private listing - biders' identities protected

[harbingerofdoom]

Why?

How does the bidder know it's not the seller upping it?

Need quick reply - please

Uusually because its something personal/embarrassing.

You dont. but then you dont with any auction, a seller could have another account and be bidding on their own item, youd never know.

If its not something that seems to require bidder anon, eg pregnancy tests/sex aids etc then I would be suspicious if that helps.

No this is just general antiquey type stuff.
collectable maybe?
Wood & woolens
what should I do?

It's fine, loads of auctions are like this for the oddest things.I have no idea why people do it for some of the things they do.

A seller cannot 'up the price' (known as 'shilling') from the same IP address, but could from a different computer and account, but they could do this whether that sale was private or not.

Either way it is highly illegal, but you wouldn't really know.

I do alot of e-baying and it has never concerned me.

Thanks WTWTW I guess I'll never know.
The way the bidding went just didn't seem 'right'. I'm not a novice but it was only the second time I'd seen it (in my sort of field).