How do you detect shill bidding? • Collecting General • The Acaeum

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

How do you detect shill bidding?
	Page 1 of 1

Author

Dimitri Mazieres
Active Collector

Posts: 30
Joined: Feb 12, 2009
Last Visit: Feb 15, 2012

Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:08 pm

I was sniped in a couple of recent eBay auctions (different sellers) that were going to sell for less than the regularly asked price for the items in question. When I checked the bidding history (even before the auctions ended) it caught my eye that said snipers had a low feedback score with 100% activity with the respective seller. This raised a red flag for me and was enough to stop me from keep bidding, which I would have done otherwise.

Do you think a situation like this enough to suspect shill bidding?
Just in case, I reported both auctions to eBay.

"Many point out that this battle against the darkness is an impossible one, and they may well be right. Impossible or not, however, the battle for righteousness is one that only a few heroes are brave enough to undertake"

Doug Williams
Prolific Collector

Posts: 153
Joined: Jul 30, 2003
Last Visit: May 26, 2015
Location: Tennessee

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:24 am

Sounds like you've already done a good job in your shill detection.

The method I use is simple. I look at the seller's feedback and if I am satisfied I place one bid for the maximum amount I am willing to pay for the item, five seconds before the auction ends. I never get in bidding wars with anyone, period.

SoulCatcher78
Prolific Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 580
Joined: Mar 17, 2009
Last Visit: Dec 11, 2022
Location: Indiana, USA

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:34 am

Doug Williams wrote:
The method I use is simple. I look at the seller's feedback and if I am satisfied I place one bid for the maximum amount I am willing to pay for the item, five seconds before the auction ends. I never get in bidding wars with anyone, period.

Agreed. Sniping has become a way for me to keep out of situations where it would be easy to go "just a little more" than what I had planned on spending. It takes some of the excitement out of bidding but lately what I've been buying has been for resale anyway.

TheHistorian
Sage Collector

Posts: 2589
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Last Visit: Mar 11, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:24 am

If the sniper ended up winning, then it probably wasn't a shill. If a seller is worried about not getting their price, it's easier to just cancel the auction than end up winning it from a shill account.

I agree with Doug's recommendation - bid once with a few seconds to go. The only exception would be for an international auction - in that case, put in a low bid early to make sure they're accepting bids from your location, and then bid late with your real bid.

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

Dimitri Mazieres
Active Collector

Posts: 30
Joined: Feb 12, 2009
Last Visit: Feb 15, 2012

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:32 pm

Here is one of the auctions I mentioned. Judging for the seller's recent feedback, it seems that he wasn't too happy about other items' selling prices...

TheHistorian
Sage Collector

Posts: 2589
Joined: Aug 02, 2006
Last Visit: Mar 11, 2023
Location: Seattle, WA

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:40 pm

I don't think there is enough information there to determine anything. I think you just lost to someone new who bid more than you.

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

misterspock
Sage Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 2763
Joined: Sep 25, 2007
Last Visit: Feb 22, 2026

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:50 pm

I'd say, too, that it's difficult to say whether it was a shill. I would think that the shill bidding in general would not be at the last minute. The shill is a way to make it appear more bidders are interested and hype up the auction, and of course the price. But I would think a shill would bid it up much earlier.

Grug Greyskin
Prolific Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 632
Joined: Mar 17, 2008
Last Visit: Jul 26, 2026
Location: Evergreen, CO

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:44 pm

Don't see enough to declare it a shill. You could keep an eye on the seller, a quick relist of the same item (as they won the auction themselves) would be something to keep an eye out for. Or he gives you a second chance offer.

Mars
Grandstanding Collector

Posts: 6172
Joined: May 03, 2003
Last Visit: Feb 10, 2026
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:04 pm

Dimitri Mazieres wrote:Do you think a situation like this enough to suspect shill bidding?
Just in case, I reported both auctions to eBay.

I don't think Ebay really does anything about shill bidding. I have reported cases that are clearly shill bidding over and over and nothing was done about. The seller continued to sell his stuff and use his other account to place hundreds of shill bids.

Dimitri Mazieres
Active Collector

Posts: 30
Joined: Feb 12, 2009
Last Visit: Feb 15, 2012

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:50 pm

Thanks for the comments, guys. I did have time to bid higher than the winning bidder (it was still in the "cheap" range), but something felt wrong and I decided not to. Maybe I just pulled the trigger too fast, but at worst eBay's investigation of the report (if there is one) won't have any impact.

Would a bid from someone with 40+ positive feedback and 100% bids with the seller raise more eyebrows?

Mars
Grandstanding Collector

Posts: 6172
Joined: May 03, 2003
Last Visit: Feb 10, 2026
Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 9:03 pm

Dimitri Mazieres wrote:Would a bid from someone with 40+ positive feedback and 100% bids with the seller raise more eyebrows?

The 100% bids is only measured for recent activity. How many bids were actually placed? On how many items? On what type of items - all same? etc

MetaSigma
** Banned **

Posts: 1213
Joined: Aug 04, 2009
Last Visit: Nov 02, 2013

Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:30 pm

Dimitri Mazieres wrote:Thanks for the comments, guys. I did have time to bid higher than the winning bidder (it was still in the "cheap" range), but something felt wrong and I decided not to. Maybe I just pulled the trigger too fast, but at worst eBay's investigation of the report (if there is one) won't have any impact.

Would a bid from someone with 40+ positive feedback and 100% bids with the seller raise more eyebrows?

Not necessarily; the seller might just have a bunch of stuff they want. Also, 40 feedback can be achieved in a very short time span. Often it seems that someone will open an eBay account for the first time (0 feedback) because they really want something they've become aware of and the current eBay auction is the only way to acquire it, or at least they think that it is. If the item is not unique, I find it's best to lay off and let the overenthusiastic newbie bidders have their day, since another will be listed soon enough if you're patient.

Ithaca Dragon
-==(UDIC)==-

Ekim Toor
Prolific Collector

Posts: 405
Joined: Nov 23, 2002
Last Visit: Jan 26, 2018
Location: The Saltmarshes of Michigan

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:09 am

Casting a Detect Evil spell sometimes works. :wink:

Alexander
Verbose Collector
Acaeum Donor

Posts: 1293
Joined: Nov 24, 2002
Last Visit: Mar 27, 2026
Location: Brescia, Italy

Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 1:37 pm

Well, I consider these events clear warning signs:

1) After minutes or hours after losing an item, I get a 'second chance offer' from the seller

2) The seller relists the item at most 24 hours after completing the sale where I was outbid and there is no exchange of feedbacks between buyer and seller

3) The bidder outbidding me has a perfect 100% percentage of bids from the seller

4) Like 1) but seller tells me he has 'another one to sell'...

5) NEW: private auctions where I can't see the bidders after that the auction is completed

The Acaeum Forums • Collecting General

Page 1 of 1