Help required - stung by shill bidder!!!

missimaxo · 20 July 2006 at 3:21PM

Please help me.

I have been looking for a pair of shoes for my wedding and bid on some, I put in a £9.99 bid and then lost in the last seconds at £16.00. I had prerviously contacted the seller to check some details of the shoes, so I think she knew I wanted them.

As soon as they finished I recieved a 2nd chance offer - Yippee I thought, the offer was for £15. Now I know this is not major money, so I committed to buy, but then something in my mind popped up - check this.

So I checked the bidder who had bid against me - beer-money-pockets, low and behold, he only ever bids on items by nats18 the seller of the shoes.

Now, I really want the shoes, but I feel ripped off. Do I report her as a shill bidder? Do I ask her to sell at £9.99 and threaten to report her if she won't. Do I recieve a non-paying bidder strike if I refuse to buy them?

What do I do?

Thanks

Tina

*Louise* · 20 July 2006 at 3:31PM

Personally, I just wouldn't buy them - I hate shill bidders and refuse to purchase from them.

I would email to say I suspected them of shill bidding, give details why and wait for their reply.

BUT...if you say you really want them - then you're probably best to say nothing , accept the second chance offer, but don't leave any feedback.

rose_sparky · 20 July 2006 at 3:31PM

Hi missimax, I feel so sorry for you, it sort of takes the edge off it doesn't it? I am sure that the last two items I bid on (and lost) were helped along by shill bidders.

As for advice, there's experienced people on here that can help/advise you. Personally I'd have to email her and somehow hint that you've noticed the bidding by the other person and see what she replies.

M!ke · 20 July 2006 at 3:34PM

If you really want the shoes, wait till you recieve them so that you have got them, then report them, ok it probably wont affect you if you report them but at least you will save someone else from being scammed

kingshir · 20 July 2006 at 3:52PM

Am very ignorant so please forgive my question

I can see what a shill bidder is, but how did the name come about?

frivolous_fay · 20 July 2006 at 4:01PM

Definition and word origin here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill_bidding

I was offered a 2nd chance offer on an item I suspected had been shilled. I asked them nicely why the winner was unable to complete the purchase only 20 minutes after winning... and didn't take up the 2nd chance.

kingshir · 20 July 2006 at 4:49PM

frivolous_fay wrote:

Definition and word origin here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill_bidding

I was offered a 2nd chance offer on an item I suspected had been shilled. I asked them nicely why the winner was unable to complete the purchase only 20 minutes after winning... and didn't take up the 2nd chance.

My thanks button isn't working so 'Thank You' for the explanation.

FloFlo · 20 July 2006 at 4:54PM

I thought that some 2nd chance offers are because the seller has more than one.

M!ke · 20 July 2006 at 4:58PM

FloFlo wrote:

I thought that some 2nd chance offers are because the seller has more than one.

A 2nd chance offer is where the auction is bidding and the person who won the bid doesnt pay so you can offer the item to any of the other bidders for the amount they placed a bid for.

frivolous_fay · 20 July 2006 at 5:02PM

M!ke wrote:

A 2nd chance offer is where the auction is bidding and the person who won the bid doesnt pay so you can offer the item to any of the other bidders for the amount they placed a bid for.

Sometimes this is a giveaway when a shill bidder has got carried away and accidentally won the auction.

It is also used where a seller has more than one item.

rdwarr · 20 July 2006 at 5:45PM

I see both suspected shill bidder (beer-money-pockets) and seller are in Hampshire. Not quite as bad as the "Shropshire Set" uncovered a couple of months back but should be reported all the same.