# Question about an ebay transaction **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572 "2005-09-07T20:20:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/1 "2005-09-07T20:20:50Z")
(If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize) On this auction [here](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7349187678&sspagename=ADME:B:SCO:US:1) , I got caught in a bidding war with someone who has zero feedback. The bidding got too high so I backed out. The Zero Feedback guy won. About an hour after the transaction I got a second chance offer on the item. But for some reason the whole situation seems a bit fishy. I am asking for help in trying to figure out if I should avoid this item and keep looking. I am not so wise in the ways of the world. Any advice would be tremendous. Thanks in advance. joew ---
**Author:** ![AsecretK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ab992/32.png) [@AsecretK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AsecretK)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/2 "2005-09-07T20:31:52Z")
If it was only an hour after the action I would say it definatly fishy. I have sold on ebay and I would think it would be very rare to find out that someone who bid and won the item was not going to pay in only and hours time. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/3 "2005-09-07T20:35:04Z")
Definite [shill bidding](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill). Have nothing more to do with the seller, and report the incident to eBay. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/4 "2005-09-07T21:09:30Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Definite [shill bidding](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shill). Have nothing more to do with the seller, and report the incident to eBay. I concur. I’ve been in the same boat. ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/5 "2005-09-07T21:15:54Z")
Thanks, that is kind of what I am thinking, the seller told me this: “The reason is the guy who won it has the Name “Boagus1” with 0 feedback, but the 0 is actualy made up of a posiyive and negative from 2 years ago. He is a fraudulent bidder and its even got my paypal account locked up. I can arrange another paypal address if you decide to do the 2nd chance offer.” But couldn’t he of just cancelled the bid before the auction ended? Either way I am going to just keep looking… Thanks everyone. joew ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/6 "2005-09-07T21:23:00Z")
It may be shill bidding, but that’s a weird way to go about it. It’s more common for the fake bidder to cancel their bid before the auction ends. Since the seller is a newbie, they may be under the impression that they can pick and choose which bidder they want to sell to. But, I’d ignore the offer just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/7 "2005-09-07T22:06:36Z")
You’re under no obligation to accept a second chance offer (you probably already knew that). If you do an advanced search on completed items for that seller, you could take a look and see if this bidder has been part of the picture before - if so, I’d report the seller for shill bidding, if not, I’d just walk away. I wouldn’t buy the item - no way. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/8 "2005-09-07T22:12:46Z")
> [@joew](#): > > (If this is in the wrong forum, I apologize) > > On this auction [here](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7349187678&sspagename=ADME:B:SCO:US:1) , I got caught in a bidding war with someone who has zero feedback. The bidding got too high so I backed out. The Zero Feedback guy won. About an hour after the transaction I got a second chance offer on the item. But for some reason the whole situation seems a bit fishy. > > I am asking for help in trying to figure out if I should avoid this item and keep looking. I am not so wise in the ways of the world. Any advice would be tremendous. > > Thanks in advance. > > joew The auction you linked to is a buy it now auction (not really an auction so there is no bidding) and it isn’t over. how did you get in a bidding war on this again? ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/9 "2005-09-07T22:21:33Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > The auction you linked to is a buy it now auction (not really an auction so there is no bidding) and it isn’t over. how did you get in a bidding war on this again? I think when it became a second chance thingamadoodle it changed over to a BIN item. It was just a regular auction that ended at about 1:30 PM Eastern Time. But yeah I noticed that the listing had changed. Wouldn’t it be nice if to not have to worry about stuff like this? Anyway, thanks a bunch joew ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/10 "2005-09-07T22:43:24Z")
A second chance offer does change into a BIN, but only the bidders being offered the second chance can see it. Since we can see the one in the link AND since it says “3 day listing”, The seller relisted it. ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/11 "2005-09-07T22:48:51Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > A second chance offer does change into a BIN, but only the bidders being offered the second chance can see it. Since we can see the one in the link AND since it says “3 day listing”, The seller relisted it. But then it would have been given a new item number. Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/12 "2005-09-07T23:39:39Z")
The original listing is #7347428724 Strangely, that “boagus1” character has been around for over two years but has only received two feedbacks - one positive one negative. Whether they are actively shilling or not, the whole thing smells fishy. ---
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/13 "2005-09-07T23:52:35Z")
> [@bdgr](#): > > The auction you linked to is a buy it now auction (not really an auction so there is no bidding) and it isn’t over. how did you get in a bidding war on this again? It looks like the seller has re-listed it. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/14 "2005-09-07T23:58:09Z")
> [@joew](#): > > …the seller told me this: "The reason is the guy who won it has the Name “Boagus1” with 0 feedback… Sounds sort of “bogus” to me. Unless the guy is named Gus and collects constrictor snakes… ---
**Author:** ![joew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@joew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joew)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/15 "2005-09-08T00:17:28Z")
> [@Rico](#): > > Sounds sort of “bogus” to me. > > Unless the guy is named Gus and collects constrictor snakes… This is why I love the SDMB. It never hit me about the name. Thanks for all the replies, I’ve learned alot and I know to trust my gut in the future. I don’t know if this is something I should report or just leave it alone. I’d hate to report it and then be wrong, but I’d also hate for someone else to get taken. Sort of a moral dilemma (sp?). Thanks, joew ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-an-ebay-transaction/320572/16 "2005-09-08T02:20:28Z")
> [@AsecretK](#): > > If it was only an hour after the action I would say it definatly fishy. I have sold on ebay and I would think it would be very rare to find out that someone who bid and won the item was not going to pay in only and hours time. While rare, it’s not impossible. Example: I looked at an item that had about 15 minutes before the auction ended. No shipping charge was listed, so I emailed the seller to ask. I calculated that it would be ~$35 given my guesstimation of the weight, and what it has cost me to ship to buyers via FedEx ground. No response, and I’m into the last five minutes of the auction. On dial up, you don’t tax resources. I win, and then get an email asking for $100 to ship! :eek: So, I tell the seller I’m not going to pay if that’s the shipping terms and we make it a null transaction.