Why do high volume ebay sellers think we believe their lies about shilling their own autctions

[David Anthony]

Sorry for the rant, but nothing irritates me more than seeing a card I want to bid on and then notice the seller is either bigboydsportscards3 , imac7065, or Probstein123. All three of these ebay sellers have been proven to have had shady auctions run in the past but they all use the same tired reply- "They didnt do it and they are consignment sellers". The proof is right there in front of our faces because Ebay gives us access to this information. A simple google search with each sellers name and the word "shill" shows me that Ebay has been letting this go on with certain sellers for YEARS! Do any of you guys have any names to add to this list? I am pretty sure the three I named are the most infamous.

 

[ASTROBURN]

If you are worried about being shilled, wouldnt it be to your advantage to use a sniping program on their auctions, so they do not have time to bump the bid if you were to bid early without one?

 

[David Anthony]

If a seller is a known shiller then I will not bid on their auctions no matter what.

 

[hrbek14]

I don't know why anyone places any bid that's not a snipe. It doesn't make sense if you're trying to minimize cost.

 

[Hawk8]

I don't know why anyone places any bid that's not a snipe. It doesn't make sense if you're trying to minimize cost.

I usually have too many items in my watch list so items that I know my bid will be lower than the final price, such as an opening .99 bid, then I will bid so it's in my bid list and I don't have to watch it

 

[mrdallas]

If you must have the card.... SNIPING IS THE ONLY WAY>>>>> Otherwise you are setting yourself to get shilled

 

[Hawk8]

I don't know why anyone places any bid that's not a snipe. It doesn't make sense if you're trying to minimize cost.

I usually have too many items in my watch list so items that I know my bid will be lower than the final price, such as an opening .99 bid, then I will bid so it's in my bid list and I don't have to watch it

 

[Topnotchsy]

It's your call if you want to bid. I've consigned with Probstein and know that any card I have listed through him was not shilled and I believe that is the case for the vast majority of cards listed by these guys. Are some listings shilled. I'm sure. But if it's a card I want I'll bid the price I'm willing to pay. As others mention sniping helps.

 

[RStadlerASU22]

It's your call if you want to bid. I've consigned with Probstein and know that any card I have listed through him was not shilled and I believe that is the case for the vast majority of cards listed by these guys. Are some listings shilled. I'm sure. But if it's a card I want I'll bid the price I'm willing to pay. As others mention sniping helps.

Agree to this 100% . The theory that everything is shilled is off IMO


Ryan

 

[David Anthony]

I don't think "everything" or every seller shills. Just the few I have read about and/or dealt with.

 

[goobmcnasty]

Before calling out sellers, keep in mind guys like Probstein have a fairly large following of buyers with deep pockets. That results in higher (unshilled) end prices.

 

[David Anthony]

I am not "calling out" anyone. The people that read this message board are the same people that already know the deal with these three sellers. Google the word Shill and any one of these sellers ebay name. That should be enough to convince anyone with half a brain what is really going on.

 

[cgilmo]

Fwiw I think Probstien is as legit as they come.

 

[phillyfan0417]

It's your call if you want to bid. I've consigned with Probstein and know that any card I have listed through him was not shilled and I believe that is the case for the vast majority of cards listed by these guys. Are some listings shilled. I'm sure. But if it's a card I want I'll bid the price I'm willing to pay. As others mention sniping helps.

You are 100% correct. Anyone who think Probstein is shilling his own auctions has no clue what they're talking about, period. It is near impossible for him to police those he consigns for and their shady activity.

 

[goobmcnasty]

I am not "calling out" anyone. The people that read this message board are the same people that already know the deal with these three sellers. Google the word Shill and any one of these sellers ebay name. That should be enough to convince anyone with half a brain what is really going on.

Since you chose to take the insulting route, I won't be passive and indirect about it. You are an idiot. Just because there are other idiots out there that jump to conclusions and make idiotic posts doesn't make it true. It just means the world has too many idiots with computers.

Probstein usually sells top notch items, so he has a fairly large following of buyers with money. When two of those buyers want the same item, it is going to sell for more.

 

[JoshHamilton]

There is a difference between a seller who shills his auctions and a seller whose auctions are shilled.


I can't speak for BigBoyd, I've bought from them before without issue. He's a bit annoying, but whatever. I can't speak for Imac other than I bought a $2 Marlins auto and it took him nearly a week to ship. The BO retard witch hunt against Jeremy is ludicrous. Doesn't matter what he asks, within two replies its 50 trolls trolling him. Whatever, he always seemed ok to me.


I've known Rick Probstein for more than ten years. I will say with near-total certainty neither he, nor anyone who works for him, shills.


Are his auctions shilled? Sure, some of them are. How exactly do you expect him to prevent this? Ask for everyones eBay ID's when they consign with him and block each person from bidding on their own auctions? That isn't feasible.


And in regards to certain bidders who have high bid %'s with him...so what? The main thing I buy on ebay are 9.5 Trouts. There's a guy out of Rancho Santa Margarita, CA who lists a ton of graded Trouts. I win about 75% of the ones I don't have. My overall bidding percentage on eBay is 26% on his auctions alone. Does that mean I'm in cahoots with him? **** no! He just happens to sell stuff I collect. I don't even know the guy's name.

 

[jbhofmann]

I used to buy into the witch hunt theory until I started thinking for myself. These guys that dog into bidding histories are starting to look like those Sasquatch hunters.

Will, you pretty much hit a Gonecarlo bomb with that analysis. Analogy intended.

 

[David Anthony]

If it looks like a duck........... Google is your friend, use it!

 

[RiceLynnEvans75]

It seems more often than not, that the shilling call out threads (in general, not speaking about any particular poster/seller/etc) lack common sense or are a result of a bidder being pissy that they lost out on an auction to someone else. Just because someone bids a lot on one auction, it doesn't mean it's a shill. Many people have different methods of bidding for whatever reason. Just because it's not the norm, is different than what you (again, in general), or seems bizarre does not mean that shilling or something else is going on.

It takes a heck of a lot more than a percentage to convince me that someone shills as well. I have a few sellers listed as "favorites" and check them out frequently. Granted, I'm not buying right now but when I do, I will use them whenever possible.

 

[predatorkj]

It's just like pack searching. It sucks but it exists. Either deal with it or don't. But complaining about it will never get you anywhere. Even if they kicked all three of those guys off ebay( which I don't think will happen) there will be three new sellers to take their place that you'll be in here griping about next week. That's time wasted. Don't waste your time.