Principles vs. Price

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Principles vs. Price

Dan, now the interesting part - How much was the last bid from a real bidder, say before the possible sniper?

Joel,
There were two bids that were not mine between $145 and $150. I am assuming that at least one of these had to be real? But that is pure speculation. The last time the item was put up with a reserve that was not met and I was the high bidder at $101. The seller offered the item to me at $150 plus shipping and I declined because I just didn't want to spend the money at the time. I think people hate reserve price auctions and that kept bidding down. I think the seller realized this also, and did the regular auction. He started it at either $9.99 or .99, I can't remember which, so the alarms were going off in my head about the possibility of a shill bid from the word go because I knew what he wanted to get for it. A while back, ( a couple of months before he listed it on eBay) he and I exchanged emails about the item, which he told me he paid $250 for.

[trsent]

Re: Principles vs. Price

The price was $150.

Dan, now the interesting part - How much was the last bid from a real bidder, say before the possible sniper?

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Principles vs. Price

The price was $150.

[trsent]

Re: Principles vs. Price

But you can't blame Joel for asking...

Ok, I just thought it would have made the discussion more interesting to know what type of dollar figures that were being discussed. No big deal.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Principles vs. Price

But you can't blame Joel for asking...

[aeneas01]

Re: Principles vs. Price

That a boy. No-one needs to know your business and as long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

Jim

well put...

[cohibasmoker]

Re: Principles vs. Price

For the seller's sake, I'd prefer not to say what the item was, because I guess it is possible that it wasn't shill bidding and I don't want any ill-will.

That a boy. No-one needs to know your business and as long as you are happy, that's all that matters.

Jim

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Principles vs. Price

For the seller's sake, I'd prefer not to say what the item was, because I guess it is possible that it wasn't shill bidding and I don't want any ill-will.

[trsent]

Re: Principles vs. Price

Well, just to let anyone interested in the final outcome of my dilemma, I bought the item but made him throw in free shipping. The reasoning is two-fold:
1. Nice item at a fair price.
2. I have bought two items in the past from this seller and they were both nice items and easy deals.
I still think I was shilled, but I am looking past it on this one.

What was the item and what did you pay?

[B1SON]

Re: Principles vs. Price

Well, just to let anyone interested in the final outcome of my dilemma, I bought the item but made him throw in free shipping. The reasoning is two-fold:
1. Nice item at a fair price.
2. I have bought two items in the past from this seller and they were both nice items and easy deals.
I still think I was shilled, but I am looking past it on this one.

I think you did the right thing Dan! Good decision!

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Principles vs. Price

Well, just to let anyone interested in the final outcome of my dilemma, I bought the item but made him throw in free shipping. The reasoning is two-fold:
1. Nice item at a fair price.
2. I have bought two items in the past from this seller and they were both nice items and easy deals.
I still think I was shilled, but I am looking past it on this one.

[jppopma]

Re: Principles vs. Price

I agree with Jim in offering the lower amount, but not my full bid. I actually take it a step further and will offer the amount that my bid would have been if not for the shill bidder.

Usually the shill bidder will be just one bid above your's for you to get the second chance offer as the next bidder in line. If you cancel out the shill bid, your winning bid would actually only be just above the bidder below you.

For example, say you get outbid at $210 on an item that you bid $200 on. When you placed the $200 bid, the auction was likely not right at that amount. Most likely, your bid was the $5 or $10 over the bidder......say $155. If the shill bidder had not came into play, that is the amount that you would have won the item for.

By giving in to the $200 second chance offer, you are really just awarding the seller an extra $45 for using the shill bidder to discover your high bid.

Then again, like the question was posed...do you stick to principle or is it an item that you don't mind paying top dollar for. For me that would be a case by case decision with me erring on avoidance.

Good luck Dan. I'm pretty sure if there was shill bidding involved it will be relisted. Only problem then is will it go higher than your 2nd chance offer in legit bidding....

[cohibasmoker]

Re: Principles vs. Price

I have just come into a situation where an item that I was bidding on was in a "Private" auction with all bidders identities hidden. I knew the whole time (due to past conversations I have had with the seller about the item) the price he wanted for it. Plus there had been a reserve price auction on the item previously and reserve was never met and it was offered to me at the price the seller wanted for it. So he put it up this time with no reserve but "private" auction. I knew this was ripe for some shill bidding.

So I put in a bid just below what I knew he wanted to get for the item. Sure enough I was outbid at the very last second, and sure enough less than 24 hours later here comes the second chance offer. Now, the item is nice, and the price is probably fair enough, but I am 99% sure that the seller bid this thing up or had someone do it for him. Do I buy this item, or do I refuse on principle alone? My gut says don't buy it. But I really would like to have the item...

Dan, I can't tell you how many times I've received 2nd chance offers. For me, I always say to myself, do I really, really want the item? If that answer is Yes, I'll go ahead and buy it.

If I'm lukewarn, I'll look at the final price and eliminate the high bidder's price and then go ahead and contact the seller and offer him my bid, less the high bidder's price. For example, if an item sold for $200.00 and my bid was $100.00 but the high bidder bumped the price up to $200.00, I'd only offer the seller $100.00. Sometimes they take it, sometimes they don't.

With eBay, there isn't any sense crying over spilled milk because tomorrow's another day and eventually, you'll find something else and forget about past losses.

As for "Private Auctions" I always list my auctions that way. No shrill bidding it's just the way I like to do it.

Jim

[David]

Re: Principles vs. Price

Do as you wish, but remember that a seller who is willing to cheat you in one way is willing to cheat you in other ways. For example, sellers who are dishonest about the bidding (shilling), are often also dishonest when describing the item or about returns/refunds.

Re: Principles vs. Price

If you feel there was "funny business" going on, I say go with your gut and avoid the item...provided it's not a rare piece that you may never see again.