Ghost Sellers Inflating Item Values

[historicalpaper]

Hi friends. I've noticed an unusual trend lately involving ghost sellers with 0 ratings inflating values on items, especially in the collectibles and video categories. Items will sell for an outrageous amount, but there is a problem. Both the seller and buyer will almost always have a 0 rating, and if it is an auction, there is always just 1 bid. In one category alone, VHS movies, I counted 400+ items that followed this pattern. A "Beauty and the Beast" VHS movie selling for $40,000? I don't think so. These sellers obviously have more than one account and are bidding on their own items alone or in concert with others. This is a clear violation of Ebay basic rules. It's nothing new, as it was also common in live auctions for the company to have a shell bidder to inflate values. The majority of longtime sellers such as myself (since 1995 on and off) have worked hard to operate in an ethical and honest manner to profit with our businesses. Ebay needs to focus on this kind of unethical activity, and of course stop harassing the small mom and pop sites that are just trying to earn some extra income the right way.  

[donsdetour]

Just because it say sold for some crazy amount does not mean it was paid for.

One you describe sounds like what is called sport bidders. Were ids just for spite bids on an item to cause problems for the seller.

Other you describe may be simple new users.

Some may be folks trying to scam the seller as well.

[historicalpaper]

That could be true for a few here and there, but I counted more than 400 in just 2 categories all with the exact same pattern. It's definitely a coordinated effort.

[caseypl]

If you are not doing it, then why are you worried about it? If you are a seller, does it not help you sell items higher? Most buyers aren't going to pay a super high price for items. Over time, a certain average is established and some items should be regarded as outliers. 

For example, let's just say that there is a very unique car part I list for someone, but I set the price very high, like for $1000 so that it deters other people from buying it and I add a best offer feature and message the customer I want to sell it to and say, submit a best offer for $300 and I will accept. 

If you as a seller go to sold listings, you'll see best offer accepted for a $1000 item, but you won't see the final price. You'd likely assume it was for $850 or so and you may even go out and try to buy items like that for $300 to make a profit. This would be foolish and again, you should use the averages that are there and not make a mountain out of a mole hill, as some say. 

[historicalpaper]

That's not what's happening. These are fraudulent sellers and buyers. This does not benefit anyone. Are you all not getting it? They ALL have 0 feedback ratings over and over again.

[caseypl]

There is no requirement to give or leave feedback on here. 

[lightlily_arts]

There will always be unethical people attempting to drive up prices for items that far exceeds their actual value.  I looked at the recent sold prices for VHS Beauty and Beast movie.  I seriously doubt any of those listings were actually ever paid.  But it's done to make people think they have rare value, which they do not.  I see the same thing with Corning Ware.  Outrageous prices, but they actually are never sold for the listed price. eBay doesn't really police the site and who's going to admit to a conspiracy in scamming?

[caseypl]

People do stuff all the time to help sell things. It's similar to using one marketplace account to list a similar vehicle you don't have at a higher price with higher miles and then showing it sold to establish a price in people's minds and then listing the one you have and want to actually sell with less miles for more money or if you want a fast sale... for less money. 

It's not ethical, but people are naiive if they think this isn't happening as well as many other things in society.

[eburtonlab]

Just because an item is listed as "sold" does not necessarily mean that any money actually changed hands.

When you see common mass-market items with a wide range of selling prices, take the outliers with a grain of salt, particularly if buyer or seller (or both) have no feedback. If no feedback was exchanged for the sale, and the price seems out of line, I would not assume the transaction was paid for. Particularly if the item was immediately relisted.

Beanie Babies, Corningware baking dishes and Disney VHS Black Diamond tapes all seemed to have reputations for outrageous sale prices at one time; some unscrupulous users may have taken an opportunity to list an item at a crazy price, or place a crazy bid in an effort to make an item appear to be more valuable than it was actually worth, hoping to trick someone else into paying a king's ransom to be able to turn around and resell it.

If a seller lists a Disney VHS tape for $40,000 and has a friend make a purchase, but no money changes hands, and the seller cancels at the buyer's request, there is not much eBay can do about that. The buyer and seller may be colluding to scam a third party in another transaction, but in this particular transaction neither the buyer nor seller report the transaction to eBay (for obvious reasons), so there is no particular reason for eBay to take action against either absent some proof of collusion or a report being filed by someone who can demonstrate what is going on.

[kabilab]

11 1/2 yrs. ago, to add a radically different product to my store, I began selling out-dated Little Debbie, Archway and Voortman products. Soon thereafter, Hostess shutdown and people began listing Twinkies for four figures. Some of my customers would mention what the item was selling for on e-Bay. At first, I explained the difference between listing and selling. Soon, though, realized it was a waste of my time. People will believe what they wish.

[soh.maryl]

Don't believe this has been mentioned; however, when a seller has an item that he's sourcing from elsewhere and he runs out, but is expecting more, he will sometimes list his one remaining item for a ridiculously high price.  This keeps the listing, but no one is going to buy it (hopefully).  Then when the new supply arrives, he simply relists at an appropriate price level.  

[mandisattictoyz]

Wow, conspiracy?   I think not…..in case you missed it, many ‘80’s vhs sealed with MGA seal on them have recently become huge hits worth up to $100,000. Back to the future, ghostbusters, top gun, jaws.  It was all over the news a couple weeks ago.  These are selling for $20,000-$50,000 or more each.  

[dbfolks166mt]

Possible money laundering activity. You can Google "eBay money laundering" and find multiple instances of where this has taken place along with a number of arrests. Makes one wonder how much of eBay's GMV is based on this type of activity. 

[the_fancy_fox]

Yes it happens. It’s called shill bidding. Which is why if I want something I either buy with a BIN or bid in the last few seconds of the auction. 

Cant run my bid up if you don’t have time to bid against me.  Stops the sellers that are doing this. 

[historicalpaper]

You're falling for fake news. Those sales never actually happened. That's what happens when reporters don't research their stories.