RE: Shill Bidding?

["Jim Blair" <carnuck@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

A: If you figure it's being shilled, I bid to 20% below what I would 
normally bid. That way when the shill backs out, I usually get offered the 
item for less as the "backup" bidder. I figure that if everyone did that, 
the shills would stop this crap.


From: "John W Rosa" <JohnRosa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "AMC List" <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: Shill Bidding?
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 08:12:11 -0500
Message-ID: <JLEEIKHLGPGPJKGLAPMEOEOPCLAA.JohnRosa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>


The term is 'shilling' not shrilling....FYI. :)

The zeros don't automatically mean a shiller
is at work. Everyone has to start somewhere.

And even if a shiller really was at work, it
can't affect you really...except that you won't
'steal' the item.

A shiller is really an 'invisible reserve',
nothing more. They can't force you to bid over
your maximum. Only YOU can do that, and then
it becomes your own fault.

Decide what it's worth, and bid that number.
Then, DON'T re-bid higher.

If no shilling happens, and no one else wants
it, you'll win it.

If shilling happens, you'll either pay the
maximum you already decided to pay (if the shiller
is good and figures out what your max bid is, then
bids just under it), or the shiller will outbid
you and the seller won't sell the car- effectively,
a 'reserve'.

While it doesn't sell that time, you can rest
assured that he wasted his listing fees AND will
pay eBay a final value fee for the final bid
price....cuz eBay sees it as 'sold'. :)

THEN, he has to re-list again, claiming the prior
winner didn't follow through....and pays again to
relist it. He can't ask for the prior fees to be
waived without leaving negative feedback for the
shiller...which is usually a pal.

Whatever the outcome, they can't make you pay more
than you were willing to pay from the start. Only
you can lose your head and start bidding silly.
And then, it's your fault.

And that's my .02.


John W Rosa


http://www.JavelinAMX.com