... appears to be a bigger problem than I thought! I browse chips and banknotes and will watch something near the closing bell and see what the true price it's going to bring. Then place a last minute bid.

A thread further down about shilling (and other stuff) caused me to look at some of the 'active' auctions that have caught my eye over the past few days. I am seeing things like ONE buyer with 87 feedbacks from i unique user. and the feedback is NOT reciprical. Now here's a buyer, that NEVER buyes from anyone else and doesn't even give feedback to the seller. I find this really strange. Strange yes, uncommon no, I found where several sellers (appear) to have five or six shills. And these shills never seem to buy from anyone else and seldom leave feed back!

eBay once was a place where you could find a bargan now and then, next it became a place where you found what you were looking for but only 'at the going rate', then it became a place where people just bid, over paid and were less and less knowledgable bidders, now it seems there is a scam around every corner! Nothing is as it seems anymore and everyone wants to get something for nothing. Buyer beware!