Max Bidding scam?

Question

I put a maximum bid on an item and then an anonymous bidder retracted there bid after they hit my maximum bid. I am now stuck with paying my full bid price.

This is an unethical tactic.

How is this anonymous bidder allowed to do this?

mudshark61369 · Answer

@dave.c2008 , First off all bidders shown on a bid history are anonymous except yours. Yours is anonymous to them. Yes the practice of uncovering a persons max bid then retracting, is unethical. Sometimes, it is an inexperienced bidder who doesn't know better who does that and other times it could be a shill working with the seller. However, eBay does not seem to do much about it, even though it does cause many to think shills are being used, more than is the case. Before bidding you can click on another bidder's scrambled ID, Ex: (abb8) to see their bid history page. If it shows that have many bid retractions then you know it may happen to you. Your best way of defeating inexperienced members or shills, is to bid in the last seconds of an auction, so they do not have time to retract, their high automatic bid.