“Shill Bidding” Anyone who gets caught risks not only being blocked on Ebay and Co., but also high damages payments. The Stiftung Warentest points this out on its website “test.de ” hin.
“Shill bidding” is the practice in which sellers raise the price of their goods with their own bids. It is just as forbidden as inciting friends to make bogus bids. Regardless of whether the sale is to be prevented because the bids actually submitted seem too low, or whether it is about getting even more money.
Damages are threatened – and possibly even more
Previous judgments of German courts on “shill bidding” cases show that buyers who are deprived of a bargain by bogus bids can expect high damages.
The legal experts of Stiftung Warentest also assume that sellers who make bogus bids could also find themselves in court for fraud in the future. They would then at least face a hefty fine, or even a custodial sentence.
By the way: according to the product testers, anyone who is being robbed of a bargain by feigned offers should not only contact the online auction portal, but also directly to the law enforcement authorities. Only in this way can possible claims for damages be enforced.
