eBay seller aline4512 - even though 'top-rated', smells like rotting fish.

[Mosco]

So in search of a solid gold AP RO for a client, I found this listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/181226984049...84.m1438.l2661

Beautiful watch, listed on an auction, so there is a chance to snag a good deal, right? It appears that is not the case. Always look to completed listings matching the title:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item2a316e024b
same watch ended 2 days ago with a 'winning bidder'

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item2ec9e48c98 same watch again ended on September 1, also with a winning bid

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item27d4bb8bdd same watch from the same seller (with worse pictures) ended, again with a winning bid on July 21st.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item27d455e422 and again on July 6th.

They have the same pattern with a ROSE GOLD version of this watch:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item27d801da8e

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Audemars-Pig...item2eca1a7e17

and other watches:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trks...at=0&_from=R40 active auction bid up to almost $21k with few days left

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jaeger-LeCou...item2a317a7cfb auction ended a few days ago with a winning bidder.

Won't bore you with other examples, but it appears they shill-bid their own items with unrealistic expectations and end up repeatedly re-listing them. Or are a global scammer with ties inside ebay, similar to TKBarger. Also, how in the world is it that when you use a simple keyword such as Audemars Piguet, their listings which have NOTHING to do with AP (such as Romain Jerome) pop up in a search? Something is very strange. Opinions?

[RolexWatcher]

Bump. Looks like a scam - good detective work! Looks similar to how Thomas Barger (TKBarger) did it as well...

[beshannon]

Originally Posted by Mosco

Won't bore you with other examples, but it appears they shill-bid their own items with unrealistic expectations and end up repeatedly re-listing them. Or are a global scammer with ties inside ebay, similar to TKBarger. Also, how in the world is it that when you use a simple keyword such as Audemars Piguet, their listings which have NOTHING to do with AP (such as Romain Jerome) pop up in a search? Something is very strange. Opinions?

This is how EBAY works, they make money from selling listings. Nothing surprising here at all

[cajunron]

Greg, do you know who eats any loss acquired when a scammer dupes a customer om Ebay? Say for instance I paid for this bogus AP and received a rock in the mail. Who pays for it? Paypal, Ebay, insurance? If the customer is reimbursed by Paypal after a scam, I would think someone would put an end to this crap after the first $100K or so.

[RolexWatcher]

Originally Posted by beshannon

This is how EBAY works, they make money from selling listings. Nothing surprising here at all

You mean it's fine to have all these fake sold listings?

[roach7]

Pretty sneaky, he's putting Audemars Piguet as the brand for the Romain Jeromes...

[Mosco]

They must know Nick Faldo in person...

[77T]

I see the pattern but it makes no sense to me (yet).

They would get hit with final value fees unless they claimed buyer bailed out. Pretty soon you run out of shill ID's. All the auctions are "private". It doesn't build their feedback score - can't figure out how it benefits them as a seller...

But it is fishy for sure...