EBAY is it real?

[Frankn]

I have purchased many things on EBAY with only one problem. A ghost bidder ran the price up and I stopped bidding. They said the guy didn't pay so they offered me a second chance to buy it at my highest bid. I declined. I would not pay a high price that a ghost bidder had run up. That's one of the oldest tricks in the auction game.
Here's where the problem is for me. I entered two Water color paintings. They show 4 views on one and 7 views on the other but no bids. They were listed as water color listed by artist. I wanted to see the listing. I spent a lot of time running thru 3000+ paintings, but mine was not there. I tried to notify them but my question did not fit their cookey cutter reply list. All I got was take a survey. At the end was a block to leave a question and I did. Never got a reply. Any one know a valid E mail address that doesn't jest send you a survey automatically?

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[Blacksheep]

That is why I stopped selling on E-bay. When things go wrong, you can't just pick up a phone and call someone. And to think that we have to pay for it.

Nope, I sell all my stuff on Craigslist now. It's free, and if something goes wrong, you just wipe out your ad, and start over. You aren't out any money. Too many loops and hurdles to jump thru on E-bay now. It has changed for the worse in my eyes over the years.

Yep, shill bidders and the constant battle to be paid is exactly why I stopped using feebay. Craigslist is great...sometimes. Had a few shiesters try to best me there as well. When I do list/sell, I insist on the purchaser come to my home and alone (unless its a large item that requires muscle to move), I only accept cash.

Hate the spam CL generates, I do list in my ads a keyword to be used in the subject line to help avoid it (I never list a phone number but rather give it after the initial contact).

 

[Westfront]

I have purchased many things on EBAY with only one problem. A ghost bidder ran the price up and I stopped bidding. They said the guy didn't pay so they offered me a second chance to buy it at my highest bid. I declined. I would not pay a high price that a ghost bidder had run up. That's one of the oldest tricks in the auction game.
Here's where the problem is for me. I entered two Water color paintings. They show 4 views on one and 7 views on the other but no bids. They were listed as water color listed by artist. I wanted to see the listing. I spent a lot of time running thru 3000+ paintings, but mine was not there. I tried to notify them but my question did not fit their cookey cutter reply list. All I got was take a survey. At the end was a block to leave a question and I did. Never got a reply. Any one know a valid E mail address that doesn't jest send you a survey automatically?

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I understand what You want to say with the paintings but i dont understand the thing with the ghost bidder. If it was a true one. You bid til You reached YOUR max You want to spend. And get an offer for exact this price.... It was Your price not the one from the ghost bidder. So where is the problem?
Anyways, ebay is not longer a place for a bargain. Even over here in europe. But sometimes it is the only way for me to buy things i cannot get here. (often buy car parts in the States)

 

[Woodland Detectors]

That is why I stopped selling on E-bay. When things go wrong, you can't just pick up a phone and call someone. And to think that we have to pay for it.

Nope, I sell all my stuff on Craigslist now. It's free, and if something goes wrong, you just wipe out your ad, and start over. You aren't out any money. Too many loops and hurdles to jump thru on E-bay now. It has changed for the worse in my eyes over the years.

Yep, shill bidders and the constant battle to be paid is exactly why I stopped using feebay. Craigslist is great...sometimes. Had a few shiesters try to best me there as well. When I do list/sell, I insist on the purchaser come to my home and alone (unless its a large item that requires muscle to move), I only accept cash.

Hate the spam CL generates, I do list in my ads a keyword to be used in the subject line to help avoid it (I never list a phone number but rather give it after the initial contact).

Boy, I agree

 

[jeff of pa]

I have purchased many things on EBAY with only one problem. A ghost bidder ran the price up and I stopped bidding. They said the guy didn't pay so they offered me a second chance to buy it at my highest bid. I declined. I would not pay a high price that a ghost bidder had run up. That's one of the oldest tricks in the auction game.
Here's where the problem is for me. I entered two Water color paintings. They show 4 views on one and 7 views on the other but no bids. They were listed as water color listed by artist. I wanted to see the listing. I spent a lot of time running thru 3000+ paintings, but mine was not there. I tried to notify them but my question did not fit their cookey cutter reply list. All I got was take a survey. At the end was a block to leave a question and I did. Never got a reply. Any one know a valid E mail address that doesn't jest send you a survey automatically?

​

I understand what You want to say with the paintings but i dont understand the thing with the ghost bidder. If it was a true one. You bid til You reached YOUR max You want to spend. And get an offer for exact this price.... It was Your price not the one from the ghost bidder. So where is the problem?
Anyways, ebay is not longer a place for a bargain. Even over here in europe. But sometimes it is the only way for me to buy things i cannot get here. (often buy car parts in the States)

First off if you were at a public auction & You bid $1.00
& The only other bidder was a Shill
who caused you to run it up to $50
then they ran out.

Would you want to pay $49 ?

I'd make them start over & if somone bid $2 again
this time I'd drop out.

Same thing with EBay with one exception,
I would not agree to pay more then
what my bid was before the Shill jumped in.

Why be taken advantage of ?

 

[diggummup]

As an pretty active seller on Ebay these last 6 months, i've had an item or two that was bid up ridiculously and the buyers didn't pay. I then offered it to the next highest bidder, they bought it. Although I agree that shill bidding does exist, I don't think it's ALWAYS shill bidding that drives up the price of something. I list things according to want I want to make off of it or at least double of what I got in it, if it goes higher then so be it. Any precious metals I start at .99 and let the market decide. If you want to bid on something then bid the highest amount that you are willing to pay for the item, if you win it then so be it. Don't get into a bidding war, there'll be another one of the same item up for auction before you know it.
As far as the 2 watercolors go, I don't know what to tell you although there is a phone number for ebay.
You can use either one of the following eBay 800 numbers to contact eBay by phone: 1-800-322-9266 and 1-888-749-3229

 

[Frankn]

Westfront: A lot of people through in a very high highest bid to try to keep you from throw in a last minute bid and getting it. They know they won't have to pay their highest bid, only one jump over yours. Its part of the game on EBay. The ghost bidder or shill had thrown in a bid of $1009. At $1000 I realised I had reached my limit and dropped out. That left him with a bid of $1009 . EBay sent me an Email offering me a second chance at my highest bid. I realized what had happened and declined the offer. The seller said the bidder wouldn't pay. He finally offered it to me at 1/2 the top bid, but to me the deal had soured and I declined.
Usually lessons in life cost you. I consider myself lucky in this case.

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[diggummup]

Westfront: A lot of people through in a very high highest bid to try to keep you from throw in a last minute bid and getting it. They know they won't have to pay their highest bid, only one jump over yours. Its part of the game on EBay. The ghost bidder or shill had thrown in a bid of $1009. At $1000 I realised I had reached my limit and dropped out. That left him with a bid of $1009 . EBay sent me an Email offering me a second chance at my highest bid. I realized what had happened and declined the offer. The seller said the bidder wouldn't pay. He finally offered it to me at 1/2 the top bid, but to me the deal had soured and I declined.
Usually lessons in life cost you. I consider myself lucky in this case.

​

So what your saying is every time there is a bidding "war" on Ebay (or at least when it involves you) it is because some unscrupulous seller has a ghost account that he uses to bid up his own merchandise? I mean, that's sure what it sounds like to me. Absurd and nonsensical. Get over it, you lost and your mad about it. I can't count the times i've lost a bidding war by one bid because I was trying to one up the other bidder at the last second using one click bid. That's why now, if I want something I put in the highest amount that i'm willing to pay for it and no more. I'll admit Ebay sucks compared to the way they used to be but if it's that bad for you just leave it alone and don't use it.
Also you asked for an email to Ebay I figured a phone number would be better for you so I listed it above in my last reply. If the numbers are no longer available because they change them all the time the you can do this-
1.Sign out from your eBay account.
2.Click "Contact Us" at the top of any eBay page.
3.Type the word "register" in the query box and press enter.
4.On the following page, click the link to request registration help for eBay, not PayPal.
5.When the "Call eBay" button appears, click on it.
6.Write down the 1-800 number and PIN that you see and use them.
Even though your issue isn't related to registration, once you're in they'll generally talk to you.

For email-
To email eBay customer support directly,http://tinyurl.com/2ec2vr3. Note that you'll need to sign in before being able to enter your message, that the response will be delivered to the email address you have on file at eBay, and that it may take longer to receive a reply this way.

Your welcome.

 

[Westfront]

Westfront: A lot of people through in a very high highest bid to try to keep you from throw in a last minute bid and getting it. They know they won't have to pay their highest bid, only one jump over yours. Its part of the game on EBay. The ghost bidder or shill had thrown in a bid of $1009. At $1000 I realised I had reached my limit and dropped out. That left him with a bid of $1009 . EBay sent me an Email offering me a second chance at my highest bid. I realized what had happened and declined the offer. The seller said the bidder wouldn't pay. He finally offered it to me at 1/2 the top bid, but to me the deal had soured and I declined.
Usually lessons in life cost you. I consider myself lucky in this case.

​

Thats not very clever in my eyes... not on ebay...
You throw in a "very high highest bid", much more as Youre willing to pay
If Youve done something like that and run into a ghost bidder its Your fault. Sorry.

I try to bid in the last seconds of the auction. If this is not possible i bid what im willing to pay and let it go....

 

[jeff of pa]

Westfront: A lot of people through in a very high highest bid to try to keep you from throw in a last minute bid and getting it. They know they won't have to pay their highest bid, only one jump over yours. Its part of the game on EBay. The ghost bidder or shill had thrown in a bid of $1009. At $1000 I realised I had reached my limit and dropped out. That left him with a bid of $1009 . EBay sent me an Email offering me a second chance at my highest bid. I realized what had happened and declined the offer. The seller said the bidder wouldn't pay. He finally offered it to me at 1/2 the top bid, but to me the deal had soured and I declined.
Usually lessons in life cost you. I consider myself lucky in this case.

​

Thats not very clever in my eyes... not on ebay...
You throw in a "very high highest bid", much more as Youre willing to pay
If Youve done something like that and run into a ghost bidder its Your fault. Sorry.

I try to bid in the last seconds of the auction. If this is not possible i bid what im willing to pay and let it go....

Yep if I Can't snipe it at the end,
I Let it go with no regrets.

As said earlier, another will come along.

 

[terryo]

i have bought , and sold, on eBay for 12 years, lost a lot of items from sniping at the last second, but such is life.I had a particular collectible that I always bought as soon as I saw one pop up, and noticed one guy had started sniping every auction. One night, after losing an especially good one to the same guy, instead of getting mad, I emailed him, and we worked out a trade for some of mine for some of his kind of deal, and even though we have never met in person, we have become pretty close friends via internet. Now, when an item comes up, he will ask if I am interested in it before he bids !Of course, this doesn't work with everyone, cause there are some genuine d*cks out there, but for me, in this one instance, it worked out great ! I have sold many artifacts(arrowheads/tools )mainly, old bottles, relics, etc, had a couple of bad checks , but everyone made them good, no real bad experiences selling . If you want big money, collectibles are the way to go, people go nuts sometimes over some things I wouldn't have paid a dollar for !I did sell one Hillsborough point for 1009 dollars,(found in the Suwannee river years ago) a canoe,a one armed doll that sold for 160$, a (literally) vomit smelling Jennie doll with some old clothes, my wife paid 2 bucks for, (and I fussed about that), for 600 bucks. I freely admit any problems I see with an item, and try to be as honest and accomodating with people as possible, and it has always worked out for me.Unfortunately eBay has gotten so expensive to list items, I've pretty much quit messing with it. Once you look at your net profit line, unless an item really went high, you can end up losing money on the whole danged deal!

 

[handy]

Ebay is horrable there is one seller that sometimes list coins always startingthem for .99 cents i havebid on thses and if the price dont go up to where he wants it to go up to he cancels the auctions EVEN THU THEREARE BIDS ON THEM. He did this to 6 auctions at once all where bidded on by me THAT IS A THEIF

 

[Iron Patch]

Sure some sellers play the system, but it's no different than backdoor deals done at an auction house which screws the seller. The bottom line is shill bidding is no different than if the seller put on a reserve price. It's impossible to know who is in the bidding history, or what their true intentions are, and that's why YOU decide how much you want to pay. With Ebay now offering fixed price with best offer there's not much reason to play the whole shill bid game anymore on higher end items.