Does this seem odd to anyone else?

tander123

While looking over the Buy/Sell/Trade board, I noticed someone advertising their ebay auctions that were ending soon (and there are a lot of them ending today). Well what I find interesting is that all the high bids on the huge number of coins are by the same person(with no feedback and recently changed ebay ID). When I do a search on this ID as a bidder, he only bids on two seller's auctions. Both sellers have the same selling format.

I am not trying to accuse anyone of anything, but does this not seem odd?

Terry

Petescorner

Terry,

I assume you're taking about "21stcenturycoins" being a shill bidder for "centsles" and "hottestcoins."

It sure looks that way. Even the picture hosting service appears to have the same root.

lathmach

Nope, not at all odd. Shill bidding is pretty common on Ebay.


Ray

tander123

It really is too bad. What can be done about it? Why not just put in a reserve?

littlewicher

<< <i>Why not just put in a reserve? >>



Because some sellers will do anything to save 10 cents.

Twowood

I wasn't aware that shill biiding was so widespread. I'll have to be more careful. Twowood

Russ

Interesting. The same format thing may just be an off the shelf template from one of the many auction software services. Centsles sells a ton of NTC, I don't think I've ever seen Hottestcoins handle any NTC material.

Russ, NCNE

greghansen

Thank you for helping me identify 2 sellers I will never do business with. Regardless of the 'legality' of it, or whose bidding for whom, I just don't like the way it smells, and when it comes to their auctions, I will vote with my feet...just walk away.

greghansen

Just thought of something. You know what would be nice? If the 'My EBAY' page could be configured to BLOCK auctions listed by sellers you identify. Of course, they would never do something that only benefits the buyer, but it would be nice.

jom

Wasn't there some software that helped you decide whether someone was a shill bidder? I used it for awhile as shareware but I ran out of time and didn't buy it. It seemed pretty good but I don't buy many coins on Ebay so it wasn't really worth it.

Anyone here of it?

jom

ScarsdaleCoin

no that seems really honest to me....would you please let him know I have a great ocean front home available for sale in Kansas....

ccrdragon

I'd give hottestcoins the benefit of the doubt. I won 4 of his auctions over the weekend and I was the only bidder on 3 of the 4 (and the other 2 bidders on the 4th had more feedback than me). It may actually be that the 'shill' is a newby that has more money than he knows what to do with...

Guess I'll have to watch hottestcoins auctions more closely.