posted on December 14, 2002 05:59:24 AM new
an ebay seller has some items ending today. they sent out an email to all their customers with this message:
""I MAKE ALL OF YOU THIS OFFER. IF YOU TRY TO PLACE A BID WITH 5 OR MORE MINUTES TO GO AND YOU ARE SHUT OUT (for any reason), call me at 417 256 9616 and I will try to have someone else place the bid for you in the remaining time (and there is a great chance I can succeed)"
Isn't this against policy? he would be bidding for someone else on his own items.
posted on December 14, 2002 10:15:15 AM new
It doesn't make that much sense to me. I will have someone else make the bid for you? Whoever makes the bid is on the hook for that item. I suppose a trusted friend could make the bid ( and avoid any shill bidding from the seller ) but then if the shutout quasi-buyer changed their mind or never paid then the seller would only be risking the FVF.
Five years ago on ebay there were a lot of computer glitches that prevented last minute bids but that is much rarer on today's ebay. I have the feeling the selling just wants to make some of offsite ebay sales via those last minute phone calls.
I would say that it is a very gray area as to being legal. One possible way to tell is to write ebay about. They will almost NEVER answer your question and all you'll probably get is the automatic robotic email.
posted on December 15, 2002 07:08:47 PM new
I think it is a scam to get peoples ebay passwords. Personally, I would turn it into ebay as illegal spamming and most deffinetly do not respond to it.
