Thread: Ebay Case Study: Shilling

This ebay shiller, err i mean seller has 3 current razor auctions (6595633069 6595637167 6595639802) all of them having the initial bid from two zero bidders- both just registered on the day the auction was made (ystfrk3, and 50acehigh.) A certain zerofeedback, 8 day old member named p1mm have also placed a bid. I smell something fishy here and it’s prolly not the tuna logo on the eskilstuna razor.

Of course I simply just might be too suspicious but…What’s your call guys? Is there something wrong with the picture? (I’m not interested in bidding so if any of you guys want to bid feel free to do so lolz, I just thought that we might have a healthy discussion dissecting this one)

I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next guy, but the items you mentioned have only garnered bids of a few measily dollars. Still, I would trust my instincts if I were you. My BS meter has seldom let me down.

When dealing with ebay, I tend to only deal with known quantities. There are a few guys that consistently give great service, and their names become well known. Ask around, and you'll probably get the real deal on anyone plying their trade. I'd rather wait for one of my "favorites" to list something I'm interested in than jump on a seeming bargain, which, in the long run, may prove to be anything but.

Good luck, and caveat emptor.

I sold an item to an eBay user w/ 6 transactions just last week. The auction went about as normal as any other auction that I've seen. After his item was received in the mail, he posted feedback stating that I increased the bid in the last 10 seconds of the auction. As far as auctioning goes, I have no purpose to increase bidding on an item and I feel that I'm an honest person to start with. Bottom line, because this guy didn't know how eBay works, I get the short end of the stick. Be careful of what you're saying about other people, especially when it's their "reputation" that's in question.

You may be right about the shilling. I've run into a few that I was suspicios of. You can still bid on it. Place a bid for the highest amount you'd pay, then don't bid again. If he's shilling and outbids you, at the end of the auction you might get a email for a "Ebay second chance deal" from the seller willing to sell you the item for your highest bid. This has happened to me on many occasions (though not all these sellers were shilling, some had bidders who backed out after winning). Then you still have the option of dealing with him or not.

I agree with Richard on this one. Just set your max bid and don't engage in a bidding war at the end of the auction.