Reply to: snaw's got new work from home now!

[The Lone Gunman]

Are you sure, TLG? The article posted seems to say it has only been illegal since 2006.

Everyone who frequents auctions knows ghost bidding takes place and no one seems to mind. If the ghost bids are silly you just stop bidding.

You may be right, maybe I just thought it was illegal.

[Lucifer Box]

The practice is and always has been illegal, it is fraud, but proving it is a different matter.

Are you sure, TLG? The article posted seems to say it has only been illegal since 2006.

Everyone who frequents auctions knows ghost bidding takes place and no one seems to mind. If the ghost bids are silly you just stop bidding.

[The Lone Gunman]

Indeed, TLG. There are charges for setting a reserve so obviously eBay want you to do so and the seller doesn't, especially on high value items.

However, bricks 'n' mortar auction houses have been doing this since auctions were invented in the form of ghost bids. Does this mean this age-old practice is now illegal too? Bizarre.

The practice is and always has been illegal, it is fraud, but proving it is a different matter.

[Lucifer Box]

Indeed, TLG. There are charges for setting a reserve so obviously eBay want you to do so and the seller doesn't, especially on high value items.

However, bricks 'n' mortar auction houses have been doing this since auctions were invented in the form of ghost bids. Does this mean this age-old practice is now illegal too? Bizarre.

[The Lone Gunman]

<not 100% sure here>

I think part of the problem is ebays pricing policy, and the sellers greed obviously.

If you want a fixed reserve or initial bid price then you have to pay ebay a percentage. Sellers dont want to take that risk if the item doesnt sell so they set low or no reserves and open price then get their mates to bid the price up.

[swamp]

Complete non-story.

Expect to read in next week's Sunday Times that water is wet.

[IR35 Avoider]

I also thought it was a non-story. Maybe shill bidding should be allowed as an alternative way of setting a reserve price. If bidders all understand that they may be competing against the reserve they would be firmer in working out exactly what something is worth to them and sticking to that figure, rather than trying to out-compete someone else regardless of price. If the seller relied on the option of buying back his own item instead of setting a preconceived reserve price, more auctions would be successful because the buyer would in many cases see his price was unrealistic and let the item go for what he actually could get.

[vetran]

Pretty obvious really

Item goes on sale, ten minutes later a bid is put in putting the value to preferred selling price.

[Diestl]

It might technically be fraud but proving it is very difficult.

[ratewhore]

I can't believe people thought this wasn't happening. Doh!!

[AtW]

Its the oldest sale tactic in the book.

Read above: "illegal under the 2006 Fraud Act", this "tactic" is nothing else but fraud.

[Sockpuppet]

Why is it?

I'll sell you this ming vase.

Ok, I offer £200 (but thinking my real max is £1000)

Well I've had an offer already of £800

Ok, I'll pay £850.


Its the oldest sale tactic in the book.

[AtW]

It's fraud - "illegal under the 2006 Fraud Act".

[shoes]

So what? When you bid you enter a value that is the most you are prepared to pay for the item. If you end up paying that much either by fake bidding or not it is still an amount you are ok with. If you can get the same thing cheaper elsewhere then do so. It's a non story.

[Sockpuppet]

Ha Ha. They are acting like they are the mafia with "contacts" yet they are using ebay.