can a person be prosecuted

[jeffdav]

can a person be prosecuted if they are known to have rigged the bidding on e bay?

[thelewisgang]

Ebay take this very seriously & if you suspect someone has put a bid on to top it up without the intention of buying then you should definitely report it. You will find a link on the Ebay help pages about this

[vivaciauk]

In short, yes! If you are referring to putting the bidding up higher by say, having another account and using that account to bid high, then you are technically committing fraud. The problem would be in proving this to be the case. However, if you have any doubts and suspect this is happening then don't take the risk. If the seller is prepared to do this then what else are they doing wrong? I have a very simple rule on Ebay, if you have so much as the slightest doubt, do not bid - there will be another whatever come up in the future. Oh, and if it helps, this is quite often found to happen at "live" auctions (cars, antiques etc) but the rules are the same, prove it and you can prosecute.

[Buenchico]

Contrary to Vivaciauk's statements, it's not illegal for a vendor to bid for their own goods in an auction as long as the vendor makes the full payment for the goods if he/she is the winning bidder. (This obviously means that the vendor risks losing money, through paying the auctioneer's commission, if they bid higher than anyone else).

It is illegal to place such bids if there is no intent to pay up if the vendor 'wins' their own goods. eBay have a strict policy against this but most local auction rooms accept this practice as part of the way to get the highest possible price for goods (with the correspondingly high commission). I've frequently placed bids on my own goods at 'live' auctions with the full knowledge of the auctioneers. I've also worked in auction rooms and placed hundreds of bids which have been made purely with the intention of getting the maximum possible price. Auctioneers, like estate agents, act solely as agents for the vendors, not for the purchasers. It is their duty to screw every possible penny out of the purchasers and I applaud the way that they do it.

Chris

[noxlumos]

Yeah Chris is right, I'm a property developer and I also own some car sales sites and it happens all the time at auction, just watch the bidding.

[joko]

trouble is suspicion is not enough. what ground do you suspect?

[jeffdav]

thanks for the feedback guys the person in question is a relative if you want to call him that and he's asked me a few times to put bids in to bump the price up .cam he be prosecuted for that or would it be me if i did what he wants ,cos i hate to think i was doing something to rip some one off

[Steve_Luts]

jeff, I think you've answered your own doubts. Politely tell him to get another stooge. I'd say its very common on ebay, they can't police every sale.