I think the reasonably understood approach of CL is to list a price. When someone tries to make an auction out of it... if I really want the bike I will be really annoyed, but I will NEVER buy it. CL is a reverse auction. You list a price based upon what you think you can expect to get, and knowing that people will knock the price DOWN a peg or two. It's kind of like a flea market. Ever see someone trying the auction approach at a fleamarket? They would get tarred and feathered.

When I respond to an ad and they reply asking for bids, I always say "I don't want any part of your auction... keep it"

When I see an ad requesting bids, I reply "$1.00"

The beauty of CL is that it truly is self policing. If people put up with crap they will get crap. Let the market find it's own ballance... CL policing and nasty "RE" posts may just be part of that.