Watch your bids on GW auctions, shills are bidding
11-27-2013, 11:20 AM
#31
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Illinois...near St. Louis
Posts: 392
I don't like the Goodwill auction site for all the reasons Candace mentioned. I much prefer ebay AND Paypal...you get buyer protection from both. Actually sellers CAN take payments other than Paypal according to eBay's rules BUT you have to contact the seller to see if they will. But why would a seller want to wait for a MO....or for a check to clear when Paypal is so much better for them too? Years ago, I sold a lot on ebay....& I remember lots of emails from buyers asking me to hold an item yet another week til their next payday before they could pay me. And back then too, MOST people wouldn't even bid if you didn't take Paypal! I don't really understand your problem with it.... But anyway, to be fair, a machine might be relisted due to a non-paying bidder.
11-27-2013, 12:18 PM
#32
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Pat,
There are reasons for my dislike of eBay and PayPal that are not appropriate to the QB forum. We do have an eBay account and did buy and sell there for quite a while years ago. But they made too many political changes you and others may not be exposed to.
That soured me on them.
I've seen a lot of GW auctions that have been relisted due to non payment. Generally when that happens it's noted in their text and the auction had numerous bids on it. Not always, but generally.
Joe
There are reasons for my dislike of eBay and PayPal that are not appropriate to the QB forum. We do have an eBay account and did buy and sell there for quite a while years ago. But they made too many political changes you and others may not be exposed to.
That soured me on them.
I've seen a lot of GW auctions that have been relisted due to non payment. Generally when that happens it's noted in their text and the auction had numerous bids on it. Not always, but generally.
Joe
11-28-2013, 08:58 AM
#33
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Denver Colorado
Posts: 232
Just got to recalling that when I went to the GW center to look at a walking foot machine they had on auction there was an old green 10 hp Johnson outboard - in really nice shape - on the pick-up floor. Worker said it sold for $10 but the buyer never picked it up so it was going to go back and be put through again.
Perhaps not all the re-runs are shill deals.
Perhaps not all the re-runs are shill deals.
11-28-2013, 03:20 PM
#34
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
No, not all the returns are shill deals. But, I've watched and participated in the GW auctions for nearly two years now and have been paying attention to the bidders.
So the one I described in my original post was enough to make me believe it was a shill bidding just to get me to bid again. I have no way to prove it, but I do believe I'm right.
Joe
So the one I described in my original post was enough to make me believe it was a shill bidding just to get me to bid again. I have no way to prove it, but I do believe I'm right.
Joe
11-28-2013, 07:30 PM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 1,828
I recently got two machines, that in shipping were absolutely ruined..... Could they not have a person with more sense do the packing?
A couple weeks ago I bid on a 15 clone on Good Will auctions. The machine had no light, case, or cord set / controller so I wasn't going to bid high.
What I wanted was the motor. It's a brand I have found to be very strong and torquey.
I bid the minimum bid the day before the end of the auction. Then just before the end a shill bidder bid just over my minimum bid. I told my wife this person just bought themselves a machine -- but we'd see it again because that bidder was a shill. I was right, it's back in today.
I've seen at least a half dozen machines go with only two bids only to show up a week or two later. So the shill bidders are bidding the GW auctions up.
Do not let yourself get drawn into a bidding war. Set your maximum bid amount and do not go over it.
I may, or may not go after that machine again. But if I do, I will only bid the minimum bid as close to the end of the auction as my slow dial up will allow.
Joe
What I wanted was the motor. It's a brand I have found to be very strong and torquey.
I bid the minimum bid the day before the end of the auction. Then just before the end a shill bidder bid just over my minimum bid. I told my wife this person just bought themselves a machine -- but we'd see it again because that bidder was a shill. I was right, it's back in today.
I've seen at least a half dozen machines go with only two bids only to show up a week or two later. So the shill bidders are bidding the GW auctions up.
Do not let yourself get drawn into a bidding war. Set your maximum bid amount and do not go over it.
I may, or may not go after that machine again. But if I do, I will only bid the minimum bid as close to the end of the auction as my slow dial up will allow.
Joe
Last edited by Grandma Cindy; 11-28-2013 at 07:38 PM.
11-28-2013, 07:34 PM
#36
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Been there, done that. It happens too many times. But what I ask is was the machine destroyed because it wasn't packed properly or because the shippers ran over it with the trucks? I've seen both.
That's why I email them and ask that they take extra care with the packaging. If they do, after that it depends on the shippers.
Sorry about your two machines. I hope you got your money back at least.
Joe
That's why I email them and ask that they take extra care with the packaging. If they do, after that it depends on the shippers.
Sorry about your two machines. I hope you got your money back at least.
Joe
11-28-2013, 07:41 PM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 1,828
The first beautiful FW , they forced the lid down( mind you it had closed ok for 60+ years), broke off the thread holder and put a hole in the great case. I was told they would pay for the repairs or I could ship it back. I was heart broken...
Been there, done that. It happens too many times. But what I ask is was the machine destroyed because it wasn't packed properly or because the shippers ran over it with the trucks? I've seen both.
That's why I email them and ask that they take extra care with the packaging. If they do, after that it depends on the shippers.
Sorry about your two machines. I hope you got your money back at least.
Joe
That's why I email them and ask that they take extra care with the packaging. If they do, after that it depends on the shippers.
Sorry about your two machines. I hope you got your money back at least.
Joe
11-28-2013, 07:55 PM
#39
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: TN
Posts: 1,443
Goodwill is a privately held company, they are not a charity and do not claim to be. They produce nothing, all items are donated then resold at extreme mark-ups as they paid nothing for the items. They offer minimum wage jobs while raking in huge profits.
I do shop at Goodwill occasionally when I'm in the area of the nearest store, but anything I donate goes to a local charity shop. I will not donate goods for them to profit on.
I do shop at Goodwill occasionally when I'm in the area of the nearest store, but anything I donate goes to a local charity shop. I will not donate goods for them to profit on.
11-28-2013, 08:54 PM
#40
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 524
The equivalent here is a store called Savers. They get all their goods donated by saying they support Diabetes Australia - but only 5% of their profits go to DA (but they don't advertise that part). Their prices are very high (in charity shop terms) - never seen a vintage machine for under $60 - and they get people to donate by tricking them into thinking it's for charity. It's great to know more about shill bidding - thanks Joe! But I think it's good if more people are aware that some "charities" are not all they appear to be. It really sucks that it's something we have to actually investigate now before we purchase or donate :/
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