When a person bits on an item and it says that his/her name is being protected how do I know that the seller is not increasing the bid.

[4033bobsport]

:^O

[scifan57]

Back in the day when bidder's identities were not hidden by eBay,private listings were a way of hiding your purchases from others who knew your user ID,such as wives,husbands,etc.. They were also a way of hiding those items that might be embarrassing to the buyer if they were known,such as adult items.

[dmil8030]

You don't.  And because those 'private' auctions are the best protection a shiller can get on ebay, many honest bidders won't bid in them even if they could get the item for free.  On the other hand, it might be fine.  I have won auctions like that for a sinfully low amount because there were too few bidders.  The thing is, - don't be shilled up.  Ever.

There are perfecty good reasons a seller might list that way.  These items don't show up in feedback, so if there are a number of complaints about a certain item, unless the buyers say what for, other buyers will not know what to avoid. 

Some sellers believe that anything people buy is private and that all purchases should be undisclosed.  If you want to read what ebay has to say about it, there is this:

http://pages.ebay.ca/help/sell/private.html

You always see your own ID, but in these types of auctions, everyone is a 'private bidder' with their 'identity protected.  That's how you would look to others.

If you really like the item and would like to bid, have a maximum in mind (item price + shipping) and bid that once and as late as possible.  If it is an honest auction, then the outcome should be just like any other.  After all, if you fancy the thing, so will others, and there will always be a sniper at the end.