Private eBay Auctions

Any seller on eBay has the option
to make their auction private. A
private auction on eBay means that
only the seller knows the
identities of those bidding on the
item or items being offered.
On the eBay website you can find
this information posted by eBay
regarding private auctions: “While
there are some cases where private
listings are appropriate, such as
the sale of high-priced ticket
items or approved pharmaceutical
products, you should only make
your listing private for a
specific reason.”
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Some sellers say that using the
private auction option prevents
their competitors from stealing
their customers or knowing what
they selling price of each item
was. They also say that it
protects their customers from SPAM
that is initiated by their
competitors.
In a recent survey, it was found
that 76% of buyers said that they
never used the private auction
option and 65% of all those who
responded to the survey said that
an auction being private would
make them less likely to
participate in it. The reasons
that were given for not wanting to
participate in a private auction
were:
1. They thought the seller
had something to hide.
2. They thought that the
auction might be a scam.
3. They thought that the
private auction defeated the
protection of transparency of eBay
auctions.
Buyers who participate in private
eBay auctions cannot be warned
that an item is bogus by other
sellers or buyers.
This does remove some of the
safety that bidding on items
through regular eBay auctions
provides.
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The private eBay auction smacks of
deceit and maybe even of intrigue.
Yet there are many sellers on eBay
who always use the private auction
option.
They say that it protects them as
sellers and that it also protects
their customers. The majority of
eBay members, however, do not
agree with their assessment.