I'm aware that this isn't right...but is it illegal?

Question

i recently started an ebay account and stupidly put in a max bid on an item that i didn't research well enough. turns out the item isn't exactly what i thought it was and i do not want to buy it even at a lesser amount. the problem is this seller has many items i am interested in and i don't want to alienate him for fear of him blocking any future bids from me. I'm aware of how bid retraction works but again i don't want to chance him blocking me. what id like to know is if i were to set up a separate ebay account under a different user name and email address and place a bid with it that is higher than my "real" account and then simply not pay if that bid wins, could the two separate accounts be linked and my original account banned?

Answer 1

It's unethical, at the very least.  If you were selling on Ebay, would you want to deal with someone like you?  Don't weasel out of it by saying "everyone does it".  That doesn't matter.  

YOU need to be an honorable, trustworthy person.  You admit right up front that you didn't do your research well enough, so you know that this overly high bid is your fault, and nobody else's.  Why should the seller take the loss, when you made the mistake?

Answer 2

I'd email the seller. Explain your mistake, and explain that the seller offers other items of interest to you that you plan to bid on. If the seller is a nice person (they probably are), they will most likely understand. They should let you retract your bid, or I believe they can cancel it themselves.

Answer 3

Just retract the bid. It doesnt tell seller that you have retract bid.

If it too late to retract then yes make a new account and bid i guess.... lol

But this is illegal ebay call it shrill bidding and it will result in suspension of account if you get caught.