his search results every 10 seconds, not sure how you'd accomplish that.

The hyperbole by some here has gotten off the tracks. Jon Richmond is a straight shooter and long-time hobby dealer that does not deserve this crap. A simple sampling of the 95 items he has listed on eBay right now shows this whole thread is much ado about nothing.

I just went through the first 20 items listed via the "Best Match" feature and EXACTLY TWO ITEMS had an initial bid by so-called "Shill Bidder 523" albeit it was within five minutes and 11 minutes of their original start times. Far from "every listing this guy puts out there." Plus the guy makes an initial bid and then never bids again. Not my definition of shilling by a long shot. I'm not going through them all, that's more than enough of a sample size for me.

I get near immediate offers or sell things very quickly that I list all the time as Howard mentioned earlier. No surprise there. People's eBay trolling habits are not my concern or worth my time. If people really want to get their panties in a bunch, why not show some concern about the actual heathens in this hobby in the other threads on the first page instead of these useless, trumped up accusations about an honest guy?

[Fballguy]

I'm not accusing him of shill bidding...I'm just wondering how someone gets alerted so quickly so consistently. I don't see much advantage in being the first bidder immediately after an item is listed in auction format, but if an item is put up with buy it now, that could come in handy.

And if you only found 2, how did I find 10? And I found many more than 10, I just got tired after 10. There is no way you looked at 20 and only found 2. 48% of this persons bids are with this seller and he placed nearly 200 bids in the last 30 days. You must've been very unlucky in your research.

[Tim Zwick]

Originally Posted by Fballguy

I'm not accusing him of shill bidding...I'm just wondering how someone gets alerted so quickly so consistently. I don't see much advantage in being the first bidder immediately after an item is listed in auction format, but if an item is put up with buy it now, that could come in handy.

And if you only found 2, how did I find 10? And I found many more than 10, I just got tired after 10. There is no way you looked at 20 and only found 2. 48% of this persons bids are with this seller and he placed nearly 200 bids in the last 30 days. You must've been very unlucky in your research.

Better think about changing the title then - first you're slamming an honest seller and now you're calling me a liar. Quite the shovel you've got there Rob. The link I used to eBay is at the top of this page - click the "see other items" link on the listing page to all his auction items (just taking the tools provided us). Check my work - it's 2 for 20, unless you're too tired.

Not sure what for and why do you care so much? He still bids once and never bids again on the two items I found. What's the big deal? Who knows, every once in awhile the guy may get lucky and win an item - no harm in that is there? I used to deliver to a store that had new eBay listings just rolling up on his computer as they were newly listed almost like a stock ticker. Don't know how he did it or how he had it set up like that, didn't really care. Apparently you do and are willing to tarnish an honest seller's reputation in the process.

[Fballguy]

Well Tim...This isn't my thread so not my title to change. If that's indicative of your attention to detail, I guess we know why you only found two.

If there's an app out there that would alert me as soon as my favorite sellers lists an item, I'd like to have that.