I was looking at a short action magnum faced bolt on flea bay. Out of curiosity, I reviewed the bid history. Then I looked up the bid histories on all the bolts on offer. Everyone had shills running up prices for over 100 dollars.

In the end, you have to decide what you are willing to pay, of course, but the rampant bid rigging really left me cold. For the cost of winning bids, you can get a PT&G bolt with all the custom features you want built in.

ebay doesn't care, because they benefit financially from the higher prices. I'm going to report a couple sites to management, and also to the consumer protection agency.

With the "buy it now" auctions you either buy it, or keep walking.

Either list a reserve, or set a higher minimum bid.

I recently bought a bolt off AR for a fair price. What a different experience. It also helps to have a sniping program; set what you are willing to pay, then don't look at the listing again.

But, $175.00 for takeoff barrels. Silliness squared.

Rant off.

How did you figure out they are shills and not just somebody caught up in the "auction fever" ?

I enjoy the buying right here on AR classifieds but I must admit I have been on the good end of many screaming deals on ebay as well as gunbroker. Other times items are bid up way beyond comprehension.
When I need something unavailable at Brownell's or the usual suspects I look here on AR then fan out my search to gunbroker, ebay and even Amazon....

I have seen false bidding on eBay and gunbroker. I caught one on gunbroker that had no buy history making a lot of bids on items offered by a particular seller. Every time I bid, the phantom bid higher. I quit on one item and lost it to the phantom only to see the same item up for auction in a couple of days from the same seller.
Bad deal.

quote:

I quit on one item and lost it to the phantom only to see the same item up for auction in a couple of days from the same seller.Bad deal.

Did you report it?
Bidders and sellers will get banned for that and Gunbroker is "on it" when it comes to impropriety by buyers and sellers but it must be reported, they can't monitor the hundreds and thousands of auctions going on without your help.

Gunbroker dpesn't give a shit. I've reported this numerous times - GB doesn't even respond.


Caveat emptor

George

quote:

How did you figure out they are shills and not just somebody caught up in the "auction fever" ?

Great question. On several auctions, I have seen the same bidder, bid against themselves ten times in a row. Go on the eBay site right now, and look up Remington 700 bolts. Look for a bidder named m**r, and another named n**n. Ten bids in a row against himself/herself/itself. I will report it directly to the consumer protection agencies, mainly for something to do.

Here on out, I will look at bidding histories. It also helps to have a sniping program, IF you put in your maximum bid, and then just let things take their course.

I have gotten some great deals on eBay. Now I will be looking a little bit closer.

If the person puts in a bid, and the price is low, the bid will only go to the bid increment above the existing bid. Then, if someone else puts in a lower top bid, the bid will go back and forth by the bid increment, until the first bidder beats the lower top bid. That shows in the bid history like he was bidding against himself.

It might be a shill bid, or it might be someone that just keeps bidding on a bolt (like you are) at a bit lower than it takes to actually buy one.

ahhhhhh yes fleabay

quote:

If the person puts in a bid, and the price is low, the bid will only go to the bid increment above the existing bid. Then, if someone else puts in a lower top bid, the bid will go back and forth by the bid increment, until the first bidder beats the lower top bid. That shows in the bid history like he was bidding against himself.

It might be a shill bid, or it might be someone that just keeps bidding on a bolt (like you are) at a bit lower than it takes to actually buy one.

I considered that, but the odds of that happening on fifteen bids in a row are astronomical. Also, when there was a real bid posted after the price had been raised up "high enough," the shill bidder immediately stopped bidding. Also, from one seller in particular, the same shill bidder ran the price up on four different auctions, and never "won" one.

I will be getting most bolts for new projects from PT&G. For the same price as a vanilla bolt you can get whatever size bolt face, and whatever extractor cuts, size of firing pin hole, etc. They also have the ejector in the correct spot so the case ejects straight out, not into your scope erector knobs. Then I can just have a Holland tactical bolt handle welded, or brazed and screwed on.

So, I get one receiver blueprinted, then add an extra bolt, and can switch between multiple barrels/stocks. One long action receiver will get a standard bolt, and a magnum bolt. It can have 240 Weatherby (why not), a 6.5x65 RWS, a 270 Weatherby, and another magnum cartridge, if one seduces me.

I will be vewy, vewy, careful about only having the correct ammunition for the mounted barrel and bolt.

That's the plan, anyway. We'll see how it survives first contact with reality.