How do I know if there is shilling on an item I am bidding On?

[denisca_6i9ttim]

I suspect shilling, how would I know? I know I can report it, but what if I am wrong about it and it's legitimate bidding?

[ypdc_dennis · Accepted solution]

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@denisca_6i9ttim wrote:
I suspect shilling, how would I know? I know I can report it, but what if I am wrong about it and it's legitimate bidding?

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The best you can do is suspect.

However, you are able to look at the 30 day auction bid history of other bidders -- just click on the masked ID link of another bidder (in the Bid History of the auction) to see if what they are doing looks suspect.

Look at Bid retractions for 30 days and for (6 months) to see if there a lot. The shill bidder does not want to win.

Look at the number of auctions they won (green numbers in the No. of Bids column), if they have been winning they are probably not a shill bidder.

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[femmefan1946]

If you are wrong and the bidding is legitimate nothing happens.

Neither you nor the seller is punished.

But basically, a loyal customer who bids with only one seller is not always a shiller.

If the bidder is winning, he is not shilling because as dennis says, shillers don't want to win, they want you to win at the highest price they can force.

[i.am.vivian]

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@denisca_6i9ttim wrote:
I suspect shilling, how would I know? I know I can report it, but what if I am wrong about it and it's legitimate bidding?

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In addition to what the others have said, I would add that often the shiller DOES want to win if they can't force the bidding to their desired price. 

If you are bidding on a Breitling and no one will pay more than $80, you are NOT going to get it for that.  The shiller would rather lose the 30-cent listing fee over and over and over again  than give away an item for a lot less than they think its worth. 

Shilling is far from rare and nothing is ever done about it.  All you can do is if you think there is something fishy about it, don't bid and find a more trustworthy seller.  Use the BUY IT NOW and pay a fair price from an honest person and get your item more quicky. 

Don't worry about wrongful reporting.  Even when the shilling is so obvious a blind person could spot it, eBay won't interfere.  The report button is there to make bidders 'feel' protected and the policy against shilling is there to protect eBay legally.  To best protect yourself, find a seller who doesn't leave you thinking you've been had. 

[ypdc_dennis]

The 30 cent fee applies if the auction doesn't sell (no bids, then no shilling) -- if there are bidders and the seller cancels the auction the seller gets charged the FVF as if the auction sold (with one free pass per year). If the shiller wins and the seller recovers their fees then the shilling account gets an unpaid item black mark -- eBay pays attention to those.

[i.am.vivian]

Not very much they don't. In fact, I'd say eBay pays no attention at all.