Possible Jail for EBAYER - BEWARE!!!

soolin

Jackinbox99 wrote: »

Thats a very good point actually. Ive been to live auctions before where im bidding against the auctioneers imaginary friend. Usually its when theres a reserve on the item or its an item the auctioneer doenst want to let go at a low price.

I must go to some very honest auctions then as i've never seen that. They either bid against a bid left on the book or against a reserve.

NeverInDebt

Its fraud, it bumps the price up so they make more money.

I hope he does go to jail sends a clear message it should not be tolerated

How he can say he didnt think its criminal bidding on your own sales is well a pack of lies. He also sold the mini bus which had been clocked

arriva wrote: »

honestly even though shill bidding is an annoying practice I don't think it is to be considered as a criminal offence.
As I wrote on a similar post, nobody can force you to pay more than what you want to spend... The max amount of your bid is the highest price you are willing to pay for, not a penny more! If you get carried away while bidding it's your fault. Alcohol and gambling have the same effect to you? Just stay away.

Then what next? Driving ban for late shipping...? Ur children taken into custody because you unscrew the fabric conditioner cap for a quick sniff...?

patman99

Strangely, it's not illegal to lower the mileage on a car, only to sell it without letting potential buyers know that the mileage has been altered.

soolin

patman99 wrote: »

Strangely, it's not illegal to lower the mileage on a car, only to sell it without letting potential buyers know that the mileage has been altered.

You watched the same programme I did then..I didn't know that until I saw a programme where they had to actually get the seller to accept money for a clocked car. Merely proving the car was clocked was not an offence.

One of those things that I never knew.

macfly

They are letting viloent criminals out early as the gaols are full. Prison for a bit of shilling? Not got my vote.
Anyone who sees an auctioneer taking invisible bids is going to the wrong auctions. They would get torn to pieces in Manchester.

rizla01

NeverInDebt wrote: »

Its fraud, it bumps the price up so they make more money.

I hope he does go to jail sends a clear message it should not be tolerated

How he can say he didnt think its criminal bidding on your own sales is well a pack of lies. He also sold the mini bus which had been clocked

How on earth can it be regarded as fraud when the original buyer sets the price that he is prepared to pay and ends up paying just that???

No one is making him bid more, are they?

If buyer 2 comes along then he will still end up paying the same so what is the difference?

Naughty practice admittedly and against yet another of Ebay's 'Rules' ---- but hardly fraud.

No more than people hunting out the deals that have no bids on them and at the very last second, 'Stealing' them for 0.99p IMO.

soolin

rizla01 wrote: »

Naughty practice admittedly and against yet another of Ebay's 'Rules' ---- but hardly fraud.
.

A criminal offence though as per your original post. On th eother hand bidding start price at last minute and winning an item for 99p is not illegal.

He told the court at that hearing that he did not realise bidding on his own items - which included a pie and pasty warmer priced at £127 - was a criminal offence.

rizla01

A criminal offence though as per your original post. On th eother hand bidding start price at last minute and winning an item for 99p is not illegal.

Hi Soolin. True but should it carry a penalty of £50,000.00?. How can anyone take that seriously?

Anyway, Trading Standards probably only stepped in because of his 'clocking vehicles' practice.

Also, business sellers are taken to court by TS but who will take 'Joe bloggs' to court? Fleabay? Private individuals can only take CIVIL action but this isn't civil any more.

Can you honestly see the Police using taxpayers money in persuit of a Shill bidder? Aren't they better served catching REAL crims.

macfly wrote: »

They are letting viloent criminals out early as the gaols are full. Prison for a bit of shilling? Not got my vote.
Anyone who sees an auctioneer taking invisible bids is going to the wrong auctions. They would get torn to pieces in Manchester.

Common practice my freind.

Bids off the Chandelier" or "Off the wall"

If the bidding has stopped more than one increment below the reserve, the auctioneer can then take a bid off the chandelier on behalf of the vendor.
This is specified in the conditions of the auction and allows the auctioneer to sell the property at the reserve. The bids are not from anyone in the auction room but made by the auctioneer so the property will reach reserve and sell at auction.
If the auctioneer is good at this you will not be able to tell that he did it. If he is not that good you may be able to judge that the bid was made by the auctioneer and there is no competition other than the vendor and so act accordingly.

ICATQ

If it comes down to intent, then they have to prove it....

RFW

soolin wrote: »

I must go to some very honest auctions then as i've never seen that. They either bid against a bid left on the book or against a reserve.

Its not always that easy to notice, I can think of a couple of auction houses that deliberately lay out the saleroom so that all the saleroom is only visible to the auctioneer and not other buyers.

Most auction houses have it put in their conditions of sale, something along the lines of "the auctioneer reserves the right to bid on behalf of the vendor". There's also the auctioneer buying an item that sells for a low price and then putting it in the next auction.

I can't recall any auctioneer being prosecuted for shill bidding, it is usually extremely difficult to prove, absentee bidder being an easy excuse.