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eBays new policy allows shill bidding. Is this better for everyone?

Started by Jiminy_Cricket-migration,

38 posts in this topic

Arkham

Arkham

Posted
Posted

I personally see shill bidding as dishonest and a scam.

 

IMO, sellers have the opportunity to set a starting bid price or a reserve. This is their opportunity to get the money they believe the item to be worth.

Setting a $0.99 (or any other below cost price point) starting bid is a gamble and, if they're not prepared to accept a "lower than desired" final winning bid, then they shouldn't use this option in the first place, let alone shill.

 

Just man up, put the fair and reasonable price on it and, if it doesn't sell, accept the market value of the item isn't what you thought it was. Doesn't matter what GPAnalysis says, a comic is only worth what the buyer of the moment is willing to pay.

(If that isn't enough, hang onto the book for awhile!!)

 

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Buzzetta

Buzzetta

Posted
Posted

Hard to say to tell the truth...

 

What about brick and mortar comic book stores that hold eBay auctions and invite their customers to participate. I knew of a comic store owner that did such a thing. I would win a book or item here and there and pick it up like I bought it there.

 

In fact... if I was picking it up there, it was understood not to use paypal and pay in cash.

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bb8

bb8

Posted
Posted
Hard to say to tell the truth...

 

What about brick and mortar comic book stores that hold eBay auctions and invite their customers to participate. I knew of a comic store owner that did such a thing. I would win a book or item here and there and pick it up like I bought it there.

 

In fact... if I was picking it up there, it was understood not to use paypal and pay in cash.

 

That's not really shill bidding, though. You are actually purchasing the item at auction end. Shill bidding is ONLY to raise the price; if the shill wins, the item is not, in actuality, sold.

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Buzzetta

Buzzetta

Posted
Posted
Hard to say to tell the truth...

 

What about brick and mortar comic book stores that hold eBay auctions and invite their customers to participate. I knew of a comic store owner that did such a thing. I would win a book or item here and there and pick it up like I bought it there.

 

In fact... if I was picking it up there, it was understood not to use paypal and pay in cash.

 

That's not really shill bidding, though. You are actually purchasing the item at auction end. Shill bidding is ONLY to raise the price; if the shill wins, the item is not, in actuality, sold.

 

Correct... however there was more than just an anonymous relationship there.

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bb8

bb8

Posted
Posted
I still love the site and prefer it to most others for overall buying.

 

You can certainly find some great deals. And it's kind of like a gambling site when purchasing from seller's you don't know. Kind of exciting: what if you hit it big?

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Tony S

Tony S

Posted
Posted
Once all the transparency was gone (anonymous bidders) this was pretty much their policy anyways.

 

+1. What I was trying to say - and you say it well - briefly and to the point.

 

eBay making bidders anonymous (to "protect their privacy") has had another unintended bad consequence. It prevents experienced collectors from alerting less informed buyers that they are being scammed. No way to do that now.

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Kahnadah

Kahnadah

Posted
Posted
I apologize in advance if this was already posted. Is this new policy just to increase ebay's profits? Or is this actually better for everyone? It did seem inevitable with all the followers that sellers have on FB, Twitter, etc.

 

LINK

 

Well, my max bids will go down 25%... Thanks eBay! I stopped selling as soon as sellers couldn't leave negs, so I saved all those fees, and now I get to save on my bids by making sure I don't get shilled by making the most I'll pay even lower.

 

I wonder when eBay will go "Instagram" and totally implode, policy-wise?

 

James

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Calamerica

Calamerica

Posted
Posted
I apologize in advance if this was already posted. Is this new policy just to increase ebay's profits? Or is this actually better for everyone? It did seem inevitable with all the followers that sellers have on FB, Twitter, etc.

 

LINK

 

Well, my max bids will go down 25%... Thanks eBay! I stopped selling as soon as sellers couldn't leave negs, so I saved all those fees, and now I get to save on my bids by making sure I don't get shilled by making the most I'll pay even lower.

 

I wonder when eBay will go "Instagram" and totally implode, policy-wise?

 

James

 

This has caused THOUSANDS of Sellers to quit eBay: the business of not being able to leave negatives for the pinhead Buyers out there. That is MY biggest pet-peeve about FeeBay. Unfortunately, I still need them to move product.

 

CAL who is not the only one who has to put up w/ dbaggery on FeeBay...

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ComicConnoisseur

ComicConnoisseur

Posted
Posted
Not surprised...my bids are always last second and significantly below market value, so this will likely have little bearing on me other than continue to prefer other venues for collectibles.

You mean that on other venues that there is absolutely no shill bidding?

hm

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Sqeggs

Sqeggs

Posted
Posted
I apologize in advance if this was already posted. Is this new policy just to increase ebay's profits? Or is this actually better for everyone? It did seem inevitable with all the followers that sellers have on FB, Twitter, etc.

 

LINK

 

Well, my max bids will go down 25%... Thanks eBay! I stopped selling as soon as sellers couldn't leave negs, so I saved all those fees, and now I get to save on my bids by making sure I don't get shilled by making the most I'll pay even lower.

 

I wonder when eBay will go "Instagram" and totally implode, policy-wise?

 

James

 

This has caused THOUSANDS of Sellers to quit eBay: the business of not being able to leave negatives for the pinhead Buyers out there. That is MY biggest pet-peeve about FeeBay. Unfortunately, I still need them to move product.

 

CAL who is not the only one who has to put up w/ dbaggery on FeeBay...

 

I've never understood why a buyer would have cared about receiving negative fb. Few sellers look at a buyer's fb and if a buyer snipes, the seller can't see the buyer's fb until the auction ends anyway. Leaving negative fb for buyers was just a way for angry seller to blow off steam from dealing with misbehaving buyers. Had little practical importance.

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Sqeggs

Sqeggs

Posted
Posted
Toolhaus allows one to inspect an eBayer's record at any time. (thumbs u

 

Not sure if this comment was directed at my post directly above. If a bidder snipes, then the auction is over before a seller would have time to use Toolhaus to inspect the bidder's fb and -- presumably -- cancel his bid.

 

And isn't a bidder's fb visible to the seller, anyway? hm

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