ebay

[goat]

HI i was looking on ebay for a mujifang plane was going to bid on the one thats being auctioned at the moment and just before i bid on it, the previous bidders name looked similar to a member on this forum so i sent a private message to see if it was him and he confermed my suspitions so not wanting to push up the price on him i'll bid on the next one that comes along .we thought if it was some thing we could do here for forum members post that we're bidding on some thing so other members would refrain from bidding on that particular item so keeping the price down .But is this ethical or not ? is it akin to insider trading or just helping other forum members out? i would like to hear peoples opinions on this .

[Wongo]

I cant see anything wrong with it.

[echnidna]

So how do we all do the right and honorable thing by forum members who are selling something on Ebay??

[ozwinner]

Huh??


Al :confused:

[outback]

I'm pretty sure this would come under "collusive practices" and would be considered illegal in the extreme.

Whilst i have no definite knowledge of the workings of Ebay, I do have a fair bit of experience of auctions in another field.
At the beginning of each sale the auctioneer prattles under his breath about terms and conditions being taken as read, and are clearly displayed at the site office at the place of auction. Then in a big clear voice you get told you aren't allowed to undertake anything which may discourage, preclude, prevent, stop, deter, or enter into collusive practices which may hinder the bidding in any way.
I think what you are talking about comes under this.

But hey, if ya get sent to gaol, I'll send a pancake with a file inside.

[echnidna]

Hear hear Outback,
plus if members make collusive arrangements on this forum it puts the very existence of the forum at risk

[Sturdee]

I'm pretty sure this would come under "collusive practices" and would be considered illegal in the extreme.
.................
But hey, if ya get sent to gaol, I'll send a pancake with a file inside.

But isn't Ebay an American site, as such, despite honest John efforts, it doesn't have any jurisdiction here and thus wouldn't apply. So no file is necessary.


Peter.

[Coldamus]

You run the risk of having the opposite effect. i.e. alerting everyone to the item and then having to bid against them.

Besides, there's no guarantee that anyone from the forum will end up winning the auction. You don't win by being nice!

regards
Coldamus
(not nice)

[echnidna]

Or someone from the forum uses a different alias on Ebay so they wise up very fast.

[E. maculata]

I do what feels right, bugga the law in this instance. As an "ebay" family we don't bid against people we know, but there are about 19.99 million we don't know

[boban]

But isn't Ebay an American site, as such, despite honest John efforts, it doesn't have any jurisdiction here and thus wouldn't apply. So no file is necessary.


Peter.

Where have you been Sturdee, Johnny applied for 52nd state status on our behalf.. Dont you remember, we didn't commit any troops to Iraq before the declaration of war either.

Seriously though, what if both of your want it really badly? Who gets it.

"Listen mate let me buy the unisaw for $500 and you can have the next one that comes up".............I dont think so mate....

Its nice to be nice but sometimes it just wont work especially if the item is rare or a good deal.

[Rusty]

I get where you're coming from, My highland goatie-oatie-oatie-oatie-oat ( had to!) I was bidding on one recent auction, until the price went stupid, compared to recent results. I too noticed another members name on one item and chose not to bid. Courtesy.

Actual collusion doesn't feel right though. Too messy and apt to create ill-feeling if someone changes their mind.

Regards,
Rusty.

[outback]

So when an obvious forum member puts something on Ebay, do we decide who is going to buy it and cheat the vendor?

That makes for a nice family. And no its not different, the poor bugger selling the stuff is trying to make a buck like the rest of us.

[journeyman Mick]

It was me bidding and Goat was a real gentleman and declined to bid when I confirmed it was me. I would be happy to do the same for other members and told him so and mentioned that I'd been thinking about floating the idea, but I was unsure about the ethicality of it. Now that it's been discussed I can see it is collusion and isn't ethical. In a real life situation if we went to an auction as a large group and decided before hand who would bid on what. then that would be collusion and illegal. If I went to an auction with people I knew then I wouldn't bid against them. Maybe I try to be too much of a nice guy, but i reckon that it's untrue that you don't "win" by being nice. Be true, ethical and try to do good where ever you can and life will smile on you and you'll be a winner.

Mick

[boban]

Karma my friends ........beware

I dont think not bidding against someone you know is collusion. You're not obliged to act in the Vendors best interests but rather your own.

I think trying to screw anyone is downright unethical. However for me its all a matter of whats in your mind. In the legal world they call it "mens rea". For most crimes, no mens rea = no crime.

So what's on your mind ..........or better still, your conscience.