How To Combat Ebay Fraud?

That's the challenge.

Look at (probably now expired) item http://www.ebay.com/itm/381211927033.

Heading says $220 value when Scott's 35 VF is $60. Sadly, even with flaws people are bidding on this item.

You try to register a complaint against the listing and there is simply no category for false and misleading information about a listing. Maybe they don't want to hear such things.

I like the XF GEM , it's going for $ 12 now, way under $ 60

You currently have one guy that is selling re-gums. In the last two weeks,they have moved an F3 and a 65 in MNHVF condition. The 65 went for $1300+. You could see the matted perfs and the perf stains on it.

ebay gave up on any kind of effective oversight 2 years ago. The reporting form simply falls on deaf ears; its only purpose is to appease people who think that ebay actual reads and responds to them. Crooks and bad listings will always exist. Even if ebay would take action, the flow of bad listings simply will never cease.

This means that if we want to combat these kinds of listings we have to educate buyers. First lesson, 'you get what you pay for'. Of course there are exceptions. But every time we start a thread with what a great buy we just made on ebay we feed the expectation that there are great bargains available. (We leave out the part about having 25 years experience in being able to spot the good deals.) Generally speaking, good material is being offered at fair market prices or higher. You have to wade through a ton of listings and have a fair amount of experience to buy properly off of ebay if you are seeking quality material.

But hope springs eternal . Many collectors are happy to believe that they have snagged a 'bargain' on that rare Washington/Franklin coil pair. They happily mount it in their album without any verification and give the seller a positive feedback; leaving the bad news to whomever inherits their collection after they are gone. So in many cases we don't 'learn the lesson' when we fail to verify our purchases; our behavior is 'rewarded' by thinking we got a good deal. A space is filled in our album and marked off the want list. And gosh aren't we clever for getting it at such a 'good' deal.

The solution? We have to think about what we are doing and educate others. Educate others on what to look for in quality material, how to properly identify material, how to properly identify the quality sellers, how to avoid the dicey listings. We have to resist the tendency to withhold information because it gives us a competitive edge over the next fellow. For example, don't withhold advice on which sellers you deal with like it is a secret family recipe; share your knowledge on these sellers so others can benefit. Be honest and humble on your bad experiences; let folks know about the costly mistakes you have made. No one loses if we don't lose the lesson. But being too embarrassed to mention them allows other to fall into the same hole.

It's a great hobby but has potential pitfalls. Every time someone leaves the hobby disappointed and frustrated they tell many other people that stamp collecting sucks. Get excited about education and sharing your experiences with others and your enthusiasm will rub off on them!
Don

Just went in to look at this item. It's winding down - several bidders - ALL anonymous. Can you spell "shill" - anyone?

Isn't all bidding made anomymous by ebay these days?

Yes. But you can see how often a bidder has bid on that seller's lots. Certain bidding patterns can suggest shill bidding. Shill bidding on ebay is one of my pet peeves and something I've studied extensively. As much as I despise the practice, and I do so with great prejudice, I didn't see patterns of shill bidding in this lot.

Shill bidding on ebay is one of the most compelling reasons I know of to not bid on auctions until the last possible moment.

To get to the gist of the problem ... ebay has no interest in getting rid of offering fraudulent stamps on their site. As long as they collect their fees their dumb and happy. Caveat emptor.

I don't understand the complaint against this item. The seller did not say catalog value was $220, merely stated that was an estimate. Maybe that's slightly unethical, but clearly not fraud.

Besides, only a fool would not check a catalog before purchasing.

There is absolutely no evidence of shill bidding and those that suggest it should be ashamed.

The item went for a whopping $15. Whoopdeedoo.

And again I will tell you (shill included) that ebay is NOT a good place to realize what stamps are worth..But everyone uses ebay..oh well..

I want to show you my 1937 Hupmobile - yes - it's MINT. Hardly been out of the garage. Only taken to church on Sunday by an atheist lady who picked up her grandson. Just 2,000 km on the odometer. No I can't say why the tires are bald with only 2 km. And yes it's possible the motor has been replaced and there is some body work. Salt, you know. Whatever. Me - I'm asking $35,000 for her because that's what the blue book (estimate) says it's worth. Got a problem? Go pound sand.

ebay is a dynamic mixture of seller types. Some are professional stamp dealers, some are just trying to get rid of their Dad's collection, some are traders that deal in high volume. I have corrected scores of descriptions that were inaccurate. Almost all were grateful and changed their posting. In the Canadian section alone there are 4-5000 philatelic offerings EVERY DAY. Some want far too much. Some want one cent! There are bargains galore and a money-back guarantee. It's the buyer's responsibility to bid shrewdly.

(Added "every day")

Well done Sak. Bang on.

Sak, Well said. I have scored many many bargains from sellers that didn't know what they have had for sale. My last buy was listed as stamp #22 with a picture of the back of the stamp showing it to be on laid paper. This #31 sold for just over $27.00. It was thinned but still a bargain at that price. Knowledge is the edge that makes available the ability to spot great buys on ebay. Learn about the stamps you want and keep an eye open for them. You might make the next great find.

How do you report a shill bidder?

Here is a link to CKStamp's shill bidder...
Check the top winning bidder. He bids on nothing but CKStamp's stuff and wins 95% of the auctions. There is no way that is a legal bidder.
Isn't that illegal by ebay standards?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CKStamps-Ca...AOSwh2xX~7OZ

See my response in the other thread you posted this question:

https://www.stampcommunity.org/topi...LY_ID=445049

I don't necessarily believe it is shilling.