posted on September 5, 2000 06:07:42 PM
I have been watching an item for a couple of days that I want to bid on. Before bidding I always go see feedback to see if this looks like a good seller or not.
This particular persons feedback rating is 56, of which 23 are unique. The other 23 are all from the same user. Sometimes as seller and sometimes as buyer. I started looking at all of these auctions and their respective bid histories. These items are all vastly different. (ie. a knife, a porcelan doll, a wooden airplane, diecast cars etc.)
I'm not sure what else to look for to determine if it is in fact shilling. Oh, btw, one of the auctions had a feedback saying "great seller...fast shipping" when the person leaving the feedback had in fact been the seller on that auction.
Another thing, the two id's have different e-mail addresses a the same isp. It's a pretty obscure isp. (At least one I've never heard of.)
Have been lurking here for a couple of weeks, really appreciate access to all of your knowledge. TIA
posted on September 5, 2000 06:10:22 PM
well i would see what the other feedback says and then keep an eye on the auctions, if the same two users drive up the bids, then avoid the seller........................
every 20 seconds in america a woman is giving birth:SHE MUST BE FOUND AND STOPPED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................................................
posted on September 5, 2000 09:30:19 PM
Although it is not impossible for a Seller & Buyer to have several auctions in common, you are correct that dissimilar items bring some suspicion. It's not like a collector of a specific item that would buy multiples of the same kind of piece.
In this case, since the ISP's are the same, I would consider them off limits and avoid bidding on them. That feedback mistake is also a dead giveaway. When they get to the point that they can't even keep track of their selling/buying, it's pretty pathetic.
You can email SafeHarbor with this information and they can check as well.
Good Luck.
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That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
posted on September 6, 2000 07:31:54 AM
The ISP'S are not the same one is C-Gate.net and the other is gateway.net .........
As for the bidder bidding on several different items that are alike is not uncommon; and also bidding of unlike items in mulitples is not uncommon.
That person may just like me have alot of different interest or like alot of different things; may be bidding on several same items to resell or keep; I do it all the time and so do alot of other folks.
I checked it out and this is not a shilling incident.
posted on September 6, 2000 07:43:24 AM
"The ISP'S are not the same one is C-Gate.net and the other is gateway.net ......... "
The auction I sent you is just the one that I am interested in, not the one that I think the shilling has been going on in. If you look at the feedback, there are 23 fb's from the same person. These two both have the same isp.
Also there are four fb's that state "NICE TO SHIP FOUR ITEMS TOGETHER" Only problem is sometimes person A was seller and sometimes person B was seller.
They are both from same state. Both use same wording in TOS.
posted on September 6, 2000 08:50:46 AM
upinthehills...always go with your gut instincts. If you sense any problems, just bypass the auction and look for it from another seller. There are very few items on eBay that will not show up at another time.
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That's Flunky Gerbiltush to you!
