I am also curious to know how Chas did his analysis. This is valuable information. We all use ebay to varying degrees and it would be good to be able to do this for ourselves.
Tony Taylor Manchester NH
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org; verktyg@aol.com Sent: Wed, July 21, 2010 3:58:28 PM Subject: [CR] eBay 1969 Colnago - Suspicious bidding games
Charles, Just curious how you were able to identify the bidder you cite since the identity is concealed???
Appreciate knowing the ID on my end so I can also check it out.
I already asked eBay to take a look at this auction prior to posting my comments
on the CR list.
Regards, Kevin Kruger - Grantville, PA USA
====================================================================================================
Archive-URL:
http://search.bikelist.org/
Kevin,
The suspicious bidder placed 15 bids on this bike. I always check the bid history when an auction doesn't look right to me. The bidder placed 47 bids for 6 items in the last 30 days of which 31% are with this seller. He also has 2 bid retractions during the past 30 days.
Have you ever tried to do a bid retraction? When I see a lot of them from one bidder I stop bidding!
This sounds like an auction that should be reported to eBay because of the manipulations of the seller.
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
Kevin Kruger wrote:
> Sure most of you who search eBay found the restored 1969 Colnago Super.
>
> First appeared with a BIN/Best Offer option, and I submitted an offer,
only to
> have the seller reduce the first BIN price, never respond to my offer,
then to
> close the auction down.
>
> The bike reappeared on a non-reserve auction, and I placed my bid, only
to have
> someone place bid(s) until they were the high bidder, and then he/she
canceled
> the bid. Now the seller has canceled my bid, stating the reason being the
> disclosure of my high bid by the dishonest "bidder" who canceled his bid
after
> uncovering my high bid.
>
> Asked the seller to explain, but this whole auction has left me too
suspicious
> to even want to consider bidding on it again (was prepared to adjust the bid
> upward closer to the end of the auction).
>
> Another reason for being upset with eBay's policy to hide bidder IDs. Just
> makes it easy to play games with an auction from both a bidder's and
seller's
> perspective.
>
> In case you didn't see the auction, here's the address (item #110559405799)
>
> http://ebay.com/
>
> Sorry if this bike has been discussed, but I just returned home from
being away
> from my computer for nearly a week.
>
> Regards,
> Kevin Kruger - Grantville, PA USA