What is Shill Bidding?
If you’ve been buying and selling sports cards online, you’ve probably come across the term “shill bidding’. Shill bidding is an unethical practice where a seller or someone acting on their behalf artificially inflates the price of a sports card in an eBay auction. This is usually done by creating fake bids or having someone else place bids on their sports cards to make them appear more desirable and drive up the final price.
How can I tell if shill bidding is happening on a sports card auction?
- Review the Bidding History:
- Look for patterns like multiple bids from the same account or from accounts with very few or no reviews.
- Check for bids that are placed and then retracted, especially if they occur close to the end of the auction.
- Examine the Bidder’s History:
- Investigate the bidding history of accounts that seem suspicious.
- Look for accounts that primarily bid on sports cards from the same seller or have a high percentage of retracted bids.
- Compare Prices:
- Research the sports card’s fair market value by checking other listings, completed sales, and sports card price guides.
- If the winning bid seems significantly higher than the sports card’s actual value, it could be a sign of shill bidding.
- Trust Your Intuition:
- If something feels off about an auction, it’s always best to err on the side of caution.
Remember: Shill bidding is against the rules of most online marketplaces and can have serious consequences for the seller. If you suspect shill bidding, report it to the platform (like eBay) and document your findings.
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