eBay

coolgu-3272 · ‎11-13-2023

I thinking of asking my friends who also collect Pokemon Cards to buy one to two of my products, and leave a good review, will that be considered Shill Bidding.

mr_lincoln · ‎11-14-2023

@coolgu-3272 wrote:
So I can ask them to buy my products but not ask them to leave a good review.

@coolgu-3272 You are trying to split hairs here and while at the end of the day eBay will never be privy to your conversations with your friends about either a purchase or leaving Feedback the final decision on what you decide to do is yours.

-Has anyone ever done what you want to do? Sure ... it's human nature at times to game the system

... or in other words, cheat and lie.

-Is it against eBay policy to do what you are asking to do? Sure ... but they would have trouble proving it unless your friends message you and give away the game ... and don't think that can't happen either. eBay monitors the Message system just so you know.

-As I mentioned before, if your friends find your items naturally, buy them, figure out its you and leave great Feedback then there is NO policy violation, no gaming the system.

Regards,
Mr. Lincoln - Community Mentor

View Best Answer in original post

wastingtime101 · ‎11-13-2023

It would be considered feedback manipulation @coolgu-3272 .

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/feedback-policies/feedback-manipulation-policy?id=4231

Feedback manipulation, which is any attempt to artificially increase your feedback score or lower another member's, is not allowed.

To help maintain trust in eBay, we have rules to make sure feedback can't be unfairly manipulated.

Any attempt to manipulate feedback or Detailed Seller Ratings (DSRs) is not allowed. This includes:

Offering to buy, sell, trade, or give away feedback
Registering multiple accounts or working with others to exchange feedback with the purpose of artificially increasing a feedback score
Referencing eBay feedback in a listing title or description
Conducting transactions with the purpose of increasing a feedback score, or to obtain Top Rated Seller status or site privileges
Manipulating another member's feedback through repeat purchases, or a pattern of leaving positive feedback with consistently low DSRs
Buying or selling eBay user accounts

Activity on eBay is required to:

Follow all applicable laws
Respect the rights of third parties
Follow the eBay User Agreement
Follow this eBay policy

If activity doesn’t meet these requirements, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: administratively ending listings or canceling transactions, hiding or lowering the placement of listings in search results, lowering seller rating, restricting buying or selling, forfeiture of fees, loss of buyer or seller protections, restricting access to member communication and rating tools, removing feedback, and account suspension.

GLORIOUS!

annadryl · ‎11-13-2023

How could pre-paid feedback be honest?

fashunu4eeuh · ‎11-13-2023

@coolgu-3272 wrote:
I thinking of asking my friends who also collect Pokemon Cards to buy one to two of my products, and leave a good review, will that be considered Shill Bidding.

NO NO NO!!! This is expressly forbidden and will get your account immediately suspended!!

lukdudle · ‎11-13-2023

why would it be bad if they paid fair market value and he really ships them?

i dont know rules as well as you guys but i am curious why its bad.

ebeths_eclectic_collectibles · ‎11-13-2023

Perhaps the issue with this conversation is that we are having it at all

coolgu-3272 · ‎11-13-2023

They market price, and I will ship it to them so is that allowed

wastingtime101 · ‎11-13-2023

@lukdudle wrote:
why would it be bad if they paid fair market value and he really ships them?

i dont know rules as well as you guys but i am curious why its bad.

The shortest answer possible is eBay has the policy in place to prevent fraud and maintain some trust between buyers and sellers.

The bottom line is "why" doesn't matter at all. Nor does whether you or I like the policy or not. All that matters is sellers and buyers using this site abide by policy or risk account sanctions that can amount to permanent suspension from the platform.

If buyer/seller are caught, eBay isn't going to ask what their intentions were to determine if they were malicious or not. All they'll say is you violated policy and this is your punishment.

GLORIOUS!

annadryl · ‎11-13-2023

@lukdudle wrote:

i dont know rules as well as you guys but i am curious why its bad.

The rules (and a full link) were given in the first reply by @wastingtime101 and it should be obvious why it would be dishonest. It's an inside-job reputation earned.

kds99 · ‎11-13-2023

Would you like to buy snake oil from a man on the street corner for your sore throat based on the exclusive recommendations of his "friends"?

coolgu-3272 · ‎11-13-2023

ok thank you

liawri-75 · ‎11-13-2023

Your friends can buy with or without your ask. There's a "share" button, send your friends the share button and if they decide to buy, good for them.

inhawaii · ‎11-14-2023

I'm not going to read the "official policy" is and frankly, I don't care what it says, but why on earth can't I ask any of my friends, family, neighbors or enemies to buy any of my items for sale on ebay? That's ridiculous. I'll ask anyone I please to buy one of my items and there isn't anything ebay can do about it.

Highway Patrol - Junior Brown

bennotbill · ‎11-14-2023

"To help maintain trust in eBay, we have rules to make sure feedback can't be unfairly manipulated"

I nearly choked laughing so much at that.

Isn't that exactly what eBay are currently doing with the feedback. Have done with the search. And just about every aspect of eBay that can be manipulated.

A classic case of "do as we say not as we do" hypocrisy.

dbfolks166mt · ‎11-14-2023

@coolgu-3272 wrote:
I thinking of asking my friends who also collect Pokemon Cards to buy one to two of my products, and leave a good review, will that be considered Shill Bidding.

NO NO NO!!! This is expressly forbidden and will get your account immediately suspended!!

Exactly how is eBay going to know that the buyer is a friend of the seller unless they disclose such information in the feedback.