Auction Houses and blind bidding

[Fred]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

Let me state upfront that I have never sold anything on eBay, but I would think the only people you would "catch" shilling their own auctions would be the very stupid or the very lazy. I mean, an account with "0" or "1" feedback or nearly 100 percent bidding pattern with one seller is bound to set off red flags.

Seems like it would be obvious and very easy to cover your tracks when shilling on eBay simply by buying and bidding on other cards besides your own.

Unfortunately, there is the "friends" with high feedback buddy system going on also. I've had "friends" ask me to "bump" up a bid on an auction. I've only done it a couple of times because I figured if I won it at the price that was bid I could turn around and sell it for a profit, otherwise I've told these "friends" that I wouldn't do it. My ebay feedback is clean (500+) and the positive feedbacks (no negs, neutrals) makes it look even better. I've also have had "friends" ask me to bump up their bids in major auction house auctions. Same rule applies, if it looks like I could turn a tidy profit at the bid then I'd do it, otherwise, no way.

My guess is there are people that will give their "friends" a boost even if it looks like the bidding may be topped out. I'm just not wired that way. I don't feel it's right to bump somehting that, IMO, may already have hit its peak.

I'm not saying this is the rule but it wouldn't surprise me if this happened more often that most people suspect.