Have I been shilled?

chickaroonee

I've been outbid on something that I wanted to buy to sell on - I'd bid the most I was prepared to pay so wasn't going to bid again. I've just had a look at the listing, and it says that the new bidder has 100% bid activity with this seller (over a few auctions).

That's shilling isn't it? I used to see it easily when names were not anonymous, so forgive me if I'm missing something obvious.

Crowqueen

chickaroonee wrote: »

I've been outbid on something that I wanted to buy to sell on - I'd bid the most I was prepared to pay so wasn't going to bid again. I've just had a look at the listing, and it says that the new bidder has 100% bid activity with this seller (over a few auctions).

That's shilling isn't it? I used to see it easily when names were not anonymous, so forgive me if I'm missing something obvious.

It might not be but check to see whether the auctions they have bid on are a diverse lot or whether they are, say, a whole range of stuff like stamps or postcards or collectables that might genuinely attract that sort of bidding pattern.

If they have bid on postcard A, postcard B, postcard C and that's it, chances are it's not necessarily shilling, because they could just have been browsing on that seller's list of items and decided to stick with that particular person.

If they bid on shoes A, kitchen appliance B, watch C, DVD D and beauty set E, then chances are, yes, it's shilling, because the chances of someone wanting that kind of diverse range of items from one particular seller are smaller.

Blatant shillers usually also give themselves away by repeat buyers leaving only feedback for them and no-one else, or the seller being the only person to give a repeat buyer feedback (and now eBay count feedback from repeat buyers every week this means a shilling ID could plausibly have feedback in the hundreds and still only have one person ever leave feedback for them). That sort of search can still be run because it's based on feedback left rather than bidders on current items.

Before bidders' names were obscured, this sort of information was not readily available and could only be datamined with the help of knowing how to search and cross-reference. Given how hot people are on internet privacy, I'm not convinced this wasn't a good move for other reasons.

chickaroonee

They've made 56 bids on 11 items of this seller's - and they are all different types of things. Can't see any feedback left for each other but not looked too deeply into it.

Bizarrely this item (same pics/description) sold to a competitor of mine a week ago, this seller has left feedback for him, I can see it in his feedback profile, but can't see it in his feedback left for others.

nomoneytoday

It would be their loss as they would have to pay higher fees, and no guarantee of selling the product.
You bid your maximum either way

chickaroonee

I'm going to get a second chance offer, I can see it. Not sure whether to accept or not.

Crowqueen

chickaroonee wrote: »

I'm going to get a second chance offer, I can see it. Not sure whether to accept or not.

I wouldn't.

Enfieldian

Crowqueen wrote: »

I wouldn't.

Why not?

If it is at the price the OP was willing to pay.......

chickaroonee

Enfieldian wrote: »

Why not?

If it is at the price the OP was willing to pay.......

Because if they hadn't of shilled me I would have won it for 99p! I often sell things for probably less than the bidders were willing to pay because no-one else bid, that is the nature of auctions - no need to bid on your own listings.

Not had a second chance offer anyway.

shaun_from_Africa

Enfieldian,
Just suppose that you saw a special offer in Tesco for Stella lager, where it was advertised at £15 for a case, but when you went down there you discovered that they had sold out.

A helpful assistant phoned Asda around the corner and discovered that they had the beer in stock and it was only £10 a case, so you went there.
If you picked up a case and took it to the checkout and found that they wanted to charge you £15 instead of £10, I assume that you would pay the full £15 without any argument, after all, wasn't that the price that you were originally willing to pay for the beer?

macfly

The answer to your question is "no". If you had won the auction having had the price pushed up by a false bidder, then you would have been shilled.

macfly

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

Enfieldian,
Just suppose that you saw a special offer in Tesco for Stella lager, where it was advertised at £15 for a case, but when you went down there you discovered that they had sold out.

A helpful assistant phoned Asda around the corner and discovered that they had the beer in stock and it was only £10 a case, so you went there.
If you picked up a case and took it to the checkout and found that they wanted to charge you £15 instead of £10, I assume that you would pay the full £15 without any argument, after all, wasn't that the price that you were originally willing to pay for the beer?

How wouls ASDA know you were willing to pay that? Do they have mind readers in yours?
Bit of a daft analogy.