This has happened to me a couple of times. I do not respond to second-chance offers, because I do not want to deal with dishonest sellers. Do not respond unless you really want the item enough to reward this sort of crookery.

Chibimimi - I didn't respond because I definitely bid more than I should have and would have, had there not been this sort of thing happening. I do really want the item, but not for that max (inflated) price. Do you think it's smarter to wait for it to be relisted (who knows if this might happen again, though! or to contact the seller by e-mail and ask for a more reasonable price?

I think you are right to be wary of a situation like this. I find that I may have to wait a while, but another auction with the item I like usually comes along eventually, often at a better price than the auction I lost.

I am at the point that I only purchase if there is a "buy it now" option!

I've bought a lot of things on eBay for years (and used to sell, years ago.) Everyone has their own style, but it helps me to keep my thought process simple; all I think about is the maximum I want to pay. What is the item worth, to me? Then I stick to that, and usually set a bid using an automated bidding service like eSnipe, so I don't even have to be there when the auction ends.

I really never even think about shill bidding, because the only thing that matters to me is the final price. If it goes for more than I wanted to pay, it's easy for me to let it go. I just find it easier to avoid getting caught up in the excitement of last minute live bidding.

eBay changes their rules constantly, but I'm pretty sure it's still true that bidders aren't supposed to contact a seller when an auction is in progress, and ask them to set a Buy It Now price, if the seller didn't do so from the start. I know they do it, but they aren't supposed to.

However, in your case, since the auction has ended, there is nothing wrong with contacting the seller and inquiring about the item. It's just doing business. "Hello (seller), I'm interested in the widget you had listed in auction #12345. If it's still available, would you consider relisting it with a Buy It Now price of $XXX? I would be pleased to purchase it for that price. Thanks very much for your consideration, (you)."

Worst thing that can happen is they will answer you and say nope, they need more for the item, and then you won't be wondering anymore. Or, sometimes, they might not answer at all (which is an answer in itself.) It's not against the rules, and I don't think asking politely is rude at all.

Sounds suspicious, and if it FEELS suspicious to you, it likely is.

First, I'd offer my starting bid, take it or leave it, for the item.

Then I'd report this seller to eBay.

mudhouse - Your advice is super helpful. I definitely should have considered my max price and stuck to it. I also should have done more research up front as to the price for which similar items had sold recently. After the auction ended, and I had my suspicions, I checked other recent auctions to find that other items had sold for much less. In fact, I saw the very same item had apparently sold by the very same seller just ten days earlier. Which makes me wonder if it was another setup situation and the items was back listed again.

I learned my lesson, for sure.

Tibbrix, I think I will make an offer since the item is no longer listed. I do think this seller should be reported. I noticed in the history that a couple of other buyers had reported the seller (for a different issue) and the seller retaliated by having the buyer flagged somehow. So, that makes me nervous. The feedback for this seller is overwhelmingly positive, though, from many, many buyers. So, I don't understand how this could be happening and not get reported eventually.

I wouldn't do anything via the Web site. I would call eBay and speak to someone directly and express your concerns so you don't come off as a retaliative nut who didn't get what she wanted but someone reasonably and genuinely concerned. Then let them take it from there.

There's some interesting research that showed that people were willing to pay more for the identical item when there was a bidding situation with multiple bids than when there was nobody else bidding. (Kind of like validating that something must be good because somebody else wants it, too.)

I don't think a seller can complain to ebay about you if you haven't actually won the auction. You are not a buyer, just a bidder.

ps There is definitely something fishy about the seller. I would look for the item elsewhere.

This post was edited by deee on Fri, Apr 11, 14 at 8:11

I'm with deee. This story had shill bidding written all over it, and I wouldn't want to do any business with a seller who engaged in this practice.

However, I also appreciate mudhouse's advice. I haven't bid on ebay in a few years (used to quite often when it first came about). If I ever go back, I'm making note of the approach mudhouse takes because that's the only way I would feel comfortable with any purchase regardless of what the seller might be trying to pull off behind the scenes.

Editing to add that, Jan, if you could, please keep us posted. I hope all goes well, and this has been an informative thread for me, as I often wonder what I'm missing over in the ebay world. Good luck.

This post was edited by peony4 on Fri, Apr 11, 14 at 9:58

I've often wondered the same thing, and have had a similar experience. Even had a couple of experiences where no one bid anything until the last minute and then really upped the bid hoping I'd come in to win it. I did once because it was something I really wanted and then when it started happening again and again, I stopped myself because I saw it for what it was...someone getting a friend or relative to up the price. I didn't ever report this but I asked some friends who did a lot of selling on ebay if they thought it happened and all answered 'yes'. I don't buy much anymore on ebay unless it's a 'buy-it-now'. At the time, I was trying to fill in some china pieces. Got some really good deals, btw, at the time, but those days are long gone I'm afraid.

I've been a big eBay buyer, and still am, but now quite as much as in past years, as I like to 'shop' on Craigslist now.

I also use Gixen, to place bids for me in the last few seconds of an auction. MANY people 'snipe' bids like this, and it may make it appear that others are upping bids, but the fact is, that an item can sit until the last few seconds with no bids, and then get many. If you bid early, and others see bids on an item, you know they are going to bid against you i through the course of the auction if they also want the item.

But if people don't know that you are interested, they may also wait until the last few seconds as they are hoping that they are the ONLY one interested and they can often get it for less.

I have also seen a Buy It Now auction that is fast approaching the end, the items had been listed several times, and there had been no takers. I wanted these lamps badly, planning to re-make the style, as I loved the color. I felt they were overpriced as a Buy It Now, as were many of the seller's items. I wrote the seller and asked if he'd consider a lower buy It Now Price and named what I was willing to pay for them. He accepted happily and they were mine. That is the first time that I have done that, but it can't hurt to ask.

I've linked an article from eBay below on sniping, and there are many others online.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sniping, The Intelligent Way to Bid!

I hate when this happens. If you really want the item, reply to them, but offer to pay a lesser price and see what happens then! Ebay can be great, but there are always some who ruin it

Please be careful as the Seller could also put in a claim against you.
Reason; It's against Ebay TOS to email a Seller asking for a 'better' price or to negotiate a sale 'off Ebay'. BTDT.
If you decide you want to email a Seller, make sure it's not through Ebay's email system.
Personally, the whole auction from the beginning looks fishy and I wouldn't want the item from this Seller at all.
Being on Ebay since June 2001, it's just not worth it to me to take a chance with a Seller that 'looks fishy'.
Sorry if I come across as negative.....I certainly don't mean to be. Just looking out for you.

I have, in the past, emailed sellers on an item that didn't sell to ask if they were going to relist it, and to say that if it were relisted at a certain "buy it now" price I would buy it immediately.

This does not violate EBay rules, as the listing and purchase still occurs via EBay.

You can also ask for more pictures if you want to take a closer look at the item to judge its worth.

This seller does sound unethical re the bid process, but if the item is something that you really want, and you have confidence in the validity of the description (or EBay's warranty), then I would certainly try this approach. Be sure to pay with the most secure means.

Sellers can also list items as 'buy it now or best offer'. I bought a couple of items by making a best offer that was about 20% less than the buy it now price. I like that it was a direct negotiation with the seller but it had to be accepted by the seller through ebay so there was no issue with violating ebay TOS. So you might ask the seller if they would list it as best offer. That way they don't lose out on a possible higher price for the item in case you change your mind. Not that you would, but the seller might feel more comfortable doing it that way.

I agree with the posters above; it's not a violation of eBay's terms to ask a seller about relisting an item at a lower price, once the auction has ended. If they agree to relist, eBay will get their commission and fees.

It is against eBay's terms to contact a seller and ask them to complete a sale off eBay, but I don't think that was the OP's intent.

One way to give yourself a double layer of protection is to pay through PayPal using a credit card, instead of using a balance in your PayPal account. If a snafu occurs, and for some reason PayPal/eBay does not back you as the buyer (which is rare) you can still dispute the charge with your credit card company.

I purchase a lot of things off Ebay and have had only one big complaint. I did receive money back plus shipping and Ebay made the seller take the item down (misrepresentation) BUT she was a BIG seller and it's all about the money so Ebay still lets her list and sell. They aren't going to do anything to a big money maker.
When you find something you want always check similar items, many times you can find the same thing being sold for less. I have seen people buy an item for a lot of $$$ and if they had checked they could have gotten it for a lot less.
Hope you are able to get the item you want.

I was a sucker when I first started at EBay..
To me it was a gambling-like addiction...Had to WIN !

A fair price would be the highest bid on record before that "person" jumped in causing the bids to go up -just to dump out .

I've actually purchased more from shopgoodwill.com than ebay. It's a * real* business, not just several one- man-operation(even though many are not!)businesses, and have never had a problem. I once had something arrive that was broken, made a call to,that particular location, and was completely refunded, w/o any speculation on their part.

Lots of vintage/antique items, and much easier to navigate than ebay

This forum has never let me down. Thanks to all of you for your great ideas about what to do.

The item I like is pretty unique, and no other sellers on ebay or the internet, for that matter, seem to sell anything identical. So, I took Mudhouse's advice and contacted the seller through ebay (as privately could be a violation of the TOS). I offered to pay a reasonable price and specified the amount if the item were still available or able to be relisted at a buy-it-now price.

We'll see. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I do always pay through PayPal with a credit card.

I will keep you all posted on what happens.

Patty_cakes, I have never tried shopgoodwill.com, but I shall check it out, for sure.

Informative thread... Thanks for asking!

I hope it works out for you!

Seller says he will sell to me for an amount that is more than I wanted to pay, but less than the second-chance offer price. I would be getting a "discount" off the second-chance offer price. Now I have a decision to make, I guess. I still think it's overpriced, but it is something special, IMO. I will think about it for awhile before responding.

Do I just purchase it and chalk it up to a lesson learned? Or do I continue to bargain, noting to the seller that the way the auction ended and subsequent immediate second-chance offer, seem suspicious?

Does the seller only have one of the item? I have received 2nd chance bids offers when there is more than one, such as a watch.

The story is a bit hard to swallow, about the international bidder suddenly realizing he/she didn't want to pay the additional shipping. But it may be legit, as the seller thought the item was sold, so why not offer it to the next person in line?

I tend to analyze (as it's my job) a seller, the item being sold, the seller's feedback, by looking at their neutral and negative feedback, etc, before deciding to bid. I ALWAYS pay via PayPal with a credit card.

I think only you can decide what to do here, as we don't know the amount of money separating what the seller wants for it and what you are willing to pay, and how badly you want the item. If it's say, $20, and he won't take what you are offering, will you always regret the 'one that got away'? Does he have a return policy, and would the item be costly to pay for return shipping on? All those things need to be taken into consideration.

my3dogs, the international bidder story would be easier to believe had it not occurred three minutes after the auction ended.

I did check out the seller's ratings prior to bidding, and he has very high positive feedback.

We're talking about roughly $50 here, on an item I hoped to pay $80 - $90 for (without shipping). So, it is not such a big deal in the scheme of life's expenses. It's more about the principle.

I'm thinking I may buy it at the amount offered and then share my concerns about the process with the seller; that it will affect my decision to bid on his items in the future, etc. I don't know.

You're right that I may regret it if I don't. It's something I have been looking at for a while and keep coming back to. It's just one of those intangible draws.

My two cents:
I'd strongly advise not mentioning your suspicions about shill bidding, if you want to buy the item, or if you think you might want to buy in the future from this same seller.

eBay has changed a lot in recent years, and most of the changes have been geared to make buying as fear-free as possible. Unfortunately, these changes have also made it much easier for sellers to be scammed by dishonest buyers who have learned how to take advantage of the system. It's one of the reasons I stopped selling on eBay; the stress of bumping into the occasional "bad guy" took the fun out of it for me.

Once you pay for an item on eBay, you have all the power. You have the right to leave a positive or negative feedback, and (more importantly) you have the right to leave a Detailed Seller Rating (the star ratings.) eBay uses those star ratings numbers to determine seller fees, placements in search results, and whether or not the seller will even be allowed to continue to sell.

A one or two star rating can actually have very harsh results, especially if the seller does not have a high volume. Small time sellers can really be damaged by a single buyer who decides to be unfair and vindictive.

Sellers know this, and as a result, in the "new eBay," they have their antenna up at all times to watch for dishonest buyers.

Of course, that's not you! My point is, they don't know you. I have even seen sellers post on the Seller Central eBay forum that they block bidders who ask too many questions about size, etc, as they get worried they are being targeting by a scammer or very difficult buyer. I think this is silly, but I'm just trying to add some perspective to this thread, from a seller's viewpoint.

It didn't used to be this way. The old eBay was much more open, and communication was easier. In the new eBay, I find sellers are much more tense. Since I used to sell there, I understand why.

To be brutally honest, if I was selling a widget, and a buyer offered a price, and I countered, and the buyer responded to me with a comment suggesting shill bidding, I would most likely add them to my blocked bidder list, and move on. I know this sounds very harsh, but eBay's recent rules have made it imperative for good sellers to be very proactive, and protect themselves at all times, if they want to be able to keep selling.

If the seller has good feedback, and if you want the item for the price, I'd just buy it. I would not introduce the issue of shill bidding into the conversation...unless you decide you don't want to buy it, and you don't think you will need to shop in the future from this seller.

I hope that makes sense! I just want you to be able to buy the item, if you decide you want it.

(edited for typo!)

This post was edited by mudhouse on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 11:44

I would not say anything about the bidding to the seller in the course of negotiating. He likely would become very defensive and you would not accomplish your goal.

If you want to make a complaint, make it to ebay. If the seller truly does engage in shill bidding, he doesn't care about your concerns about the process. Chances are, ebay doesn't care all that much either.

Only you can decide if the item is worth the asking price to you. Remember that things are only worth what people are willing to pay...

Just wanted to add, you can always contact eBay and report a seller for suspected shill bidding. My understanding is they take it seriously, and supposedly they will review the bidding activity on the seller's past auctions. I've reported sellers in the past for obvious shady stuff, on a few occasions, because it only hurts eBay for all of us. This might be a better way to try to deal with this seller, if he/she truly is using shill bidding.

(Sorry raee, I was typing the same thing while you were posting!)

This post was edited by mudhouse on Sat, Apr 12, 14 at 11:57

Good thoughts! I won't discuss the concerns directly with the seller. I do like his items, but I really believe something is awry with this situation. Anyway, at least he has reduced the price from the second chance offer.

Well, I bought the item, paid a little too much, and still feel happy anyway. I think I was my own worst enemy in the first auction. Oh well. I will be more disciplined with my bidding next time.

Hooray! (If you feel happy, I don't think you paid too much.)

I've had this happen, too, but I also wanted to mention another auction I've run across several times. I don't know if s/he is still selling used socks but they were doing a booming business around Christmas time. And the feedback!! Unbelievable!! A friend and I watched it for a couple of weeks just for entertainment!

eBay back in the good old days was much more fun.

Thanks, mudhouse! Your expert ebay guidance helped me get what I hoped for, and I will post pictures sometime after it is received and up for display in my home. Thanks again, so much.

lov, used socks - ha! That's a good one! ebay has certainly evolved since those days. :o)

So, how would you handle a situation where you're the only bidder but it's obvious that the seller is bidding on his/her own items to drive the price up, e.g. the item is immediately relisted after s/he "won" it? I still want that item. Do I contact the seller and ask for buy it now at the price I should have won it?

We use the "buy it now" feature most often, but have bid on a couple items. Bottom line if you want to be most satisfied never bid/pay more than you want to. The maximum bid thing can bite you too. We "won" one auction, paid more than we would have had to as we did end up the only bidder!! All this strategy is why we prefer the buy it now price. I like to know what I am getting and what I am paying for it.

nosoccermom, that's kind of a tough one. If the item is unique and you can't buy it elsewhere, you could try contacting the seller and asking for a Buy It Now price. (You're sure it's not that they are just relisting an identical item, right?)

Hard to know how they will react but I don't see what it could hurt. I would write the request carefully so they can't really tell if you're accusing them of shill bidding or not; if they think you are going to report them, they'll probably just block you immediately and move on. How is the rest of their feedback? Sometimes you can look at the detailed feedback other buyers have left to figure out if the seller is above board, or not well behaved.

If they react negatively (or if you find bad things in their feedback) and you decide it's a lost cause, then I'd probably contact eBay and report the practice. As far as I know eBay still does not look kindly on this practice at all. However, I don't think there is really a way to force the seller to act like he should (to make sure you can buy the item.)

A reasonable amount of positive feedback, but who knows, maybe a lot of it is fake.

I"m 100% sure it's the identical item because it's a one-of-a kind vintage item, same descriptions and same pictures.

Maybe I can play dumb, stating I noticed that the same buyer has won this item twice now and again didn't go through with the sale. I'd be happy to take it as a "second chance" offer.

I think that's a great approach. You'd be letting him know that you noticed a pattern, without sounding threatening. I'd give it a try, since it's a one-of-a-kind item.

I have sometimes purchased from downright scary sellers to get a special vintage item; the way eBay is structured these days, buyers can almost always get reimbursed if there's a snafu. (Although sometimes it takes a while.) I usually use a credit card through PayPal for another layer of protection (I can always dispute a charge with my credit card co as a last resort.)

We'll see what happens.