[Milsurplus] Re: [AILtech] Re: [TekScopes2] eBay Hiding IDs does NOT Work

[J Forster]

My point is that a seller can crib an auction, set it up as a fake and harvest
the bidders IDs available now only to the seller, and  then send out phony
offers. Their policy has made it much harder to detect schilling at the expense
of a trivial increase in security for second chance offers.

Best,
-John

=============

Chuck Harris wrote:

> Hi John,
>
> Yes, it was most likely a fraudulent sale,... bidders with zero feedback
> and recently set up accounts are always suspect... but I think you are
> missing the point:
>
> Most second chance offers previously did not come from the seller, but
> rather from someone who saw the auction, and used the list of bidders
> in the bid history list as their phishing list.
>
> Ebay's change to blanking out the bidders id's was to slow down the
> large number of second chance offers coming from outside of the auction
> system.  I think you will have to agree that it was successful at achieving
> that one goal.
>
> Your friend got a second chance offer from a fraudulent seller.  That
> is a different kettle of fish.
>
> The only way to mop up the fraudulent sellers is for ebay to require
> verifiable credentials from each seller.  I believe that you have already
> expressed yourself as being firmly against anyone on the internet having
> a way of knowing who *you* are.
>
> Unfortunately, I don't believe you can have it both ways.
>
> -Chuck Harris
>
> J Forster wrote:
> > Here's a a perfect case of why eBay hiding user IDs from other bidders
> > does not stop fraudulent "Second Chance" offers:
> >
> > The first auction, ending on May 15, 2008 could well have been
> > legitimate. The price is high, but not out of the question:
> >
> >        Hewlett Packard Laser Calibration System     Item number:
> > 300222289987
> >
> > Earlier today, a friend emailed me about this auction:
> >
> >       Hewlett Pacrkard Laser Calibration System    Item number:
> > 250257487810
> >
> > He bid on it, but was outbid. Then today he got a Second Chance offer
> > from the seller.  There are very few of these systems out there, BTW.
> > There is absolutely no question that the sale pics were copied, because
> > one of the cases shown is not HP. Also, compare the text. I'll bet all
> > the bidders on the latter sale got second chance offers too.
> >
> > This is a perfect example that eBay is not really trying to prevent
> > fraud, because they apparently make bidder IDs available to sellers.
> >
> > Best,
> > -John