I've been looking to buy a specific type of petrol go-kart which don't come up for sale very often and they're invariably the most expensive type around. Very recently, one was for sale on eBay which was described as being "sold without a reserve"; it was relatively new and little used and would be worth around £10k when new. I telephoned the seller a few days before the auction was due to end, when the bidding at that time was up around £1,800. The seller told me that he was really looking for £4,600 for the kart and was thinking of closing the sale early to avoid having to sell the kart without a reserve for less. I continued to follow the auction with the intention of bidding close to the end. I jumped into the bidding at the last minute with 2 separate bids each time only to be defeated by already logged "sniped" bids. Ebay subsequently sent me an email that the kart had been sold to a bidder for £3,350 who had trumped my final bid.
Some 7 days later, eBay sent me an email informing me that the item has been relisted, and this time, the kart is being sold as a "Buy it now" for £4,600. I've smelled a rat here! I therefore looked at the bidding history on the item and it looks to me as though the seller and/or an accomplice(s) was "shill bidding" on the item, deliberately intending to raise bids from genuine bidders, such as me, and preventing the kart from being sold to a genuine bidder at less than £4,600 thus defeating being sold "without reserve".
I've telephone eBay about this and whilst I was on the phone it was confirmed that the same IP address as the seller had been used by 3 different "bidders", including the so-called "winning" bidder. eBay had accepted the relisting because the seller claims that he wasn't paid by the winning bidder! I was told that the matter will now be referred on in eBay.
Part of me can understand the seller not wanting to part with the item at the bargain price that I would have bought the kart for had he genuinely been selling the kart without reserve, but another part of me is hacked off with the seller for pulling this stunt, which is fraudulent trading in UK law. eBay is unlikely to do anything except suspend the sellers account for a short while, which does nothing to clean up eBay sharp practices.
if you were me, would you report this matter to Trading Standards where it is possible that the seller could face a heavy penalty?
Some 7 days later, eBay sent me an email informing me that the item has been relisted, and this time, the kart is being sold as a "Buy it now" for £4,600. I've smelled a rat here! I therefore looked at the bidding history on the item and it looks to me as though the seller and/or an accomplice(s) was "shill bidding" on the item, deliberately intending to raise bids from genuine bidders, such as me, and preventing the kart from being sold to a genuine bidder at less than £4,600 thus defeating being sold "without reserve".
I've telephone eBay about this and whilst I was on the phone it was confirmed that the same IP address as the seller had been used by 3 different "bidders", including the so-called "winning" bidder. eBay had accepted the relisting because the seller claims that he wasn't paid by the winning bidder! I was told that the matter will now be referred on in eBay.
Part of me can understand the seller not wanting to part with the item at the bargain price that I would have bought the kart for had he genuinely been selling the kart without reserve, but another part of me is hacked off with the seller for pulling this stunt, which is fraudulent trading in UK law. eBay is unlikely to do anything except suspend the sellers account for a short while, which does nothing to clean up eBay sharp practices.
if you were me, would you report this matter to Trading Standards where it is possible that the seller could face a heavy penalty?
