Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Hey everyone,

I have noticed that some users are using some other IDs to push up prices of items, is this allowed, I thought it was not.

is there a link to report this sort of thing?

I don't want to seem like a spoil sport, but this sort of thing is not right, why should sellers get away with this?

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Report it as I don't think it's allowed to have two accounts simply for the reason you have come across. Should be an abuse@ebay sort of email adress to report it to, they can check the IP addresses of both accounts to see what is going on.

---------- Post added at 19:31 ---------- Previous post was at 19:27 ----------

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/policie...l-bidding.html might be what you need

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

It isn't allowed at all and they shouldnt get away with it.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

This is one thing that has gone on for ages and is really bad.
Report the listing and I'm sure Ebay can check to see if it's the same IP, etc. and deal with it.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

thenks guys,

I know it goes on, cause a guy I work with does this.......

but I bought an item the other day
and I noticed that the bidder was slightly pushing me further, but he had only one item purchased, which was from the seller I was buying from, nothing untoward, yet.... but I noticed that he retracted about 10 different bids, he would bid £12 then £14 then £16 then retract them to add in a bid of £20 then £22 then retract and add £26 and so on.

the person bidding against me, had been an ebay memeber for 1 month, and already retracted £2,900 in that time, and that this bidder always bids on the same sellers stuff, so I very much suspect that they know each other and are forcing up prices in the bids.

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

its called shill bidding and ebay do have this against their rules.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

I make a habit of reporting all dodgy activity to ebay. They are very good at following up on these sort of things and you even sometimes get personal thank you emails back from ebay staff :)

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

if/when I get my item, I may put on the feedback, that they shill bid......

or should I just let ebay deal with it?

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Let ebay deal with it, youll only get negative feedback back.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

common practice I am afraid of course it can backfire on them if they win their own auction.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

they have already gave me feedback, I have not gave them feedback as I have not got the item.

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

go for it then! if you want a second opinion pm me the ebay ID and I'll give you my thoughts.

---------- Post added at 20:47 ---------- Previous post was at 20:30 ----------

yeah I recon that bidder is shilling.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Can they not still reply to your feedback? I know they probably already gave you thumbs up but might be able to come up with something that makes you out as a bad ebayer. Is it worth it?

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

their reply to his feedback wont affect his score. just be careful with what words you use - ie. i would say 'i think this ebayer is shilling' rather than 'this ebayer is shilling'.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

....IP address: but if it happens to be NTL users they might go through the same proxy giving a false reading that it's the same user?

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

You may find odd behaviour from peple using "reward sites" if ebay haven't put a stop to the abuse.

Where a reward site gave 3p each time you used the affiliate link and made a bid (had to be over-reserve, but didn't need to be successful), you got people making multiple bids against a proxy.

I admit to doing it some time back, only on items that I would be prepared to win at the price I bid them to, though extremely unlikely to win - and risking more than one "open" at a time.

Got fed up chasing links, when it got harder to collect them - at one time, I was chasing a target, and doing the maximum number of Kelkoo, Pricerunner, and as many ebay bids as I could find "safe" items for.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/KOI-GOLDFISH_W...QQcmdZViewItem

Almost as bad as this guy

Yer, wonder why. ******!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Depends how ebay have coded the software. This forum (for example) logs both Proxy and actual IPs..

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

But that doesnt stop someone creating the auction at home and then pushing the prices up from work ;)

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

an ebay member did it to me once - trying to gazump me towards the end of the bidding. I decided I wasn't interested towards the end and they ended up winning it :dozey: then that person came straight back to me and asked if i wanted to buy it back off them "off ebay" :(

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

True, it doesn't. Unless the member in question has been careless enough to log in to both accounts at home and at work.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Eh... I get my mates to bid up my items... Cant track that now can you!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

A few people i know have asked me to bid on their item to just below the reserve so it looks like theres some interest, which I've done and I don't see much wrong with that.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Here is a good tip if you think someone is shill bidding.

Do an advanced search - items by bidder. Make sure to include completed listings, and tick "Even if not the high bidder". Then sort by the seller.

You can then see which items they have bidded on from which sellers. You can draw your own conclusions if there are a lot of bids to one seller.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

morally wrong, against ebay rules and totally ****es me off!

:monkey:

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

No offence but if your not willing to pay then dont buy. I dont see what is wrong with pushing up the price of your auction, if its still worth it, you will still buy it.

Why should you get a bargain at my expence?

If Ebays pricing structure was less expensive to actually put in what you want for the item then i might have gone about it that way. However, by setting a buy it now or a higher starting price this costs more that a 0.01p aution start price, so i do this to get round the pricing structure and get what my item is worth.

On top of this you have the rediculos paypal fees which a seller has to pay so no offence to you but i wll be dammed if im handing out bargains at my expence.

You want it - pay for it - its still your choice.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

if you cant live by the ebay rules then dont use it.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

You could argue the other side of that coin being if you can't afford to let it go cheap, don't sell it on eBay?

I thought that the whole point of eBay was to get bargains? :confused:

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

I think i will just have to live with the guilt unfortunately!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

There is only 50p difference between listing something at £29.99 than listing it at £0.01. Does it not cost you more than that if you win your own auction?

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

When i push the price up - i dont push it up more than its worth, that would be daft, i simply push it up to within around 10% lower than the price im after.

I've never bumped up an auction for 29.99 but when your trying to flog 3 or 400 quids worth of gear in an auction then i do.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

It only costs £2.00 to insert at over £100. Hardly overly expensive to put it on at the value you want.

If you bump an auction at 10% less then £400 and it doesn't sell you'd be a lot more than £2.00 out of pocket.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Never happened! :shrug:

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

well I am sorry BR, but if people want to sell on ebay, and want a certain price for it, then put a reserve on it.

dont use people to push up prices, how would you like it if you were going for a house, and you found out that you kept putting your offer up so that you get the house, only to find out it was the real estate agent fleecing you
(ok not the best analogy, but you get the general idea.)

it is against their terms and conditions, and you agreed to abide by them when you signed up.

I am not saying I am a saint, but when I am clearly getting fleeced over something, I do get slightly miffed.

I reported the 2 of the culprits, we will see what ebay does.

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Try this http://auctionpix.co.uk/shill_bidding.php it keeps me right!!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

reserve adds fair bit to listing cost I would guess thats why, also garantuees nothing as peopel can still bid below it and result in non sale.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

I think etccarmageddon summed it up perfectly ^

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

If I didnt use everything where I didnt like the rules then I wouldnt be taking part in anything and would also need to leave this country as I dont like some laws, we all just have to live with it.

Bids get pushed up, but if you still got something within the max price you would pay then whats so bad, counting pennies? I dont do the selling fake bidder thing but it isnt the end of the world.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Nice link, I may well try that...

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

You'll need firefox w/ greasymonkey It may work with Trixie

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

looks like Ebay found that the two people were shill bidding, one is no longer registered as an ebay member.

ik

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Nice to hear :)

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

good news. one good point with ebay is they do take action!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Unless you get ripped off!

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

So it's possible to easily up a bid via another IP ?

I could do this with ease with a couple of Class Cs at my disposal...

HOLY CRAP I'm an ebay newb I made a serious bid today for the first time ever !
My first ebay experience and it wasnt a happy one....

10seconds til the auction ending and I thought I had won then this happened....

roshcam( 487Feedback score is 100 to 499) £31.50 18-Dec-06 14:59:53 GMT
jeanlea0( 394Feedback score is 100 to 499) £30.50 18-Dec-06 14:59:49 GMT
memory1trade( 47Feedback score is 10 to 49) £27.01 18-Dec-06 14:59:48 GMT

WTF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What happened there ? Are there plugins that these guys are using or is that all automated by ebay ?

I'm confused

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Alot of people bid at the last minute deliberatly either manually or using software, I seen a few apps that automate last minute bidding.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Erm Class C as in private? Hang on no that'd show up as the router you're behind.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Lol ermm no. Real public addresses

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

People (including me) do this CRC, i always bid only on items at the very last minute as it usually guarantees that i get the item for less money unless the original bidder has bid more than my final amount.

In which case i dont get tempted to bid again at a higher level than i was originally intending to pay.

I've not seen anything that does this automatically though..

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

I'm suprised there is not something out there to this :

Looking at these :

http://www.jbidwatcher.com/ looks very promising and being java will be easy to hack for also

others :

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/549/
which is a port of : http://www.bid-o-matic.org/hp/screen.php

---------- Post added at 19:10 ---------- Previous post was at 19:07 ----------

From http://www.jbidwatcher.com/

Now thats what I'm talking about : And I should be able to run this from my low latency connection...

# Sniping

The program defaults to 30 seconds, which is not a bad idea if you're on a dialup, but is way too long if you're on an always-on fast connection. If you have DSL or a Cable Modem, you can bring it down to 10-15 seconds. Lower, and it might not get the snipe in time, but you get the opportunity to get that brag-worthy 1-2 second snipes. :) I have had snipes fire at 2 seconds on a really good speed link. I have had reports of 3 second snipes working on Cable Modems. I'm still a wimp, and snipe at 10 seconds most of the time, over my slow home DSL (144K), and recommend that you not try and be too impressive. Getting the bid in, is more important than getting it in the absolute last second.

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

There is automatic software out there (but of course I'm not going to tell you what it is am I) .

Suffice it say that it's called sniping... and is not on AFAIC.....

Re: Ebay: sellers using other IDs to push up prices
 

Dont worry looks like I'm a happy ebayer now ;)