Up and up on eBay

[Thomas Linton]

This is the second time through on this Case "Finn." First time was the same pattern of bidding, especially by 0***s(38), up to $416 by that bidder, IIRC, but no one topped him that time. Then it was relisted. And here was the second time:

l***l(304) $406.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:00:41PM PDT

o***s(38) $401.00 20 Oct 2017 at 1:05:23PM PDT

o***s(38) $370.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:29:32PM PDT

o***s(38) $360.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:29:26PM PDT

o***s(38) $345.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:29:18PM PDT

o***s(38) $335.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:28:51PM PDT

o***s(38) $305.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:28:46PM PDT

o***s(38) $290.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:28:39PM PDT

o***s(38) $260.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:25:08PM PDT

o***s(38) $250.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:25:03PM PDT

o***s(38) $235.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:25:01PM PDT

o***s(38) $220.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:24:50PM PDT

o***s(38) $201.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:24:36PM PDT

o***s(38) $178.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:23:36PM PDT

o***s(38) $163.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:23:32PM PDT

o***s(38) $148.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:23:13PM PDT

o***s(38) $140.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:23:08PM PDT

o***s(38) $135.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:23:02PM PDT

o***s(38) $120.00 20 Oct 2017 at 12:22:48PM PDT

o***s(38) $105.00 20 Oct 2017 at 10:57:55AM PDT

l***l(304) $100.00 20 Oct 2017 at 10:50:18AM PDT

o***s(38) $96.00 20 Oct 2017 at 10:26:06AM PDT

l***l(304) $95.00 20 Oct 2017 at 10:50:04AM PDT

So Mr. o***s, having taken the lead, rasied his maximum every few minutes, from $95 to $401.00. Was he happy to get "beat" this time around?

 

[JJHollowman]

If it was a friend bidding to bump his buddy (the sellers) end selling price, heck yes he was. Obvious scammery one way or the other.

 

[hhmoore]

Seems more like he was chasing the price & gave up, based on the timestamps.

 

[Heirphoto]

Or they placed a high proxy bid early and it got bumped repeatedly as others bid against it.

 

[Thomas Linton]

No, these were actual amount bid, not automatic proxy bids pursuant to that authority. The shill -- err, friend -- was entering higher and higher amounts.

 

[OhLeever]

That's how max bids work. But yes, someone is obviously bumping the bid in small increments. But ultimately no one knows except for the seller and the bidder doing those bids.

You could try complaining to eBay to see if he's doing fraudulent activities. If it's always the same schill -- err, user, it may warrant some type of punishment.

 

[Thomas Linton]

eBay does not care so long as they get their cut.

Every day we reason to what we think are logical conclusions from circumstantial evidence. You see muddy footprints in your house and items are missing, you conclude some person was in your house and stole the missing items.

Shill bidding x 2. Second time, it worked for the seller.

 

[GotSteel]

I haven't had much experience with shill bidders and I wonder how much it really occurs anymore, I have actually been accused of it when I sent someone a 2nd offer once lol The problem shill bidding creates for a seller is having the fees dumped on them if they're the final bidder.. so unless they're very sure of the value or just trying to get the party started with a few low bids I don't really think it'd be sustainable

 

[Thomas Linton]

I follow your logic, I think.

But neither is bank robbery a realistic business plan. You are lucky to get $2,000 (average is just over $1,500. Since no one much cashes pay checks on Friday, banks have little cash in the tills.), the FBI gets on your case (60% conviction but up to 73% in some areas), and the federal system has no parole - you do every day of the sentence, typically 15 up to 25 for first offense armed (or pretending to be armed) bank robbery, if no one is kidnapped or seriously hurt. Figure the cost/benefit of bank robbin' considering better than 50/50 convicted for 15-25 years in return for the equivalent of a month's pay flipping burgers + the chance to be shot. And yet the larcenous soul - and/or drug addiction - drives people to rob banks over ten times a day. . .