Ebay fraud

BBJW · 29th January 2007, 04:04 AM

Anyone else read the article about fraud on Ebay? www.timesonline.co.uk

I thought there was some shill bidding going on before I read this. So as always....BUYER BEWARE.

bbjw

Jeff D · 29th January 2007, 05:16 AM

OH NO NOT EFTIS!!! http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...570050,00.html

If he wasn't up and up on the bidding, maybe, those one off perfect condition viking swords weren't on the up and up !

Jeff

Rick · 29th January 2007, 03:40 PM

< Shakes head in disgust >
We all knew this was happening ; at least now the bright light of publicity has been shone upon it .

katana · 29th January 2007, 05:51 PM

I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS JUST THE 'TIP OF THE ICEBERG', Perhaps after further independent investigation the TITANIC eBay may have to 'protect' the buyers or risk 'taking in water' and 'LISTING'.....

Battara · 30th January 2007, 01:20 AM

Well, it explains a lot to me.....well.....no.....just confirms.

TVV · 30th January 2007, 04:23 AM

If eBay and the British judicial system do what they should, I will miss those almost perfect, unpublished viking swords

, until the next Eftis appears (and it won't be long).
While this confirms what we already know - that eBay is full of crooks, I personally do not find it so shocking. We go to eBay in order to get bargains, assuming plenty of risk - it is part of the deal. And, I do not think people ever bid higher than the maximum they are prepared to pay for an item, and if this maximum is reached, they are usually still happy.

A. G. Maisey · 30th January 2007, 05:05 AM

Since I have never bought on ebay, and also never sold, maybe I have no right to comment here, but I have bid in normal, old fashioned auctions for more than 50 years. I really do not see that ebay is any different to a normal auction, except that you do not have the benefit of a full examination of what you are bidding for prior to bidding.

When I was a kid I used to go the auctions I was bidding in, and I sometimes paid too much for things, because I got caught up in a bidding war and didn't want to lose.

I haven't bid at an auction in that way for maybe 30 or more years now.

I go to the viewing, I decide what the maximum amount is that I am prepared to pay for the item, deduct the buyers commission, and leave that amount as my bid. I leave realistic bids, not silly low bids. If I estimate that something is worth, say, $500, I deduct 10% because its an auction, I deduct 20% for the buyers commission, and I leave a bid of $350 + $10, so $360 is my bid.The plus $10 is just so I know that I did not lose by a single bid.

I do not go to an auction looking for a "bargain" I go prepared to pay a fair price for something I want. So called "bargains" can cost too dear in the long run.

Using this system I win more than 60% of everything I lodge a bid on, and sometimes I do really get a bargain, because the lot will be unreserved, and nobody else wants it.

My understanding is that ebay works pretty much the same way:- you can lodge your maximum bid and ebay will bid for you.

If ever I do bid on anything on ebay, I will bid in this way, that is decide my maximum bid, lodge it, and forget it.

The beauty of this system is that the shills and charlotans can play as much as they like. If they jack the price up past what you have already decided is fair value for money, then they're stuck with it.

Auctions are just business. Don't get emotional , be prepared to pay a fair price for the other man's property, and you can't lose.

Bill M · 30th January 2007, 01:04 PM

I have bought a bit on eBay, and know that I have been lucky sometimes and not so lucky other times.

But I just put a bid on something I like, and I don't watch it, because I can get too emotional. Get caught up in some testosterone-laden bidding war.

I also use a sniper because sometimes I see something else I like that is similar and I can delete my sniper bid, before the auction, without eBay ever knowing.

I am sometimes frustrated because people have asked me not to bid on something and I don't, only to later find out that they had such a low bid that someone else got it for less than I would have bid.

And I must confess that I have been in that same situation. I asked another collector what he thought someothing should sell for, then I put a lower bid than he would have put and we both lost it. I will not make that mistake again.

It all comes back to eBay being a crap shoot. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.

Still, your best bet is to buy from established dealers and the few honest sellers on eBay.

Sure looks like Eftis got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I have never bought from him, but I suspect that shill bidding is common on eBay. Unflrtunately eBay's recent policy of "Biidder 1, Bidder 2, Bidder 3....." certainly encourages this.

I used to take a careful look at the "winners" in some auctions. Too often I saw that a bidder had taken a high priced item that was not his usual. You see that he only ever bought a few things like clothes, car parts, pocket knives, then he bid on a sophisticated and expensive sword?

Oh, come on, now!

But I take some satisfaction in the knowledge that eBay did soak the seller with high listing fees for an item that never left his store. The seller did not get away unscathed.

29th January 2007, 04:04 AM	#1
BBJW Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Idaho, USA Posts: 227	Ebay fraud Anyone else read the article about fraud on Ebay? www.timesonline.co.uk I thought there was some shill bidding going on before I read this. So as always....BUYER BEWARE. bbjw

29th January 2007, 03:40 PM	#3
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,288	Fair Play ? No Way !! < Shakes head in disgust > We all knew this was happening ; at least now the bright light of publicity has been shone upon it .

29th January 2007, 05:16 AM	#2
Jeff D Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 473	OH NO NOT EFTIS!!! http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...570050,00.html If he wasn't up and up on the bidding, maybe, those one off perfect condition viking swords weren't on the up and up ! Jeff

29th January 2007, 05:51 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	I SUSPECT THAT THIS IS JUST THE 'TIP OF THE ICEBERG', Perhaps after further independent investigation the TITANIC eBay may have to 'protect' the buyers or risk 'taking in water' and 'LISTING'.....

30th January 2007, 01:20 AM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,200	Well, it explains a lot to me.....well.....no.....just confirms.

30th January 2007, 04:23 AM	#6
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,616	If eBay and the British judicial system do what they should, I will miss those almost perfect, unpublished viking swords , until the next Eftis appears (and it won't be long). While this confirms what we already know - that eBay is full of crooks, I personally do not find it so shocking. We go to eBay in order to get bargains, assuming plenty of risk - it is part of the deal. And, I do not think people ever bid higher than the maximum they are prepared to pay for an item, and if this maximum is reached, they are usually still happy.

30th January 2007, 05:05 AM	#7
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 6,861	Since I have never bought on ebay, and also never sold, maybe I have no right to comment here, but I have bid in normal, old fashioned auctions for more than 50 years. I really do not see that ebay is any different to a normal auction, except that you do not have the benefit of a full examination of what you are bidding for prior to bidding. When I was a kid I used to go the auctions I was bidding in, and I sometimes paid too much for things, because I got caught up in a bidding war and didn't want to lose. I haven't bid at an auction in that way for maybe 30 or more years now. I go to the viewing, I decide what the maximum amount is that I am prepared to pay for the item, deduct the buyers commission, and leave that amount as my bid. I leave realistic bids, not silly low bids. If I estimate that something is worth, say, $500, I deduct 10% because its an auction, I deduct 20% for the buyers commission, and I leave a bid of $350 + $10, so $360 is my bid.The plus $10 is just so I know that I did not lose by a single bid. I do not go to an auction looking for a "bargain" I go prepared to pay a fair price for something I want. So called "bargains" can cost too dear in the long run. Using this system I win more than 60% of everything I lodge a bid on, and sometimes I do really get a bargain, because the lot will be unreserved, and nobody else wants it. My understanding is that ebay works pretty much the same way:- you can lodge your maximum bid and ebay will bid for you. If ever I do bid on anything on ebay, I will bid in this way, that is decide my maximum bid, lodge it, and forget it. The beauty of this system is that the shills and charlotans can play as much as they like. If they jack the price up past what you have already decided is fair value for money, then they're stuck with it. Auctions are just business. Don't get emotional , be prepared to pay a fair price for the other man's property, and you can't lose.

30th January 2007, 01:04 PM	#8
Bill M Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: USA Georgia Posts: 1,599	I have bought a bit on eBay, and know that I have been lucky sometimes and not so lucky other times. But I just put a bid on something I like, and I don't watch it, because I can get too emotional. Get caught up in some testosterone-laden bidding war. I also use a sniper because sometimes I see something else I like that is similar and I can delete my sniper bid, before the auction, without eBay ever knowing. I am sometimes frustrated because people have asked me not to bid on something and I don't, only to later find out that they had such a low bid that someone else got it for less than I would have bid. And I must confess that I have been in that same situation. I asked another collector what he thought someothing should sell for, then I put a lower bid than he would have put and we both lost it. I will not make that mistake again. It all comes back to eBay being a crap shoot. Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. Still, your best bet is to buy from established dealers and the few honest sellers on eBay. Sure looks like Eftis got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. I have never bought from him, but I suspect that shill bidding is common on eBay. Unflrtunately eBay's recent policy of "Biidder 1, Bidder 2, Bidder 3....." certainly encourages this. I used to take a careful look at the "winners" in some auctions. Too often I saw that a bidder had taken a high priced item that was not his usual. You see that he only ever bought a few things like clothes, car parts, pocket knives, then he bid on a sophisticated and expensive sword? Oh, come on, now! But I take some satisfaction in the knowledge that eBay did soak the seller with high listing fees for an item that never left his store. The seller did not get away unscathed.