Auction reserve price

legepe

eddddy wrote: »

So you think there was "shill bidding" (i.e. somebody was making fake bids), and you want to rescind (i.e. cancel) the contract because of that.

• If the auctioneer was doing the "shill bidding", they are a business so they would probably be breaking the ' Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations Act 2008' and perhaps the 'Fraud Act 2006'.

• If the property owner was doing the "shill bidding", and they are not a business, so they might only be breaking the 'Fraud Act'

I guess you can say to the auctioneer that you believe there was "shill bidding", so you want your reservation fee back...

... and perhaps threaten to report them to trading standards, the property ombudsman, or sue them in court.

But it's a serious accusation... so If I were you, I would go carefully.


Here's an article about "shill bidding" on ebay - but the same principles apply to other auctions.
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/consumer-law/shill-bidding/

Thanks for this information eddddy, sorry for delay but Ive been away for a few days..

Its not so much that I think or can prove there was shill bidding going on.
My problem is that this auction has not conducted its processes like an auction. in that to present it, call it, and operate it like an auction... providing rules to it - such as the finish time of it and the 2 minute extensions applied at each bid close to the finish time,
My final bid was accepted after the finish time and there was no extension applied. and because my final bid was accepted after the auction finish time, the bidder before me should have legally won it.

I want my deposit back because of the misuse of their process or supposed rules
I can understand that accusation of Shill bidding would be a serious one however I don't know if there could be consequences in doing that? Also, I imagine that it would be extremely difficult to prove