A note about apparent shill bidding

[Topnotchsy]

I have something similar in an item I consigned to PWCC. One bidder (who does have quite a few retractions to his name) has bid on an item about 30 times, and he and another bidder are in a bit of a bidding war. On one hand I'm happy they are bidding, but on the other hand if I looked at the bidding history as a potential buyer I would question it (particularly since it is a consigned item.) I am not connected to any of the bidders (in case that wasn't obvious) and am a little concerned in case someone might retract their bid or something...

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Topnotchsy

I have something similar in an item I consigned to PWCC. One bidder (who does have quite a few retractions to his name) has bid on an item about 30 times, and he and another bidder are in a bit of a bidding war. On one hand I'm happy they are bidding, but on the other hand if I looked at the bidding history as a potential buyer I would question it (particularly since it is a consigned item.) I am not connected to any of the bidders (in case that wasn't obvious) and am a little concerned in case someone might retract their bid or something...

Yeah I just found out my bidder has 13 retractions in the last 6 months. Now I don't know whether or not to cancel his bids. I can't risk this item not selling. Now I remember why I went to fixed price sales...

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Just found out something that's astounding to me. As a seller I don't have access to his canceled bid info! If I click on the bid history of the item I get a page with actual user names and if I click on those it takes me to his feedback page. That would explain why PWCC and the like don't weed these idiots out. Even if they had time to look at the bid history on 20,000 items it wouldn't tell them about the cancellations. Why wouldn't that info be available to the sellers???!!!

[dodgerfanjohn]

Attempting to find the "top" is one of the more useless auction behaviors I've noticed. However people do it, and it's one of those behaviors that people do exhibit.

[Billy5858]

Originally Posted by dodgerfanjohn

Attempting to find the "top" is one of the more useless auction behaviors I've noticed. However people do it, and it's one of those behaviors that people do exhibit.

+1 Some people have strange OCDs

[swarmee]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Just found out something that's astounding to me. As a seller I don't have access to his canceled bid info! If I click on the bid history of the item I get a page with actual user names and if I click on those it takes me to his feedback page. That would explain why PWCC and the like don't weed these idiots out. Even if they had time to look at the bid history on 20,000 items it wouldn't tell them about the cancellations. Why wouldn't that info be available to the sellers???!!!

It is. They just have to open up the auction in a different browser not logged in through their selling account. Or they could just CONVINCE EBAY TO ELIMINATE THESE BIDDERS, since they're in eBay's ear about how to improve the platform... but they have asked us message board dudes to inform them in the case of bizarre bidding and they have and will check it out.