Posted By:
Julie Vognarwhen i found a card sitting at $120, I decided to test the waters. By the time I'd bid $255, and was still getting "sorry," I figured I didn't want to go any higher.
Then I started thinking about the poor sap who bid $300 as soon as he laid eyes on the card. I tossed and turned. "If only, "I thought, "I could RETRACT all those bids and leave him with his $120 card (+whatever others bid).
next morning, it was so easy. After carefully reading all the warnings, I pressed "retract," and every one of my bids disappeared (oh yes, i had to make up an excuse for what I did ("Card is too perfect. I think it may be trimmed.")
Then i sent the high bidder a brief e-mail (not through e-bay) telling him what I'd done, and that my reason for retraction was "pure bull," a asort of 'heads up."
He got the card for $128. He never wrote me, but, as you can imagine, the seller wrote me 4 or 5 times! I answered his first e-mail, and then I clammed up.
It sat on my record ("bid retraction") for 6 months.
There was no communication between me and high bidder, but I think you still call it 'bid shielding." Anyway, I'm an outlaw.
They say confession is good for the soul. I'm not sure, when all you sellers come down on me, I'm going to feel that way!
Maybe you'll get me kicked off--the board, e-bay. Maybe it would be just as well.