E-bay Stuff

[jeff_a]

I saw a part on ebay yesterday and saw that its price had started at $60 and had gone up to $150. Looking at the 5 bids, I noticed that they were all by the same bidder. Is this someone scamming the system, or is there some way it could be legit? I'm not planning on buying the thing, but it looks as suspicious as hell.

Any opinions? I'm having trouble seeing how a legit bidder with no competition would want to raise the bids himself.:confused:

Thanks

[hddennis]

I saw a part on ebay yesterday and saw that its price had started at $60 and had gone up to $150. Looking at the 5 bids, I noticed that they were all by the same bidder. Is this someone scamming the system, or is there some way it could be legit? I'm not planning on buying the thing, but it looks as suspicious as hell.

Any opinions? I'm having trouble seeing how a legit bidder with no competition would want to raise the bids himself.:confused:

Thanks

Go back and look at the bids list. In order for the first bidder to raise his bid someone has to have bid against him. Even if he bid 5 times his first bid will not raise unless he has bids against him.

Howard Dennis

[jeff_a]

There isn't a reserve, but there's a starting price of $59.00. 5 bids listed after that----all with the same anonymous bidder code name-----of $101.00, $149.00, $149.00, $149.00, and $149.00. Are there ghost bidders I'm not able to see? I guess I don't get it (why last 3 bids listed) and was a bit curious.

Edited December 10, 2013 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[hddennis]

There isn't a reserve, but there's a starting price of $59.00. 5 bids listed after that----all with the same anonymous bidder code name-----of $101.00, $149.00, $149.00, $149.00, and $149.00. Are there ghost bidders I'm not able to see? I guess I don't get it (why last 3 bids listed) and was a bit curious.

The only scenario that makes any sense is that there WAS a reserve, probably in the $140's range. The first bid was unsuccessful, the second bid tripped the reserve making it disappear and the last three are higher but unchallenged by other bidders so they don't raise the second bid. I've used this tactic myself, it sends a message to other bidders that you really want this item and have placed three higher bids to win it. Sometimes it works and sometimes not.

Howard Dennis

[Marty Roth]

The other way it might happen is if the original bidder entered a "maximum bid", and others entered a higher-than -his original, so only his "upped" bid shows, and if you click on "Show All Bids" you can see a progression - at least that is how I think it could happen - but I'm not an expert on eBay - I just look once in a while.

[jeff_a]

Thank you for the possible explanations. There's only the one bidder and he seems to be winning against himself.

[Dwight Romberger]

I bid $40 on something, and then raised my maximum bid twice (first to $60 and later $100). No one else bid. It looked like I bid $40 three times and bought the item for $40.

I hope that makes cents.

Dwight

[Guest prs519]

Those who up the ante to help insure they win an auction have more faith in mankind than I. Suppose that two bidders each dedicate themselves to winning an item, and proceed in the manner stated. Almost invariably, they would find themselves in a bidding war driven by emotion, or perhaps by a confidence in the amount of their bank account. I have watched relatively mundane items jacked up beyond reason, selling for far more than their market value, by bidders driven by pride and/or wealth! Seems silly, since their identity is disguised anyway! What amuses me most, though, is that, as far as anyone could know, they could be bidding against the seller, who can easily see by the repeated bids, that the potential buyer is ripe for the picking. He simply makes a call across town (or across the country, for the matter), to have someone shill the trusting bidder! Food for thought, maybe?

[Dwight Romberger]

Just like any purchase, one has to do research on the market price of an item. Moreover, one has to have self-control and a pre-determined maximum price that one will pay for an item and stick to it.

I use the "low initial bid, raise max later method" for a couple of reasons:

1) I find out immediately if there is a reserve on the item. I have learned from experience I almost never end up buying items with a reserve. I do put the item on my "watch list" in case the seller lists the item for a reasonable price in the future.

2) Many ebay professional buyers check lists of "no bid" items. My low early bid takes it off that list.

3) A early high maximum can be run up early by an over enthusiastic buyer.

4) Except in very rare cases, I only raise a bid maximum if my initial opening bid was outbid, and only then at the very end (last few minutes/hours of the auction), and I cannot view the last few seconds of the auction. If I can be online at the end of the auction, I will wait until the last 3 seconds and make a pre-determined maximum bid. It takes any emotion out of the bidding for me, as well as anyone potentially entering a bidding war against me.

Edited December 12, 2013 by Dwight Romberger (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

Trying to get into the mind of an eBay bidded can cause you to loose yours. It's good to see people bidding, it isn't the eBay of years past thanks to the current economy. You bid what you think the item is worth and hope for the best. You could overbid by $150.00 on many items and come out ahead of a day at a flea market, if you count lost work time, gas, food etc. Bob

[37_Roadmaster_C]

Dwights answer is the way it happens. If you enter a $60.00 bid on an item with a $60.00 opening price, you will be listed as the high bidder at $60.00. Then as Dwight said, you decide to raise your maximum to say $70.00, you will be relisted as the high bidder at $60.00 again, so you will be listed twice at $60.00. Then you decide to raise your bid again to $80.00, you will be relisted as the high bidder at $60.00 for a third time. Then again etc, etc, etc... It appears that the bidder raised his/her proxy 5 times with no other bidders yet.

[MikeC5]

Flim-flam on E-bay? Say it ain't so!