question about shill bidding

[Last Visible Canary]

I had always thought that shill bidding was posting higher bids without the intention of winning the item, only meant to hike up the price. But I had always assumed that if the shill bidders price ended up being the high bid, he had to purchase the item or become a non paying bidder wich ebay would take action against if they could.

I just sold something on ebay, and the last bidder put in a high bid that was above the last bidders price, and then retracted it. If the winning bid was set before the retracted high bid was placed, it should have been 576$ (1$ above the last highest unretracted bid), but instead was 585$.


So, after having been told by another ebay member that I apprently need to hire better shill bidders who "cover their tracks" - Is it actually ebays policy to raise the highest bidders price to their highest bid after a bid retraction like that rather then returning the bid to its original number as though the retraction had never taken place (in this case 576$)?

If so - thats retarded.



an example - If an item is selling for 25$ to bidder A, and Bidder C bids 250$. Their highest bid becomes 26$ to Bidder C.

Now comes the "shill bidder" who puts in a bid of 2,000$, and then instantly retracts it. Will Bidder C's bid become 250$ even though the shill bidders bid was retracted?

again - if thats the case thats rediculous.....

 

[stevengregory]

an example - If an item is selling for 25$ to bidder A, and Bidder C bids 250$. Their highest bid becomes 26$ to Bidder C.

Now comes the "shill bidder" who puts in a bid of 2,000$, and then instantly retracts it. Will Bidder C's bid become 250$ even though the shill bidders bid was retracted?

again - if thats the case thats rediculous.....

A shill bidder is someone who bids on behalf of the wellbeing or benefit of the seller. His/her role is to try to increase the bidding activity of other bidders for a hotly contested item. In the end, though, he/she doesn't want to end up as the highest bidder, the goal is just to drive the price up. Sometimes the shill bidder/seller combination ends up overdoing it and the seller ends up without a legitimate buyer.

In your case it sounds as if you had a bidder who bid a huge amount because he wanted the item in question, but changed his mind at the last moment, perhaps deciding that he didn't really have the money, or that he found a better deal somewhere. Your other bidder then assumed the bid retractor was your "lackey" shill bidder and thinks he was being manipulated. Incorrectly, I'm sure.

Ebay, in the hypothetical case you suggest, should treat the "shill" bidders bid as if it had never happened, if he retracts it. It should have no impact on previous bidding. If it did, contact eBay Customer Support and tell them what happened. The case you experienced makes your customers angry and you look like a cheat. That's unacceptable.

One way you can take care of this situation yourself is to offer the item to the last legitimate bidder at the price he would have paid if the retratctor had never bid. That would be up to you.

 

[Cougar Allen]