GP - continuously re-listed items

[t0mills]

To start, I buy quite a lot from GP and have had good experiences with their customer service. So this isn't a bash thread, I'm just genuinely curious why this might be happening.

Every week, I bid on an item (there are several of this item listed). It usually ends up going for a couple thousand more than my final bid. Listing shows as "sold". And within 48hrs it's listed back on the page. I know these are the same units, as the items all have serial numbers.

Could it be that people are just bidding on it and then not paying? I suppose, but every item I've won has allowed for 7 days to complete the payment. Seems odd that these are being re-listed within 24-48hrs.

Just wondering if anyone else has ran into this recently.

 

[Bulldogger]

I haven't been bidding lately, but I've also noticed quick re-listing. The most obvious explanation is GP using ghost bids to drive the price up, but that is very irresponsible. It's a private site, not a public government entity, so strictly speaking they have a lot of leeway.

Proof would be hard to find, but it sure looks and smells fishy...

 

[simp5782]

I haven't been bidding lately, but I've also noticed quick re-listing. The most obvious explanation is GP using ghost bids to drive the price up, but that is very irresponsible. It's a private site, not a public government entity, so strictly speaking they have a lot of leeway.

Proof would be hard to find, but it sure looks and smells fishy...

Some sites allow ghost bidding. It is in their policies. Just read theirs.

Proxibid is another that allows it and says it directly to you.

 

[Bulldogger]

Some sites allow ghost bidding. It is in their policies. Just read theirs.

Proxibid is another that allows it and says it directly to you.

I think you mean allowing automatic bidding up to some setpoint on behalf of a legitimate user? I'm referring to false bids to drive up the price, and when the false bids are not exceeded by legitimate bids, GP relists it automatically. If this is true, they are purposefully driving up bids to increase the sales price and thereby their commission. Relisting due to non-payment takes a week or more to happen, as GO first tries to get paid. Rapid relisting, unless a reserve is not met, smells funny...

 

[simp5782]

I think you mean allowing automatic bidding up to some setpoint on behalf of a legitimate user? I'm referring to false bids to drive up the price, and when the false bids are not exceeded by legitimate bids, GP relists it automatically. If this is true, they are purposefully driving up bids to increase the sales price and thereby their commission. Relisting due to non-payment takes a week or more to happen, as GO first tries to get paid. Rapid relisting, unless a reserve is not met, smells funny...

It's called Shill bidding. It's someone within the auction company, who has an account who bids things up to get a higher price.

Proxibid for instance is just a host server company. They allow different auction companies to use their site for their listings etc. Proxibid simply says they have no control over auction company employees that bid during their companies auction.

May smell funny but short of a subpoena to get their records and IPs etc then enfiging on someone's 4th amendment right who may or may not be bidding from their home computer or phone it'd just be hard to get that record

 

[Team]

I've bought and sold on GP for years. Not saying that shill bidding isn't going on. (I never saw it directly) But when someone wins the bid and then doesn't pay their account is closed and the item is re-listed. In the past this was a 30 day turn around, maybe they have been improving the process. Hopefully they aren't using shill bidding. Most likely is that there are window shoppers that don't have the $ to finish the purchase.

 

[simp5782]

I've bought and sold on GP for years. Not saying that shill bidding isn't going on. (I never saw it directly) But when someone wins the bid and then doesn't pay their account is closed and the item is re-listed. In the past this was a 30 day turn around, maybe they have been improving the process. Hopefully they aren't using shill bidding. Most likely is that there are window shoppers that don't have the $ to finish the purchase.

I've had em call within hours of losing a big item that the "other buyer" isn't interested or wants to relistt it or i can buy it. In a whole 2 or 3hrs. It was them bidding it up.

 

[mgFray]

Shill bidding is illegal in most states, and these are auctions running with an auctioneers license. I would STRONGLY suggest people involved in bidding (and losing) filing a complaint in the state the auction was held in. States Attorney Generals offices really don't like shill bidding, and often it's "easy" win for them.

 

[simp5782]

Shill bidding is illegal in most states, and these are auctions running with an auctioneers license. I would STRONGLY suggest people involved in bidding (and losing) filing a complaint in the state the auction was held in. States Attorney Generals offices really don't like shill bidding, and often it's "easy" win for them.

It's seen as the same thing as wire fraud at the federal level. 18 USC 1343.

It's not an easy prosecution or win. You go diving into someone's personal account without a warrant or the wrong pc or the wrong person all together everything is tainted.

RB is also a very powerful company with pockets lined in federal courthouses and other political figures. Just like anyone else with that type of money and dominance

Even if they went down that road it will be one or two fall guys and they get a fine less than the market price they were jacking up.

 

[Mainsail]

To start, I buy quite a lot from GP and have had good experiences with their customer service.

There's your answer. Call customer service and tell them all this- ask why you didn't win. They might be surprised at what you found and offer it to you, if for no other reason than to shut you up.

When I bid on my first M1101 (govliq) I quit bidding when the price went north of $1K, and watched it in real-time get sold for $1200, and I went to bed. The next morning I got an email saying my last bid of $950 had won.