PWCC & eBay - help us improve the hobby

calvindog · #1 06-03-2015, 07:06 PM

"Doug, Your honesty is refreshing, but I'm concerned with the Mastro bidding policy."

2007

swarmee · #2 06-03-2015, 07:37 PM

Another recommendation: list a consignor's number/identifier on every card you list. That way bidding patterns from consignor's shill bidding accounts can be readily identified. If f****9 (258) is always bidding on consignor #456's cards but nobody elses, you have a very likely shill bidding account.

"Unlike proprietary auction software, eBay's platform is equally transparent to both the buyer and the seller."

This is copied from your listings. I disagree with your statement, since eBay is constantly finding ways to remove the ability to detect shill bidding accounts or problem bidders/sellers, first by removing full bidding identifiers, and secondly by replacing/improving negative feedback ratings for no reason.

111gecko · #3 06-03-2015, 07:55 PM

Bought multiple high end cards from Brent and he has sold a number of items for me over the years.

Class act as far as I am concerned....

glchen · #4 06-04-2015, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swarmee

Another recommendation: list a consignor's number/identifier on every card you list. That way bidding patterns from consignor's shill bidding accounts can be readily identified. If f****9 (258) is always bidding on consignor #456's cards but nobody elses, you have a very likely shill bidding account.

"Unlike proprietary auction software, eBay's platform is equally transparent to both the buyer and the seller."

This is copied from your listings. I disagree with your statement, since eBay is constantly finding ways to remove the ability to detect shill bidding accounts or problem bidders/sellers, first by removing full bidding identifiers, and secondly by replacing/improving negative feedback ratings for no reason.

I like the suggestion of providing the consigner number. About your second part, I think what Brent is saying is that ebay is still more transparent than major auction houses. At least you have a rough idea of the bidder id even if its mostly scrambled. You have no clue for major auction houses. It'd be nice if major auction houses also followed this, where they provide the consigner id with each lot, and then provide full bidder id for every one who bids on a lot with a % of how often the bidder bids with the same consigner. I doubt that will ever happen however.

For ideas to forward to ebay, I would ask them to unscramble the bidder and feedback id's so that it's easier to detect shilling. I'd also ask ebay to allow an option where you can ban bidders who have a over certain # of retractions. Then I would say PWCC should ban bidders who have over 5 retractions.

For detecting shilling, it's a lot of work, so I would say, don't look for it yourself. However, ask the community to look for shilling in your auctions, and then if someone thinks they see something then look into it. I think this would allow others to do a lot of the work for you. If a consigner is proven to have shilled, then ban the consigner.

swarmee · #5 06-04-2015, 04:10 AM

Another topic for your eBay meetings: inform them of battlefield selling sports cards that are creased/chipped/otherwise damaged and editing those out of the pictures they post to eBay. Tell them that it has been going on for years and yet battlefield continues to sell cards. Tell them that sellers that have a high number of returns for issues like this should be banned, and that their negative feedbacks/DSRs should not just disappear in the name of "Protecting their selling accounts."

battlefield's improved scans amounted to fraud. Check out the most recent thread concerning T206s and T205s, but notice that the thread also discussed actions from 3-4 years ago with the same seller.

http://www.net54baseball.com/showthr...ht=battlefield

glchen · #6 06-04-2015, 10:27 AM

Another thing about shilling. What seems to occur sometime is that the seller has a friend (or another account) do the bidding for him, and then if the other account wins, he just cancels the transaction. Not sure if this already occurs, but cancelling the transaction if it's due to the buyer should count similarly to a bid retraction. Cancelling it due to the seller should be a strike, and as part of a seller's DSR, ebay should show how many cancelled transactions.

Other things for the ebay meeting may be to see how ebay can match auction houses in certain respects. For example, one reason that some sellers are afraid of using ebay where the auctions start at 99 cents is due to fear that the "right" eyes won't see the auction. Perhaps allow auctions of greater length to match what auction houses do such as 14 days or even 21 days or perhaps even auction previews where buyers can see listings ever before they can start bidding. Also perhaps allow sellers to have the option of ending lots using the 15 or even 30 minute rule that auction houses have where if there is a bid during the "extended" time of the auction, the auction is extended another 15 or 30 minutes. I know a lot of ebay buyers won't like this b/c they use snipe services, but that could be a decent option for some sellers.

Peter_Spaeth · #7 06-04-2015, 11:47 AM

Which auction houses still have hidden reserves?

swarmee · #8 06-04-2015, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Which auction houses still have hidden reserves?

http://www.network54.com/Forum/52660...s+in+heritage-

http://www.legendaryauctions.com/rules.aspx
"20. Lots with hidden reserves will be marked as such in our catalog and on our website. Estimates will also be listed�and the reserves will never be higher than the low estimate."

And then there are the auctionhouses where people have posted that they thought they won an item as it closed, to wake up the next morning without it being on their invoice, and when they went to check the website, the listings *poofed.*

swarmee · #9 06-05-2015, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Which auction houses still have hidden reserves?

17. A few lots are subject to a reserve; these will be clearly noted on our web site and the auctioneer may bid up to the bid below the reserve amount.
http://www.cleansweepauctions.com/html/faq.html

swarmee · #10 06-05-2015, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Which auction houses still have hidden reserves?

"17. A few lots are subject to a reserve; these will be clearly noted on our web site and the auctioneer may bid up to the bid below the reserve amount."
http://www.cleansweepauctions.com/html/faq.html

I do like their treatment of bid retractors, though....

"11. Names of re-neggers will be published in all future auctions and correspondence. Please do not embarrass yourself."

bnorth · #11 06-04-2015, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glchen

Another thing about shilling. What seems to occur sometime is that the seller has a friend (or another account) do the bidding for him, and then if the other account wins, he just cancels the transaction. Not sure if this already occurs, but cancelling the transaction if it's due to the buyer should count similarly to a bid retraction. Cancelling it due to the seller should be a strike, and as part of a seller's DSR, ebay should show how many cancelled transactions.

Other things for the ebay meeting may be to see how ebay can match auction houses in certain respects. For example, one reason that some sellers are afraid of using ebay where the auctions start at 99 cents is due to fear that the "right" eyes won't see the auction. Perhaps allow auctions of greater length to match what auction houses do such as 14 days or even 21 days or perhaps even auction previews where buyers can see listings ever before they can start bidding. Also perhaps allow sellers to have the option of ending lots using the 15 or even 30 minute rule that auction houses have where if there is a bid during the "extended" time of the auction, the auction is extended another 15 or 30 minutes. I know a lot of ebay buyers won't like this b/c they use snipe services, but that could be a decent option for some sellers.

eBay tried the extended bidding thing, it sucked and they canceled it for good reason.

bbeck · #12 06-04-2015, 02:38 PM

Brent-I spoke to you a few months back regarding the 1975 mini cello pack on ebay that was an impossible combination, Brett on top/ Ryan on bottom (Brett on top never could exist on mini cello packs), and you were very professional regarding your response and I hope the eventual buyer received a refund. I think you should take a hard look at discontinuing the sale of the fabricated Christmas racks that have surfaced for years now on ebay. Possibly, you should discuss with the executives at ebay, the idea of banning this item altogether. They continue to give the unopened market a black eye as they are duping collectors into thinking they have something that is truly vintage when they are nothing but basement after market garbage fantasy packs.

wonkaticket · #13 06-03-2015, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calvindog

"Doug, Your honesty is refreshing, but I'm concerned with the Mastro bidding policy."

2007

Chuckle

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