Do you think people who sell items on eBay create other IDs to bid on their own item to raise bidding price?

Question

I've always wondered if people who sell stuff on eBay create another ID/login, so when other buyers bid on their stuff, the seller can go into their other ID/login and then bid on themselves just to raise the price.

Answer 1

Yes it happens. Its called shill bidding, and yes Ive done it. =D We dont do it anymore, though. If you get caught get your account suspended for 2 weeks. You can still sell stuff on eBay for those 2 weeks, but you have to you use fixed price format instead of bidding. (lol My account just got un-suspended last week.) See, my mom sells ivy on eBay and she always asks me to go bid on it, just to raise the price. Of course I do it, because its always fun. If I win the ivy, my mom just marks the ivy as already paid for. Well, eBay just stated about a month ago that its illegal. We had no idea it was until they told us our accounts were suspended. They only caught us because on my eBay account and my mom's eBay account, we have the same address listed on the accounts. When I bid on her ivy, eBay realized that someone from the same household as the seller bid on the item and WHAM-O! We were caught. We don't do it anymore of course because we know they will catch us. Thank a lot eBay for ruining our fun!!!!!!! =P

Answer 2

I am a power seller and I don't. I must admit that when I first started a year ago I did do that about three times but it is too much of a pain in the butt!! I would suspect new users of doing it but not oldies :)

Answer 3

I know people that have circles of friends that do this for them. they're all just pulling favors for each other, bidding on each others items to bring up the prices. it's shady i think, but what can you do?

Answer 4

Heck yea! especially if they are close to losing major profits!

Answer 5

i think that alot. that would be a good way to do things thou dont you think