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EBay poll...Private listings

What would you bid on a private listing?

  • More than a public listing

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Same as a public listing

    Votes: 9 28.1%

  • Less than a public listing

    Votes: 3 9.4%

  • Much less than a public listing

    Votes: 3 9.4%

  • Very little and only if a huge bargain

    Votes: 12 37.5%

  • Nothing, would not bid on private listing

    Votes: 5 15.6%
  • Total voters
    32
  • Poll closed .
md8287

md8287

TUG Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2017
Messages
463
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Resorts Owned
Marriott Aruba, Harborside Atlantis & Westin Lagunamar
I have never understood why some sellers use private eBay listings (where you can not see, or even figure out, other bidding action). I have heard sellers say it protects the bidder privacy but don't buy that given the bidder name scramble. I have heard buyers say it is done to allow fake bids to up the price.
So buyers please respond to poll below and anyone feel free to comment.
 
6 votes so far. Must be more opinions.
 
md8287 said:
I have never understood why some sellers use private eBay listings (where you can not see, or even figure out, other bidding action). I have heard sellers say it protects the bidder privacy but don't buy that given the bidder name scramble. I have heard buyers say it is done to allow fake bids to up the price.
So buyers please respond to poll below and anyone feel free to comment.
Click to expand...
I just voted and no reason why people want private listings. It's so stupid
 
My vote is, "Nothing, the shills always take it above my mental bid price before the end of auction."
 
CO skier said:
My vote is, "Nothing, the shills always take it above my mental bid price before the end of auction."
Click to expand...

That's why I bid using a snipe program. My [huge bargain] bid goes in at the last moment so the shills cannot create auction fever. If no one other than me is bidding, maybe I will get it. For a huge bargain.
 
I place my snipe and don't go back until it closes (assuming it's not already above my price). So, I don't care if there is shill bidding, etc. because my price is my price and it's not disclosed until the last moment.
 
Good insight.
 
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bnoble said:
I place my snipe and don't go back until it closes (assuming it's not already above my price). So, I don't care if there is shill bidding, etc. because my price is my price and it's not disclosed until the last moment.
Click to expand...
Youre right that you won't pay more than your price but shill bids will result in you paying more than you legitimately could have (sorry for previous poor grammar).
 
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I don't usually bid on many auctions, but private listing or not, there is nothing really preventing shill bidding.
 
vacationtime1 said:
That's why I bid using a snipe program. My [huge bargain] bid goes in at the last moment so the shills cannot create auction fever. If no one other than me is bidding, maybe I will get it. For a huge bargain.
Click to expand...
That is the problem for me, and confuses how I should vote.

I ALWAYS snipe bid Ebay auctions. Win some, lose most.

I would try to snipe a private auction as any other public auction, but in the half dozen or so Private Auctions I was interested in, the (shill) bidding exceeded my highest bid price more than a day before end of auction. It would not matter if I used a snipe service or sniped it myself, because my snipe bid was rendered irrelevant a day or two before the end of auction by the bid "hype" created by the shills.

So, I would (snipe) bid on a Private Auction just as I would a Public Auction, but if a (shill) Private Auction always results in a sale price, above my snipe bid and days before end of auction, which is my experience, should I vote for "Same as a Public Auction" or should I vote for "would not bid on private auction" ?
 
dioxide45 said:
I don't usually bid on many auctions, but private listing or not, there is nothing really preventing shill bidding.
Click to expand...
True, but it is much easier to recognize shill bidding in an open EBay auction than it is in a Private Auction.

Nevertheless, an EBay Private auction with more than about 30 bids is usually a sign of shilling, at least in my experience.
 
I've mentioned this before. It renders the feedback a lot less meaningful. It doesn't show what the feed back is for. Did 110 people have positive feedback selling baseball cards for $1.00 or were they for high end timeshares.
For example this is from: allseasonstravel (95)


iconPos_16x16.gif
Quick easy sale. Buyer: d***d ( 32
iconYellowStar_25x25.gif
)
During past month
-- -- Private
iconPos_16x16.gif
great seller Buyer: 6***u ( 518
iconPurpleStar_25x25.gif
)
During past month
-- -- Private
iconPos_16x16.gif
Smooth transaction, highly recommended ! Buyer: b***o ( 2158
iconRedStar_25x25.gif
)
During past 6 months
-- -- Private
iconPos_16x16.gif
Very good communication good buy ! +++++ Buyer: r***m ( 91
iconBlueStar_25x25.gif
)
During past 6 months
-- -- Private
iconPos_16x16.gif
Very professional! Highly recommend! All perfect A+++++! Thanks!!!! Buyer: e***d ( 687
iconPurpleStar_25x25.gif
)
During past 6 mont
 
tschwa2 said:
iconPos_16x16.gif
Very professional! Highly recommend! All perfect A+++++! Thanks!!!! Buyer: e***d ( 687
iconPurpleStar_25x25.gif
)
During past 6 mont
Click to expand...

True or not true,

That kind of "too perfect" recommendation would have me move on to another auction.

A buyer participates in a Private Auction, then they reveal their non-Private, coded Public Auction name. Yeah, right.
 
CO skier said:
True or not true,

That kind of "too perfect" recommendation would have me move on to another auction.

A buyer participates in a Private Auction, then they reveal their non-Private, coded Public Auction name. Yeah, right.
Click to expand...
I think the coded name is inserted automatically on all feedback by eBay.
 
To be honest, it doesn't bother me much. I just bid as normal, usually via a snipe bid if it's anything of size.
 
If we agree that market price is the price at which buyers and sellers agree to trade in an open market at a particular time......

Auctions are a way to get a large number of buyers in the same room to get something sold at the market price quickly. A shill cant push something higher that what a legitimate buyer will pay, neither can a sniper get something for less than its market value because, by definition the ending price of a well promoted auction is the market price for that item at that time.

So a seller can employ shills or not. The auction can be private or not or the buyes can snipe or not. I dont care... I place my bid and forget it, comfortable in the knowledge that I wont pay any more than market value.
 
Last edited:
md8287 said:
Youre right that you won't pay more than your price but shill bids will result in you paying more than you legitimately should.
Click to expand...


I dont know how thats possible. maybe more than I would have, but not more than I should have

Remember the seller could just as easily made it a reserve auction
 
A private auction is good for the buyer if it keeps other bidders away.
 
ronparise said:
If we agree that market price is the price at which buyers and sellers agree to trade in an open market at a particular time......
Click to expand...
The problem is that as soon as a shill bidder is placed in to the mix, it is no longer an open market. A shill bidder creates false levels of demand. Isn't shill bidding illegal in live auctions in some states?
 
Roger830 said:
A private auction is good for the buyer if it keeps other bidders away.
Click to expand...
Now that is a positive spin on it that I have never heard before.
 
ronparise said:
I dont know how thats possible. maybe more than I would have, but not more than I should have

Remember the seller could just as easily made it a reserve auction
Click to expand...
I stand corrected on my grammar. Your point on reserve price is fair too, or they could set an opening price, but at least those are legit.
 
dioxide45 said:
The problem is that as soon as a shill bidder is placed in to the mix, it is no longer an open market. A shill bidder creates false levels of demand. Isn't shill bidding illegal in live auctions in some states?
Click to expand...

It's not right and it's not legal. And your point about increased demand is a good one. But at least on eBay for this timeshares I buy, there is enough supply that a shill here and there dosent make a lot of difference to the supply demand ratio
 
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