Explain this bidding strategy?

[mrmopar]

I am the seller. I don't condone shill bidding, but I am dying to know what the hell this person is doing. I'm afraid I won't get any more bids though!!!

 

[corockies]

They are doing it to make it seem like it's being shilled to other potential bidders, so nobody else bids.

 

[mrmopar]

Possible, I suppose, but can you really call any activity shilling with only 1 bidder? Until a 2nd bidder joins the fun, it just looks like this person is crazy!

 

[Letch77]

Is that what the bid history looks like when the current high bidder increases their maximum several times? I'm not sure as I've never looked, but I've upped my max bid a few times while being the high bidder.

 

[gracecollector]

Terrible strategy as it tells the seller that they can successfully shill their auction. The seller now knows they could have someone bid it up at least 6 increments to increase the final price.

 

[gamecockfanatic]

pretty low feedback score indicates you likely have a newcomer to ebay....if true , that inexperience could be a big factor fueled by one of e-bays own tactics....one thing that really annoys me about ebay is their overwhelming urge to try to push things onto me or get me to bid , bid , bid on any item i may have already bid on , watchlisted , or simply viewed....i've never changed the default settings on their notifications , but i know that anytime i place a bid on an item now i almost immediately start receiving e-mails or text notifications informing me that i'm the high bidder but i could still lose the item and therefore i should consider checking back in to raise my bid and ensure i get the item in question...

soooo....perhaps a newbie falling prey to ebays ploy ?

 

[crbatt]

I agree that Ebay's notifications are annoying as hell, but I bet they do work on some bidders.

"How bad do you want it?" "Bid more before someone else does!"

I get it. Leave me alone. Ha.

 

[JVHaste]

What do you think the item was worth? Did the person succeed in driving away future bidders?

 

[chadgwynn]

View attachment 82489

I am the seller. I don't condone shill bidding, but I am dying to know what the hell this person is doing. I'm afraid I won't get any more bids though!!!

That’s what they are trying to accomplish, scare people. It doesn’t work. Typically they are small time bidders that bid $4,5,6,7,8,9,10. So if anyone really wants your card you will get paid. My opinion.


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[mrmopar]

Yes, to answer Letch77's question, this is showing that the high bidder (and only bidder) has 7 different bids on my item. Because there are no other bidders, it is showing that the bid price is currently $4.99. However, once you bid one time and don't have anyone else bidding, I think you can go in any increment you want if you bid again. Meaning, some of those bids could only be a penny higher than the previous bid. Why anyone would do that is beyond me, but I have seen it before.

The item is a Navy related ball cap. I can't imagine it's worth more than $10-15 to the average person, but you never know. I have another Navy cap up now that is at $15 (although this same bidder has bids on that one too, but I think was outbid).

It will be interesting to see if anyone else bids. If not, the bidder wins it at $4.99 and I'll never know what the other bids were all about.

 

[smapdi]

It could also be someone trying to hit a reserve. I think that until a reserve is hit, if only one person has bid on it, or that person is the high bidder, it will only show the next bid increment until the reserve is met. That is, if something starts at $4.99 with a $50 reserve, and I bid 4.99, 10, 15, 20, and 25, it will show me making five bids, but all for $4.99. If someone else comes along and bids $20, it will then show my bids up to $20. And if someone hits the reserve, it reveals all bids. I think.

 

[mrmopar]

True, that is accurate, but as the seller, I can confirm there is no reserve.

It could also be someone trying to hit a reserve. I think that until a reserve is hit, if only one person has bid on it, or that person is the high bidder, it will only show the next bid increment until the reserve is met. That is, if something starts at $4.99 with a $50 reserve, and I bid 4.99, 10, 15, 20, and 25, it will show me making five bids, but all for $4.99. If someone else comes along and bids $20, it will then show my bids up to $20. And if someone hits the reserve, it reveals all bids. I think.

 

[JVHaste]

The only fitting conclusion to this saga would be to have a shill fiesta and see what this guy maxes out at. :grouphug:

 

[David K.]

Sometimes.....by using this method.......you can avoid a bidding war.....and get the card at a lower price. Best regards, David

 

[Super Mario]

Could just be some elderly person who doesn’t quite know how to use eBay.

 

[linuxabuser]

Is that what the bid history looks like when the current high bidder increases their maximum several times? I'm not sure as I've never looked, but I've upped my max bid a few times while being the high bidder.

Yes!

 

[mrmopar]

Auction ended today. I resisted the urge to have someone bid on my behalf and the person won it for their 8 bids (opening bid price $4.99). They did bid on another cap and that one went for $31, but was not high bidder! Hope I get paid. I also messaged asking if they might share their high bid, just for the fun of it, since they secured the hat for the opening bid price. We'll see if they are open to sharing.

 

[barongan]

That's interesting!

 

[crypticfreak1]

Time for me to look like a jerk. I have bid this way in the past. I’ve bid on a card and became the high bidder and I wanted the card so bad that I rebid over and over increasing the minimum by only $0.01 to make it look like I got into a bidding war with the other bidder and scare other people off from bidding. I have no way to know for sure if it worked but I did get the card much cheaper than I was willing to pay for it!