Ducati Sporting Club UK > General > Idle Chat > Interesting Ebay changes + any tips please?

[weeveetwin]

So are we now prevented from seeing a bidder's actual buying/selling history? (sorry, not had the time to check the eBay site).

If so, that's not good. Many a time I've noticed some tentative connection between a seller and his/her potential 'buyer', by studying what each of them has bought/sold previously.

On one occasion I was bidding on a VW Lupo, until I noticed a rival 'bidder' had sold a couple of cars on eBay in the previous months. Checking out the two vehicles he'd sold, I noticed that the photos he'd posted had been taken in the very same location as the VW Lupo he was now 'bidding' on.

So, if I'm unable to do some minor detective work and prove to my own satisfaction that the auction is truly above board, I'll simply not be buying from eBay.

It seems to me that this latest move will only help the scammers.

[antonye]

Yep, looks like it will mask shill bidding completely as you cannot see that Person A is bidding on Person B's items, and vice versa.

But what do ebay care [about shill bidding]? The higher the price, the more money they make - it's in their interest for the prices to be higher. Even if it is shill bidding, ebay still charge their fee on the final listed price and you can't get round it.

Ebay is one big scam - pay to list, pay again to sell and pay a third time to accept money through paypal... all to the same company.

[Rattler]

Originally Posted by antonye

But what do ebay care? The higher the price, the more money they make - it's in their interest for the prices to be higher. Even if it is shill bidding, ebay still charge their fee on the final listed price and you can't get round it.

Ebay care because sellers can target potential customers by viewing who's bidding on similar items and promoting and selling their goods directly to them without incurring ebay sale fees.

Tim

[antonye]

Originally Posted by Rattler

Ebay care because sellers can target potential customers by viewing who's bidding on similar items and promoting and selling their goods directly to them without incurring ebay sale fees.

This enforces the point - ebay are doing more to protect their service costs by hiding who are making the purchases.

[moto748]

The bike I mentioned above on ebay is here:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...0823&rd=1&rd=1

[moto748]

Originally Posted by moto748

The bike I mentioned above on ebay is here:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...0823&rd=1&rd=1

Reader, I bought it!

[749er]

I have only had good experiences with ebay, but I always use auctionsniper.

having a look at the changes ebay does tell you what percentage of the sellers auction that a bidder bids on. For example I just checked an auction for a car and there were 2 bidders who had bid suspiciously often on the sellers auction, one on 100% of occassions, the other 67%, so that would be one to steer clear of. So it seems it is now easier to track this kind of artificial price boosting.

[phoenix n max]

Originally Posted by antonye

Ebay is one big scam - pay to list, pay again to sell and pay a third time to accept money through paypal... all to the same company.

Sounds like the inland revenue!

Many a time i've not bid as i've followed the history through via the bidders and seen some shady stuff happening.
Looks like I won't be able to in future so no more ebay for me. I've not had any problems to be honest but only because i'm careful I think and do all the history checking etc.