BS eBay bidder...any recourse?

So I have a max bid of $351 on a card on eBay ending tonight:
Hanburger Helper
A few minutes ago the bid was around $200. Then someone knucklehead comes in and bids $300, then $400 (which outbid me), and then immediately retracts and bids $350, which puts me right up to my max. Obviously that was his intention. This sort of thing is obviously very much against eBay rules. I'm certain the seller had nothing to do with it, just an idiot bidder. And no I don't have any eBay enemies. Can I report this? I don't even know how to report infractions any more now that eBay has made bidders anonymous.
Hanburger Helper
A few minutes ago the bid was around $200. Then someone knucklehead comes in and bids $300, then $400 (which outbid me), and then immediately retracts and bids $350, which puts me right up to my max. Obviously that was his intention. This sort of thing is obviously very much against eBay rules. I'm certain the seller had nothing to do with it, just an idiot bidder. And no I don't have any eBay enemies. Can I report this? I don't even know how to report infractions any more now that eBay has made bidders anonymous.
"My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. Our childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When we were insolent we were placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard really."
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Also helps to play this a$sholes hand and see if he then retracts his now winning bid or not.
This is a cut and dry case of shill bidding. It could not have been more obvious.
I doubt the seller would be stupid enough to use an account to which he can be connected, so nobody can ever prove a thing, at least not without expending financial resources to investigate that would exceed the value of the card.
But the buyer has feedback over 800, so it's not an inexperienced user. Probably one of the seller's college buddies who lives in another state or a facebook friend.
This is a cut and dry case of shill bidding. It could not have been more obvious.
I doubt the seller would be stupid enough to use an account to which he can be connected, so nobody can ever prove a thing, at least not without expending financial resources to investigate that would exceed the value of the card.
But the buyer has feedback over 800, so it's not an inexperienced user. Probably one of the seller's college buddies who lives in another state or a facebook friend.
So you've eliminated the possibility that it's somebody with no connection to the seller who is running the price up for his own purposes? I sell a decent amount and it happens a sometimes on high end auctions with low pops. Just last month I had a guy do it on one of my items, but he wasn't as savvy as the guy in shagrotn's case and he ended up with the winning bid. Immediately after the auction ended he sent a message explaining he had no intention of paying and was just running the other guy up, so I should offer it to him. Naturally I filed a NPB case and he paid to avoid the strike.
I would think a guy with 800 feedback would be more likely to do that than to shill and risk his account being yanked.
Edit: Reasons for this would be A) They have the card and want to see it's value sustain, or
<< <i>So you've eliminated the possibility that........ >>
Yeah, you're right, I hadn't thought of any of those things.... so yeah, it might not be shill bidding by the dictionary definition of the term, but it's extremely shady no matter what it is.
shagrotn can't retract his bid anymore because of new ebay rules, but he can inform the seller, who can still cancel bids up until the end of the auction.
Perhaps the seller will realize how shady this looks and cancel all bids from the 805-feedback bidder, although this would cost him a significant amount of change.
Yeah it sucks any way you slice it. I like Matt's idea of retracting the bid and see what happens just for fun.
<< <i>shagrotn can't retract his bid anymore because of new ebay rules, but he can inform the seller, who can still cancel bids up until the end of the auction. >>
I immediately contacted the seller and recommended that he cancel all of bidder 805's bids.
<< <i>In addition to that, I'd ask the seller for the bidder's account name. >>
I wouldn't.
FYI: I know you did not say anything bad about the seller, but I want to add that I bought several items from that seller a few years ago and don't believe I ever had a problem.
Doug
Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
No shilling here.
Sucks if Shag really wanted that card.
Steve
https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/pdub1819/othersets/6204
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>I won't be shocked to see this eclipse $450 so the $351 is probably moot... >>
A moot point, yes, but also completely beside the point. The seller did the right thing and canceled said bidder's bids.
<< <i>
<< <i>I won't be shocked to see this eclipse $450 so the $351 is probably moot... >>
A moot point, yes, but also completely beside the point. The seller did the right thing and canceled said bidder's bids. >>
I concur and think you understood where I was coming from. The bidder retracting his multiple bids should be spanked. There's no need for such activity. Either bid or don't, but there's no need to "find" the current ceiling. It only makes the seller look shady and may cost the seller money in the long run.
Should the bidder be a board member, please know that such actions are not acceptable despite the reasonable 800+ feedback number.