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Posted By: Jeff Lichtman

Paul, I don't need my JD on this one. Common Sense 101: if the amount you spend at auction is below the market value of the item but still inflated by the auction house through undisclosed shill bidding, you are a victim of a fraud. It is not the intent of the victim that controls here but rather the intent of the auctioneer who uses the shill.

It is sad that we are all so sure that we're being shilled so often that we just pay the overage as a sort of tax with the meekest of protest.

I wonder if Doug Allen or Rob Lifson would agree with what has been written here about shill bidding, i.e., just place your bid to the most you want to pay and if you get shilled you get shilled.