right. I've got a dilemma. Been bidding on a portable MP3 player on ebay. Price was going up and up, and I drop out of the auction.

I do some digging, and now I'm 99.9% sure the guy was shill bidding (using a second ebay id to bid up his price - in effect he was bidding against me for his own item).

I really want the mp3 player. It's still a good price, a good model. I email him saying 'ah well, too expensive for me'.

Get a response 'let me know your price range, my brother may want to sell his'.

So now I'm sure he's bidding up his price...

From his feedback history, he's good for his stuff. A variety of people have bought from him over the years, all happy with him.

so my question is
Do I forget the whole thing, find another auction, carry on bidding? Or see if I can get him to part with his MP3 player for less than the current bid price?

Or shop him to ebay, as shill bidding is v.naughty.

I'd shop him - the whole thing rests upon cheats being exposed and shamed. I'd make an offer on the thing by email first though!



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

that was where my train of thought was heading. Obtain item for good price, then shop the cheating little.......

I shall keep you informed...

Cheating little dots? Wht is he? A dalmation?



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

uh yeah, make your offer LOW and if he doesn't bite, use a little bribery by offering slightly more then telling him you're on to him and might just have to report him to Ebay.

I look at it this way...if you do this, you'll more than likely put a stop to his behavior, you'll have gotten the deal you probably would have had originally, AND you'll save other people from getting ripped off by this jerk.

BUT, take a look at some of the other auctions that the seller has done. If you see any of the same users popping up over and over again in the bidding records, you're probably on to something. The guy may actually have 3 or 4 user names to mix it up a bit. Worth looking into anyway!

that's what gave it away - the person bidding against me won an item from this guy once, about a year ago. Feedback from both buyer and seller was 'great', all his other feedback he'd left had been far more verbiose. Checked his last auction, oh look, same 'buyer', dropped out at the last moment.

Now it is possible I guess that this other buyer only bids on and rarely wins his auctions, but I doubt it.

Looking again this morning, someone else got involved in the bidding late in the day - and our mystery buyer outbids them again.

whadda creep! I'd report him!

Always fascinated to see jobs for 'mystery shoppers' in jobcentre. Plenty of speculation there...
Also sometimes see adverts for 'borers wanted' (Could recommend a couple of people I know !).
And, possibly only in Sheffield - 'Knee polishers wanted' Something to do with steel industry, judging by other info on cards.

Of course, it could be some kind of beauty treatment. Imagine the ads in Cosmo:
Knee polishing - using the same exclusive treatment as stars like J Lo and Kylie. Our therapists will buff your knees to a dazzling shine ! No more crusty skin ! Be proud of your knees this summer.
6 week course - £500 per knee.