Classic & Vintage - Shill Bidding on ebay

Has anyone ever experienced what they suspect is shill bidding on ebay? Recently, I bid on two entry to mid-level, but nice, vintage road bikes on ebay, but was outbid on both - one by a bidder with no feedback. Interestingly, I've been given a second chance on both of these bikes, but it seems ebay uses my max bid as the second chance offer, rather than where the bidding stood when this "competing bidder" stepped in. I've held my ground and have offered only what my bid was prior to the run up, although I do think the bikes are worth more than that bid.

Using your max bid is the way it is done. Those are the rules. The fact that you were out bid by someone with no feedback and then backed out IS suspicious. It doesn't hurt to alert ebay.

When that sort of thing happens to me, I tell the seller that I don't compete against people with zero feedback but that I'll bid if he or she relists the item.

^-- That sounds like the best option.

The one time this happened to me, I split the difference between where it ended before it was run up and what my max bid was and offerred that. It took a couple days but the offer was accepted.

When that sort of thing happens to me, I tell the seller that I don't compete against people with zero feedback but that I'll bid if he or she relists the item.

I agree 100%.

Never offer more than what you think an item is worth. Hold your line, irrespective of what happens next. If the seller has a deal with a shill, so be it. No one can force you to overpay for an item, unless you permit him/her to do so.

Assuming these were not shill bids, relisting seems the fairest course of action. Of course, ebay stands to gain more with it's current policy of second chance offers. It's just curious to me that my original high bid, which stood for a while before the bailed bidder came along, is erased from the bidding history by ebay.

Oh well, rant over.

I broke a bit and offered one seller half as much as the difference between my "lower bid" and my "max bid." I really like the bike, and it would probably be a decent bargain at the price I've offered. If I do end up with it, I'll be sure to post pics.

i've seen fake bids on ebay, but never the kind you've experienced...
over on the ss/fg forum, there's currently a thread about someone bidding on their own high value item to jack up the price...

also, i was once bidding on some bike tools when i noticed a group of three zero feedback bidders were bidding like crazy on all this seller's items... when i checked them out i found that they and the seller were all registered in the same town in north carolina..

then again, crazy stuff does happen on ebay.. and like as not its going to come from the new users with zero feedback.. i was selling a car for a friend recently and i got pretty nervous toward the end when the two heaviest bidders both had no feedback and had never contacted me with any questions.. (one was located more than 1000 miles away from me and the other was bidding on 6 of the same model car at the same time!).. in the end a genuine buyer came through but if you were to look at it from an external viewpoint it might look fishy

also, i was once bidding on some bike tools when i noticed a group of three zero feedback bidders were bidding like crazy on all this seller's items... when i checked them out i found that they and the seller were all registered in the same town in north carolina..



Only thing I'd mention about this is that local pick-ups make me more likely to raise my price a bit...course, I have no idea what the shipping was going to cost you on that.