There are countless platforms on which you can sell your own products. With an online auction, you naturally try to achieve a good price. But you shouldn’t bid yourself. That could be dangerous.
In an online auction, users try to outdo each other in order to get the desired product. As a rule, the price then continues to rise. This is common practice on eBay and the other common platforms. Nevertheless, you should not bid on your own offer with a second account in order to raise the price further.
Sham bids are not permitted in an online auction
“Shill bidding” is the name of the practice in which sellers drive up the price of their goods with their own bids. It is just as forbidden as inciting friends to bogus bids. It doesn’t matter whether you want to generate more revenue or whether the offer is simply too low.
In previous judgments on “shill bidding” cases, German courts have shown that if buyers are deprived of a bargain by bogus bids, they can expect high damages. The legal experts at Stiftung Warentest also assume that sellers who place bogus bids on their own offers in an online auction could also find themselves in court for fraud in the future. You would then face at least a hefty fine, or even imprisonment.
Also Read: The Perfect Time to Place a Bid on Ebay
Victims should report fraud quickly
By the way: If you are robbed of a bargain by fake offers, according to the product testers, you should not only contact the online auction portal, but also directly to the law enforcement authorities. This is the only way possible claims for damages can be enforced.
Of course, such fraud is difficult to prove, for example when friends of the supplier are bidding on the product. Incidentally, this is also prohibited for employees of a seller. However, if you have a reasonable suspicion, it is best to document the process with screenshots.
With information from the dpa