Private Bidding???

[LegoMan1212]

I've never seen this before, but I'm assuming this means the person is possibly upping their own product?  Why would you ever use this type of bidding?  

 

[Val-E]

You can set it up when you create a listing but it does seem rather dubious.

I have seen some bidders who keep their ID totally private (not even stars or feedback is displayed) even in non private auctions. Would like to know how to do that.

[LegoMan1212]

No, not interested in hiding anything.  Fingers crossed that the gamble I took today on bidding on a Lego Set arrives in the mail.  I'm not concerned about being Up-bid as of course, I put in my max anyway so that doesn't bother me.  I just don't understand the need to "hide" yourself on Ebay.  

Edited February 6, 2017 by LegoMan1212

[Guest TabbyBoy]

Those that have something to hide have something to hide and will not be getting my money. See you on the fruitcake thread in a few days? ;-)

[LegoMan1212]

Probably.  I'm already on the side that I'l probably be having to go through paypal/Ebay to get money back.  It's not an amount that will hurt me much but more the hassle and time.  We are only in Day 1 so we'll see how the next few go.

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by LegoMan1212

[Voltron]

16 minutes ago, Val-E said:

You can set it up when you create a listing but it does seem rather dubious.

I have seen some bidders who keep their ID totally private (not even stars or feedback is displayed) even in non private auctions. Would like to know how to do that.

If you only buy items from eBay you can turn your account feedback to private. Doesn't work if you sell items.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/feedback/profile-public-private.html

 

[LegoMan1212]

53 minutes ago, Mhd747 said:

If you only buy items from eBay you can turn your account feedback to private. Doesn't work if you sell items.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/feedback/profile-public-private.html

 

The persons' feed back is steller, (low though) but who knows.  Glass Half-full approach with this one.  But still....Don't F me DUDE!  

[CrabslayerT]

I've sold to people on eBay that have hidden their ID, one in particular was a famous children's writer. It's not all cloak and dagger for dubious reasons, sometimes it's to keep their spending private.

[Sfcommando14]

I've sold to people on eBay that have hidden their ID, one in particular was a famous children's writer. It's not all cloak and dagger for dubious reasons, sometimes it's to keep their spending private.

Did you slide in a copy of your HP fan fiction when you sent it to her?

[Guest TabbyBoy]

I've seen the same where I sold some bike components a few years ago to a hidden ID and the PayPal payment pointed to a certain Mr C Hoy who lived in Manchester. Yes, it was "him" as I met him at the Outdoor Show at London Excel this time last year and he remembered the bits he bought. Of course, he now has his wholesale network for his own brand these days. Such a nice bloke and I have the utmost respect for him but, he forgot to leave me feedback! I wonder if the Queen uses eBay ;-)

[BarryZola]

I sell a few old collectibles here and there also and on a couple of occasions have sent items to a Mr David Dickinson. I can't be 100% certain it was the guy from Bargain Hunt, but the items were 'Cheap as Chips'

Also had a Jason Manford once

[Guest TabbyBoy]

1 hour ago, BarryZola said:

I sell a few old collectibles here and there also and on a couple of occasions have sent items to a Mr David Dickinson. I can't be 100% certain it was the guy from Bargain Hunt, but the items were 'Cheap as Chips'

Also had a Jason Manford once

LOL - Did you send him a message to ask? I would expect collectible and antique dealers to buy on eBay regularly. I also recall funny addresses where I once sent a bike derailleur to a Mr Butts who lived in Bellend Close!

[BarryZola]

No, I didn't bother at the time for some reason. Maybe I just couldn't have taken the disappointment if it wasn't really him. I chose to live in my dream world of sending items to the 'stars' instead

[CrabslayerT]

5 hours ago, Sfcommando14 said:

Did you slide in a copy of your HP fan fiction when you sent it to her?

Not that famous writer I'm afraid.....

[Phil B]

6 hours ago, Sfcommando14 said:

Did you slide in a copy of your HP fan fiction when you sent it to her?

Fifty shades of Greyback?

[hreid61477]

I've never seen this before, but I'm assuming this means the person is possibly upping their own product?  Why would you ever use this type of bidding?  
 

I recently met a former TLG Corporate office employee. He never told me his actual job title, but said friends & colleagues named him "The Lego Nazi". Apparently his job entailed perusing the web (mainly ebay) in search of people profiting off of retired sets. Sellers having more than 5 - 10 of an item available for sale would recieve a cease and desist letter from TLG, were banned from shop@home and had thier VIP cards cancelled. Apparently this full time position longer exists and the job was absorbed by another dept.

Threatening TLG letter = good reason to make ebay account private ?

[Migration]

I recently met a former TLG Corporate office employee. He never told me his actual job title, but said friends & colleagues named him "The Lego Nazi". Apparently his job entailed perusing the web (mainly ebay) in search of people profiting off of retired sets. Sellers having more than 5 - 10 of an item available for sale would recieve a cease and desist letter from TLG, were banned from shop@home and had thier VIP cards cancelled. Apparently this full time position longer exists and the job was absorbed by another dept.

 

Threatening TLG letter = good reason to make ebay account private ?

If that's true then emazers is screwed.

[Phil B]

Just now, Migration said:

If that's true than emazers is screwed.

Not really ... just make all your listings "Good Till Cancelled", put 2-3 items in as quantity, and keep bringing that number back up to 3 every time you sell some.

[Migration]

Not really ... just make all your listings "Good Till Cancelled", put 2-3 items in as quantity, and keep bringing that number back up to 3 every time you sell some.

Please check batteries in sarcasm detector;)

[Phil B]

Just now, Migration said:

Please check batteries in sarcasm detector;)

Please turn your sarcasm dial up to 11 ... I couldn't hear it

[Guest TabbyBoy]

On 06/02/2017 at 10:28 PM, LegoMan1212 said:

I've never seen this before, but I'm assuming this means the person is possibly upping their own product?  Why would you ever use this type of bidding?  

If you mean shill bidding which is done out of greed to inflate the final selling price, it's not only against eBay's rules (you will be banned instantly), it is also illegal and eBay have also had shill bidders prosecuted in the past. Having a private ID doesn't help as eBay admins have full visibility and cross-reference account details and IP addresses.

 

[Guest TabbyBoy]

1 hour ago, hreid61477 said:

Threatening TLG letter = good reason to make ebay account private ?

I don't think a business account can be private and we shouldn't be using private accounts for buying/selling for profit either.

If that happened to me, I'll simply tell LEGO to go F themselves. However... for some reason, this story did make the needle move a bit on my BS detector ;-)

IF LEGO really wanted to shaft us, they'd do this...

• Resurrect 10179 (Please do it!)
• Reissue all retired sets on demand for an additional fee
• Limit ALL sets to 2 per household and enforce lower discounts on their website and at all official retailers
• Tell eBay that LEGO sellers need to be authorised to sell NEW sets (Most likely)
• Drop the case against bogus bricks
• Buy sets from resellers at random and leave negative feedback for the tiniest issue

... and, if they did, they can kiss goodbye to being the World's biggest toy company.

[LegoMan1212]

Update thus far on what prompted this thread...

I sent a message to the seller just simply in as nice a way as possible that I look forward to receiving my purchase but that I question it slightly as he is listed from Vietnam, the product is said to be in Canada (multi-store).  He responded back 2 days later with, I don't understand your question or concern.... today a get emailed a tracking number under USPS that has an origination (supposedly) of Kansas.  The tracking has been created but the item has not been picked up yet.  I am actually sort of surprised the tracking number registered.  

This is just different.  To be continued...  and not that it will even matter, but I do plan on video-taping me opening the package completely to verify the contents immediately.  Not that it would matter much because it's not like I couldn't have opened it previously.  The seals better all be tight!

[hreid61477]

I don't think a business account can be private and we shouldn't be using private accounts for buying/selling for profit either.
If that happened to me, I'll simply tell LEGO to go F themselves. However... for some reason, this story did make the needle move a bit on my BS detector ;-)
IF LEGO really wanted to shaft us, they'd do this...

• Resurrect 10179 (Please do it!)
• Reissue all retired sets on demand for an additional fee
• Limit ALL sets to 2 per household and enforce lower discounts on their website and at all official retailers
• Tell eBay that LEGO sellers need to be authorised to sell NEW sets (Most likely)
• Drop the case against bogus bricks
• Buy sets from resellers at random and leave negative feedback for the tiniest issue

... and, if they did, they can kiss goodbye to being the World's biggest toy company.

I can't be 100% sure of the validity of this guy's story of being hired by TLG to take out the high volume resellers; but he didn't stand to gain anything by BSing me, nor did he strike me as the chatty storytelling type (although my people skills are a little rusty these days - my bffs are minifigs!). However, I've googled this lego letter claim many times and many ways, and still come up with nothing and with no one here having heard of these letters either, who knows...

That being said, I think Lego has been testing the waters on trying to depreciate sets for a while now. Ex: WV Toy Shop remake - 10199 was significantly devalued with 10249's release. Definitely a test to see how customers would react and monitor TLG sales trends long term.

Maybe we will see a 10179 rerelease. Look at how many CL scams have revolved around it?

Re the bogus bricks - they have GOT TO GO! Its so easy to mistake a bogus bricks for a Lego at the end of a 10hr Technic Connector sorting session (I almost made that mistake myself)

[Ed Mack]

 

9 hours ago, hreid61477 said:

I can't be 100% sure of the validity of this guy's story of being hired by TLG to take out the high volume resellers; but he didn't stand to gain anything by BSing me, nor did he strike me as the chatty storytelling type (although my people skills are a little rusty these days - my bffs are minifigs!). However, I've googled this lego letter claim many times and many ways, and still come up with nothing and with no one here having heard of these letters either, who knows...

That being said, I think Lego has been testing the waters on trying to depreciate sets for a while now. Ex: WV Toy Shop remake - 10199 was significantly devalued with 10249's release. Definitely a test to see how customers would react and monitor TLG sales trends long term.

Maybe we will see a 10179 rerelease. Look at how many CL scams have revolved around it?

Re the bogus bricks - they have GOT TO GO! Its so easy to mistake a bogus bricks for a Lego at the end of a 10hr Technic Connector sorting session (I almost made that mistake myself)
 

Why would LEGO want sets to depreciate?