Shill bidding on e bay

[4F]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_10500000/newsid_10508900/10508913.stm

So it looks like that at last they are clamping down on this.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

£127 for a pie and pasty warmer!

I didn't realise it was against the law - er, not that I've done it myself of course, he hastily adds...

 

[swee'pea99]

The words 'token' and 'gesture' spring to mind. Simple fact is, the higher the final price, the more ebay make - which means not only do they have no vested interest in combating shill bidding, they have the precise opposite: a vested interest in not combating it. Sure, PR demands that they 'do something', but they won't actually do anything.

 

[tyred]

I'd be surprised if this didn't happen anyway. It happens often enough in real life auctions as well.

 

[BSRU]

I reported a guy for shill bidding on EBay a couple of months ago, within a few days he was gone. It was very obvious what he was doing, He was selling MD80 clones, he had about 10 for sale each day, every morning at about 4.30am each item would receive a bid that would always win as long as someone else bid more than a certain price, about £12. If he had just set a reserve or higher starting price then he would not have had problem.
Ebay should not allow bidders id's to be blanked out, this would stop the more stupid shill bidder.

 

[gbb]

Swee'peas right, i dont think ebay care, they're making more when it happens.
It used to be easy to identify (if you knew where to look), but now auctions dont display the bidders ID, its almost impossible to track. Well done ebay

Reported a few myself in the past, its so annoying wanting an item, then realising a bid is local to the seller...do a bit of homework....easy to spot shillers