# Whats up with this Ebay Auction?



## jimdoc (Jan 11, 2008)

What is up with this Ebay auction?
Action Mining sells this same title
that is updated version for $29.75
on page 28 of their catalog.
Why should this one be worth $249.50?
Fire Assay Home Study Course 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=350012615043&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=022


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## loco (Jan 11, 2008)

it's all a scam bro. look at the bidders nick names. notice nobody has a normal name all of them are like e***r etc.... someone is trying to fraud the system. I have noticed a fair amount of this over the last few months on various items.


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## Absolutsecurity (Jan 11, 2008)

Those e**R are the way ebay makes bidders name after the price goes to a certain level - ebay does that to protect bidder ID so that they dont get scammed!

G


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## jimdoc (Jan 11, 2008)

Yes, I saw it before the names got scrambled
and recognized a bunch from people that usually
bid on scrap gold and other stuff that we would
be looking at. I was just wondering why this older
one would be worth that kind of money when it
is still available, in an updated version.
Jim


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## Absolutsecurity (Jan 11, 2008)

EBAY IS EBAY and bidders get into a bidders frenzy and stuff sells - I have sold stuff for twice my reserve before! It blows my mind also. 
If I bid on something I use auctionsniper.com to place my bid at the very last second. Check it out - it works for me.

G


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## loco (Jan 11, 2008)

ok but at what $$ value does that do that? the reason I ask is because I see other auctions over $250 and that editing doesn't happen. I saw the memo on that at the top as well. 

oh yeah and twice the reserve is one thing but 10x? I guess it could happen.


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## megasurplus (Jan 17, 2008)

Hello all,

I have been selling on ebay for a living for over 5 years.

The scrambling of bidders names is none by ebay on their whim, there may be a rule for it if you want to hunt it down in the maze of ebay help pages but bottom line its done to keep bidders from receiving emails/messages from others either scamming them or as I did before the scrambling trolling for buyers I try an herd towards my auctions of similar items. ebay had to try something to combat the spamers who send fake emails trying to get you to log on to ebay via the fake email they send out, catches tons and tons of rookies. ALWAYS log on to ebay the way you always have NEVER via a email. ALL emails from ebay will have a heading containing your TRUE name, not just your user name. 

Believe me you don't want to even try and figure out why some things sell for the prices they do. there is no answer to drinking and bidding, making it personal ("that guy is not going to out bid me"), idiots who don't do the research, thinking everything on ebay is bargain, the list goes on and on.

If anyone has ebay questions I am always willing to help.

thanks
MEGA-SURPLUS
ebay power seller


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## dixie (Jan 17, 2008)

The real reason that the names are scrambled on eBay is that Ebay is trying to cut down on the folks who contact each other and make deals on the side.

At one time when the names wa displayed you could click on their name, then click on veiw their auctions and if they had a auction going at that time contact them through whatever they had for sale.

I don't like the names being scrambled because when I am bidding on something I liked the way I use to be able to research what the other bidders hostlry was. Many time I found bidders just running up bids and never buying.

I have been an eBay memebr since the begining of time and I for one do not like what it have evolved into.

Mike in Georgia


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## megasurplus (Jan 20, 2008)

dixie I have a few thoughts about your post, you state "_The real reason that the names are scrambled on eBay is that Ebay is trying to cut down on the folks who contact each other and make deals on the side. _"
The current message system allows you to contact: any seller via the "ask seller a question" link in all auctions, it allows you to contact any member you know the user name of can be contacted via their feedback page via the "contact member" link. Are you suggesting *bidders* would want to contact each other to make "deals on the side"?

_At one time when the names wa displayed you could click on their name, then click on veiw their auctions and if they had a auction going at that time contact them through whatever they had for sale_ Currently any bidder who's user name appears (on bidder list) can be contacted via their feedback page via the "contact member" link.

_I don't like the names being scrambled because when I am bidding on something I liked the way I use to be able to research what the other bidders hostlry was. Many time I found bidders just running up bids and never buying. _ are you suggesting shill bidding? ebay does not allow shill bidding and will remove any member it finds shill bidding, if you suspect a seller of shill bidding report them, ebay will investigate and hand it. If no shill bidding happened then nothing will happen to seller. If on the other hand you often see a bidder bidding on similar items but not winning them, they may just be smart and not be willing to over pay.


_I have been an eBay memebr since the begining of time and I for one do not like what it have evolved into._ as I stated I sell on ebay for a living (for over 5 years) and have been a eBay member for 9 + years, I have at least 150 items on ebay at all times and although it is not perfect it is the largest, safest, online auction site. When I call ebay customer service I am able to speak to english speaking reps who are well informed and helpful. so until someone else comes up with a better alternative I’ll be selling on eBay.

Thanks,
MEGA


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## Anonymous (Jan 20, 2008)

I was bidding on some gold filled on ebay, the price went over content value so I stopped. I received a email from the seller offering me a 2nd chance on the item. But the auction hadn't ended yet, and the high bid was way over my bid, guess they knew the other bidder personally and they were not good for it? Or maybe they had 2 user IDs and were seeing how high I would go? who knows looked funny to me.

Jim


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## megasurplus (Jan 20, 2008)

legit second chance offers can only come via ebay after auction closes!

you may have received fraud email? legit messages/emails from ebay have your REAL name at top not just your user/member name.

always log in to ebay or bank, paypal, credit card, etc. site via the same way you always do NEVER thru a email you JUST received.

if user is using another user id to bid on his own items it is shill bidding, if you report him he will be kicked off.

you can have more than 1 user id but you cant bid on your own items.


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## markqf1 (Jan 20, 2008)

I agree,
Anyone that logs on to ebay thru their email will eventually learn a valuable lesson the hard way. I used to report all of the bogus emails to ebay until it became a regular thing. Then I just deleted them. I don't recall getting any here lately, so what they are doing to try to stop it must be working.


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## Anonymous (Jan 20, 2008)

I thaught that also, so I logged to my ebay and sent the seller a question
about it from there and they replied like the auction had ended, but, I looked the item up and it was still going but no one had placed another bid on it. They were definately cheating, maybe they had a friend so they were not technically bidding on thier own item.

Jim


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## megasurplus (Jan 22, 2008)

ok, the second chance offer did not come from ebay unless item had closed. So was the second chance a fraud email? or just an offer direct from the buyer to sell similiar item to you outside of ebay (also against ebay rules)? ebay does not allow shill bidding, period. If you have someone bid on your items without the intent of completing a real sale its shill bidding. If reported, ebay scrolls past biddders and determines what's going on, for instance (location, bid patterns, length of time on ebay, bidding on other sellers items, log on times, payment). 

Please post item number and I will do some checking for you.


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