Power Sellers Unite

nancybusinraleigh · Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 219 Location: North Carolina

BACKGROUND

A member of BidVille discovered that one could change the text of an auction even after a bid had been placed on that auction. After having received a bid on an auction, this member wished to ADD more information, and could. It begged the question, what if you could change it to the detriment of the bidder?

Realizing the implications of that one event alone, this member notified me and asked me if we could somehow document this 'oddity'.

The member set up an auction (our control auction) and we made file copies both on computer snapshot as well as actual hard copy prints. Documents showing the actual auction page before bidding, again immediately after the bid was placed and each time the auction went through 4 significant changes. All those changes were made AFTER the bid had already been made.

During this effort, we discovered the following:

1. Auction description could be altered, changed completely if one desired, to something totally different than what it had originally stated when the bidder had actually placed the bid
2. The auction type could be altered, in this control auction from a Take It Now style to a reserve price auction. (Bid was under the Take It Now price)
3. The shipping fees were more than doubled, after a bid had been in place for two days.
4. Warranty given in the auction was changed as well.
5. The amount shown in the "First Bid" are was altered as well.

In essence, there is nothing about an auction that cannot be altered AFTER a bid is placed on a BidVille auction. Also take into account that on BidVille, a bidder may NOT cancel their bids. Here is the relevant site policy:

Is it possible to lower or retract my bid? Back to Help

At this time, it is not possible to lower or retract a bid once it is placed. Please be very careful when you bid and only place bids that you intend to follow through with. http://www.bidville.com/help/faqs.htm#bid1

The results bear out that all key elements of an auction with a bid on it can be changed by the seller. And also noted that the buyer has no option to cancel bids on BidVille. So in essence, unless a buyer on BidVille has made file copies of the auction that they truly bid on initially, a seller could in fact alter the auction and the buyer would have to prove what they had truly bid on. How many buyers would know to do that? It's unheard of.

The potential for fraudulant abuse for loopholes of altered auctions once a bid is places is a serious problem:
- seller can opt to change shipping based on bidder location
- seller can opt to change or create a reserve price
- seller can change description to change out the actual item listed to something of lesser value
- seller can remove any originally included warranty
and so forth.

I put this information here for all who may be interested in knowing that real and serious problems concerning software inadequacies and/or managment of the system exist. Many of the problems have been addressed here at PowerSellersUnite for the benefit of those who might be considering the use of BidVille as either a buyer or a seller.

As the many BidVille threads here at PowerSellersUnite have shown, this is but one of many issues that show BidVille to be below "industry standards".
The "industry standard" would again be measured against ebay. BidVille has maintained in some issues that they followed the "industry standard". That is easily proven not to be the case. See links below to reference those threads:

http://www.powersellersunite.com/about729.html&sid=3b74f61e14d284410aed0f6b09f85e66

http://www.powersellersunite.com/about495.html&sid=3b74f61e14d284410aed0f6b09f85e66

http://www.powersellersunite.com/about634.html&sid=3b74f61e14d284410aed0f6b09f85e66

http://www.powersellersunite.com/about633.html&sid=3b74f61e14d284410aed0f6b09f85e66

nancybusinraleigh · Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 219 Location: North Carolina

Interesting to learn that this 'problem' of being able to alter auctions that have a bid on them is nothing new at Bidville. In fact, one longtime member said it created quite a problem between a couple of members.

So it begs the question, why has it not been corrected

:?: