So just to entertain myself during these long winter days I check out E-Bay and occasionally will follow auctions on trucks similar to mine. It's interesting to know what our trucks are valued at auction in today's market. It's also helpful to know if I have the proper approximate value set on my truck's insurance.

I started following this particular truck about a month ago. It has been listed four times, and each time it hasn't hit the reserve.
But the odd part is that there is one guy who has been hitting the 'bid now' button like it's a semi-auto gun trigger at a prize shoot. He has been involved in each one of the listings for this truck and is always the last bidder each time and amazingly stays under the reserve. He has done about 100 bids on this truck so far, apparently only to reveal someone else's high bid.

if you open the link, and check the bid details, then check the bid history statistics on this person you can see exactly what he has done in the past listings.

If the seller was not involved and also interested in keeping things above-board for their reputation they would have blocked bids from this person after the second listing. But now after the fourth listing it is still happening so I smell a rat.

Now I know that E-Bay doesn't give a rat's **** about low-level fraud because they will profit from shill bidding. From E-Bay's own policy they say "We don't allow shill bidding because it can falsely increase an item's price or desirability"
More revenue for them collected in fees though. In that huge company they probably have one part-time intern assigned to 'investigating' such things when we report them.

Anyway, I've been using E-Bay for 15 years and know what to expect (my expectations are quite low) but this one is perhaps the most obvious example.

It's too bad because the truck seems to be attracting some legitimate bidders at a lower price point despite the truck's flaws (that we would see in a heartbeat) and shocking 'as-is' statement in the auction description but someone will probably overpay if they get caught up in a perceived bidding war.

I wonder if a real buyer actually makes the top bid and then they see the actual thing up close could they use shill bidding as a reason for dispute? E-Bay's policy says that shill bidding is not legal in some areas but how would you easily determine if it applies? You'd have to pay a lawyer just to decipher your state laws, the ones in the seller's state, and the ones that E-Bay's incorporated in.

Just wondering. For you guys that follow auctions or play a lawyer on TV what are your thoughts or knowledge on the legality of such things and do we have that situation here?


http://www.ebay.com/itm/371224961758?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Just passing time on a cold winter evening.



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With the many questionable trucks that have been on eBay and have been posted here I suspect a lot of shill bidding is going on. Almost every truck that is listed and looks like a high school kid did it in is parent's backyard but the seller says the truck went through a frame up professional restoration I look at the bidding history and almost every one has been listed numerous times, and as far as I can tell, have the same bidders. Many have been sold and relisted many times.

I would suspect on this truck someone could be using a sniper program set to just below the reserve price so every time a bid is made the program ups the price one more notch. Obviously if it hasn't sold these many times no legitimate thinks it worth the reserve price.

I read somewhere shill bidding at a live auction is a federal offense, I'm obviously not a lawyer but I'd assume it would be any kind of auction, live or online. You just have to the person affected and be able to prove it which I doubt many people are willing to do.

 

Shill bidding, probably, it's a dealer selling it......honestly though I couldn't care less what goes on on ebay.

The truck appears to have a "quickie" cosmetic restoration and a later rear end. Not really a super valuable truck.

Love how they tout the 2V carb....

 

That's how you find out what the reserve price is, jack up your bid $50 at a time.

Doesn't look like that bad of a truck, not pretty underneath for sure. Who knows how much bondo is on the front fenders?

 

But would anyone ever need to do that on four consecutive auctions for the same truck?
They would have learned something on the first three when the reserve wasn't met after 75 attempts - if they were truly a potential buyer.

Maybe a woodpecker was on the keyboard.


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Off topic from the discussion but on topic for the truck, why are there lift block on the front axle?

 

Cheaper and easier than replacing sagging springs? Looks like they've been there awhile. The U-bolts aren't the same length on each side so it must have been a quick fix.

We know how tough it can be to get those spring shackle pins out!
I'd reach for the square tube too.

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This is just a dealer moving the current bid closer to the reserve price. It has always struck me as silly for dealers to pretend to auction their vehicles. The reserves are usually at market and any thinking buyer should be dickering down, not bidding up, from that number.

The underside, bed, and wiring aren't what I would expect for $17K.

 

Been watching a 1937 IH panel truck on FLEABAY. First time it was on it reached $1900 without meeting reserve. Second time it was posted, it hit $1900, and sold. Friend of mine sells old cars, he does the same thing. Set the reserve sky high, then let the bidding ensue. When it's over, now you know what someone is willing to pay for it. Then set the reserve at that price for the second time. He says that's how you play the game, and avoid selling low.

 

Why would anyone bid on a truck like this when you can just contact the dealership and see the price and deal directly with them instead of the uncertainty of ebay bids.

Do you remember how high the bidding went? I would bet the reserve is $16,999, which is their web site asking price. Might as well if you are the dealer.

I couldn't stand having the underside not cleaned up and cared for. Your frame and suspension is kind of important if you are planning on driving it anywhere. Oh, and no fuel gauge and no temperature gauge???? Aren't those a little important, dang. Looks pretty though.....

 

How about that brake line bend around the rear end? Did my 4 year old do that?

 

It's a pretty rough truck, IMO, especially like Duane said, for a $17K truck. I will give the dealer credit for not touting it as a professional frame off, no expense spared, restoration like some of the butchered up trucks we've seen on the 'Bay. He does have it checked off as a "Driver", if "Amateur" is a lower grade I think it fits that rating better. The square tubing in over the front axle would have me worried.

Funny, I wonder if anyone here would ever try to do a half *** 50 footer job on a crusty truck and try to sell it off at a huge profit without worrying about quality or safety......Oh I don't thinks so, I'll just leave that though die.

 

First time was 15,000, then 13,000, then 15,000 again.



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Well, of course that's not going to die.

Hopefully, that thread has ended so I can stop being assaulted by the OP's comments after they've been quoted.

 

Well that got me chuckling. Still laughing.