Ebay Bidders with names like I***G

[RangerG]

I have seen a lot of bidders recently bidding on rc stuff and some gaming stuff with names having one capital letter then three asterisks and then a capital letter: I***L or K***F, etc. Is this a new way of being an EBay hidden bidder? Has anyone else seen this?

 

Take care,

RG

 

Here's one (and there are dozens more):

Item number: 200163097276

Edited October 15, 2007 by RangerG

[+Psionic]

Yes, for one thing, bidders' identities are shielded in any auction where the bidding goes over $200.

[RangerG]

I didn't know that, so it automatically does that with auctions over $200. Has it always been that way? or am I just bidding on more expensive auctions now .

[+Psionic]

Has it always been that way? or am I just bidding on more expensive auctions now .

No, it hasn't...it started a few months ago and I, for one, don't like it very much. I like to know who I'm bidding against.

[RangerG]

That clears it up, thanks - but, I don't really see any purpose for it.

[lemoncurry]

That clears it up, thanks - but, I don't really see any purpose for it.

It prevents scammers from sending the non-winning bidders bogus second chance offers.

[Zwackery]

I've noticed that in auctions where the bidding is still below $200, but there is a high BIN available or a high reserve has been set by the seller, that the auction may be using the "protected identity" mode, too.

[+Psionic]

I've noticed that in auctions where the bidding is still below $200, but there is a high BIN available or a high reserve has been set by the seller, that the auction may be using the "protected identity" mode, too.

Yeah, I've noticed that as well. It's annoying, but I guess it's something we'll just have to learn to live with.

[+LS650]

So why does eBay protect the identities of people bidding over $200 - but not the smaller stuff? Seems kind of silly to me....

[Zwackery]

So why does eBay protect the identities of people bidding over $200 - but not the smaller stuff? Seems kind of silly to me....

 

Probably because people willing to bid $200+ for an item are more likely targets for scammers than all those $5 auctions as the scammers are looking for big payoffs for doing little work.

[Uzumaki]

If you look under the bidding history of best offers, they seems to be shielded differently: atar*** rather than a***i but yeah I noticed it. Makes private auction mostly a moot point. The only use private auction has nowday is to hide the identity of the winning bidder in questionable auctions like those from XXX categories.

[Buyatari]

Why is the winning bidder shown then?

 

They aren't protecting the bidder. They are protecting ebay. They want to cut down on the out of ebay sales. THATS why its items over $200.00.

 

You want to sell a 50 cent game outside of ebay they will let it go but who will use the second chance feature on a $4,000.00 item when you can just email the other bidders and skip ebay.

[lemoncurry]

The high bidder is not in need of protection from bogus second chance offers, as he already bought one.

 

Also, the seller still sees the whole list of bidders without the obfuscation.

 

So, another "eBay is evil" conspiracy theory goes out the window.

[udisi]

It's totally in ebay's best interest to do this...then again you have to remember ebay is a buisness, and if it weren't for ebay the majority of people wouldn't have a market for selling. They know this and People know this....thus people will try and scam ebay, and ebay will in turn do what they want to keep making a profit...it's simple.

[+Psionic]

I'm going to save eBay the trouble and change my ID to a**hole or f***face.

[taxman]

I'm going to save eBay the trouble and change my ID to a**hole or f***face.

 

Or how about F**K-EB*Y

[Uzumaki]

Not sure if those would work. But i do know b***h would work since the first and last letter won't change and with 3 *'s it still spells the same numbers of blacked out letters.