Shilling - What do I do?

bobmats_shel

Originally Posted by bestyman
This low life thief started the auction at 99p but had put a reserve of £60 on the item, because of this I had to bid £61 to win the item.

Might be an idea to read the thread. There wasn't a reserve, the item was shilled up, forcing the buyer to increase her bid, therefore inflating the price.

Moglex

bobmats_shel wrote:

Might be an idea to read the thread. There wasn't a reserve, the item was shilled up, forcing the buyer to increase her bid, therefore inflating the price.

Woooosh !!!

Moglex

bobmats_shel wrote:

I'm a responsible adult. I expect people to be the same. I expect people who shill to be thrown off ebay. I expect ebayers to abide by the rules.

apparently I expect too much. Maybe I should slap a badge on and start patrolling my neighbourhood too!

But you are not a responsible adult, are you?

You can't take the simple step of deciding how much an item is worth to you and bidding on it without whining and starting up with outpourings or self righteous indignation when you think that you might have paid more than was strictly necessary.

I don't think a single person on this thread has said that shilling is acceptable. Not one.

What people have said is that only people who are too stupid or too capricious to make a responsible decsion about what they are prepared to pay for something will be affected.

davilown

Ok then, have there been shill bids against this item?
http://www.auctionpix.co.uk/shill/260005442733.html
Would love to know so I can go get a refund off the seller!

:beer: monster

mishkanorman

So Moglex, do you use shilling on your ebay sales ??

In most cases I dont think that buyers wouldn't bother to complain, but as in the case of the OP inflating a price by twice what it could have gone for is just greed. Of course there is nothing to say that if she hadnt meddled it wouldn't have gone up to £60 anyway, but she took a chance and 'cheated' so its her tough luck.

I wouldn't report her in this case but just keep half an eye on her next sales and if she is still doing it send her an email pointing out she clearly hasnt learnt her lesson and then report her. Of course it means ebay would actually have to agree with you before any action is taken, is there any chance you are wrong ??

I always bid with a maximum in mind, and its never really occured to me that i may be forced up to that unneccessarily, but if I was I would feel robbed as well. just because people cant see that there are being conned doesnt make it acceptable to do it.


mishka

Altarf

bestyman wrote:

Help , Help.
I have been robbed by a fraudulant ebayer who should be locked up .
I paid £61 for an item that was only worth £30.
This low life thief started the auction at 99p but had put a reserve of £60 on the item, because of this I had to bid £61 to win the item. What a scam the item was only worth £30.
I think all things on ebay should be free or at most 99p. Getting a bargain is a basic human right.
Bestyman

Ever thought of actually reading a post before commenting on it

Moglex wrote:

What people have said is that only people who are too stupid or too capricious to make a responsible decsion about what they are prepared to pay for something will be affected.

I think the "Woooosh !!!" is more appropriate to you.

What you have failed to see is that it is ebay's proxy bidding system is works in favour or the criminal shill bidder. If I put in a proxy bid of £20 then I am happy to pay that if that is what it takes to obtain it over other genuine bidders.

The fact is there are no other genuine bidders and the seller has to commit a criminal act to force the price up to £20. Whatever the difference between what I would have paid and what they have forced the price up to they have stolen.

If a seller wants £20 with no risk that it sells for less they have the choice of starting it at £20 or not selling on ebay.

It is unlikely that I would fall victim to a shill bidder as I always snipe, but if a seller ever did manage to defraud me by using a shill bidder I would report it to the police. Yes I am fully aware of the response I would likely get from the civilian staff on the counter, but I don't accept no for an answer easily.

Sellers who shill bid are crooks, it is simple as that.

Moglex

mishkanorman wrote:

So Moglex, do you use shilling on your ebay sales ??

If you'd actually read this thread, you'd see that:

1) I don't sell on ebay.

2) I don't think shilling is accptable.

I don't think shilling is acceptable because it's against the rules and it upsets people.

However, I wish people would learn to take responsibility for their own actions instead of coming on here and whining.

In the first place, decide if there is shilling going on BEFORE you bid on something*

In the second place, make your decision about what an item is worth to you on the basis of what the item is and how much you want it, not what you think someone else might or might not pay for it.

Then, take responsibility for the decision you've made. Simple.

* There is of course a possibility that you might get shilled after you have placed a bid (i.e. your bid is automatically increased as a result of a shill).

mishkanorman

Moglex, if you stopped for a second you might realise it was meant as A JOKE !!!

The OP wasn't whining, just asking for help, lets hope to god you never need any on here or people may retaliate and throw little digs at you. Why did you make it so personal, disagree with someone sure but you went a bit far, hence the 'joke' it was meant lighten the situation not give you another person to hit out at.

mishka

Moglex

Altarf wrote:

Ever thought of actually reading a post before commenting on it

Oh dear. Yet another poster who does not undertand satire.

Yes, bestyman was being satirical. His target being people who will not take responsibility for their own action and come here and whine about paying what they said they were prepared to pay, or that the cost of the stamps on the packet weren't what they were charged for postage.

I think the "Woooosh !!!" is more appropriate to you.

I'm sure you do. Since you didn't understand the fact that bestyman's post was satire you obviously wouldn't have understood the "wooosh" :rolleyes:

What you have failed to see

I haven't failed to see anything. I know exactly how the bidding system works. I also known that as a mature and responsible adlult, a person should be able to determine what thery feel an item is worth to them, and pay that if they win the auction.

Rather than make a decision about the worth of the item and then come on here grizzeling and whining that they don't see why they should pay what they said they would pay.

Take responsibility for your own actions!

... works in favour or the criminal shill bidder.

Do you actually have any evidence that shill bidding is illegal in the UK?

It is not an area of the law with which I am familair but on googling I can only find reference to a couple of convictions in foreign courts.

Several people have asserted that it's a criminal offence, but unless someone can come up with some evidence to support that view I will consider it to be nothing more than a ploy to dupe the feeble minded - rather like a great many other advertising stunts.

Whatever the difference between what I would have paid and what they have forced the price up to they have stolen.

What a load of nonsense.

You willingly stated you were prepared to pay the amount and that's what you were charged. Then you start whining.

... if a seller ever did manage to defraud me by using a shill bidder I would report it to the police.

Well, I'd just do a little check to make sure it actually is illegal in the UK, otherwise you might just be providing some free entertainment for the staff at the police station.

Moglex

mishkanorman wrote:

Moglex, if you stopped for a second you might realise it was meant as A JOKE !!!

The OP wasn't whining, just asking for help, lets hope to god you never need any on here or people may retaliate and throw little digs at you. Why did you make it so personal, disagree with someone sure but you went a bit far, hence the 'joke' it was meant lighten the situation not give you another person to hit out at.

Actually, sweetheart, I think this whole thing's a big joke.

A lot of people who are not prepared to take responsibility for their own decisions getting their knickers in an almighty twist, and ranting on about 'criminal' shillers.

If people grew up and started acceping responsibility for their decsions we wouldn't even have this thread.

The only reason I replied to your 'joke' was that a lot of people only read half the thread, and your question could well have caused someone to infer that I actually approved of shilling.