Do you care who wins the unit?

Not to step on anyones toes but several of you have publicly admitted to "Bid Rigging" and "Collusion"
which is a Felony.

I would advise you not to post anymore about " agreements" that you have....and edit what you have already posted

If you are talking about me (for one) I have consulted with my attorney and he indicates I have nothing to worry about when I ask one of my friends "Do you want this one? If so, I won't bid". He doesn't consider that bid rigging or collusion.

No, I won't get a new lawyer.

As to your advice that those of us who have committed this crime should edit what we have already posted, I for one will ignore that too. 

If you are talking about me (for one) I have consulted with my attorney and he indicates I have nothing to worry about when I ask one of my friends "Do you want this one? If so, I won't bid". He doesn't consider that bid rigging or collusion.

No, I won't get a new lawyer.

As to your advice that those of us who have committed this crime should edit what we have already posted, I for one will ignore that too. 

Whew....and I was just getting ready to edit~

If you are talking about me (for one) I have consulted with my attorney and he indicates I have nothing to worry about when I ask one of my friends "Do you want this one? If so, I won't bid". He doesn't consider that bid rigging or collusion.

Classic 

Where is "Bid Rigging" at ?

I believe he is referring to this:

Among the regulars I run with we have an agreement to "share" the wealth and not buy every locker we like and can afford.

By having or making any agreements that effect the final price is collusion and bid rigging just as he said. It is also a felony crime.

Among the regulars I run with we have an agreement to "share" the wealth and not buy every locker we like and can afford.

If you want to take that literally.

By having or making any agreements that effect the final price is collusion and bid rigging just as he said. It is also a felony crime.

We have 4 regulars that like the kind of lockers we like. Person A IMO pays to much for lockers, So when we see him bidding we usually don't bid. If he wants it he is going to buy it. If we do bid against him we stop when it is over what we want to pay for it.

Person B and C don't like furniture but like stuff. If we see them bidding once again we bid to where we are comfortable or not. After auction is over we will either buy what they don't want or help them clean out for what they don't want for free.

Person A and B can buy every locker they see, so if they decide not to buy one is that bid rigging?  I don't think so.  We have passed on lockers because of the labor / time / and location is to much.

We attended an auction when we first started. 6 people showed up. 3 regulars. One of the regulars told us that they did not bid because we were there. they showed up to keep the bidding real. We bid on every unit. Only got one. And of course the only other person bidding said I let you have that one, which he did because he stopped bidding his pockets a lot deeper than ours. We paid a fair price for it. and the other 4 people could have bid on it.  "share" the wealth.  He also paid a fair price for the other 3 units he bought.

In this business everyone looking for something different, what they can sell (us falapartical board furniture) Which B and C throw in the trash or burn, we sell. We sell everything so we don't share   So we decide to let them win a locker and buy after, (like we have that kind of control) but really why bid against them when the competition is so hard against the newbies.  Whether we bid on a locker or not there is always someone there bidding a way so the only effect of "sharing the wealth " is you are not bidding, does not "effect the final price " hence no collusion.

If only 2 people show up to an auction   and they talk and decide to only bid up to $10 on units, the facility "has the right to refuse any and all bids" in most PN.  that would be collusion.

Well, we'll have to agree to disagree I guess. Among the regulars I run with we have an agreement to "share" the wealth and not buy every locker we like and can afford. There are always more lockers around the corner and we often say to each other "do you want this one?" knowing if person "A" needs one right now we can live without it.

On the other hand, the couple I am talking about want no part of that cooperation and subsequently they get run up by any number of people; they don't help us and we don't help them.

As far as knowing how to "run your business, simple as that" goes, there are different ways to "run your business" and they can all be profitable. Apple maintains their price points as an example (doesn't cut prices like others do) and they seem to be doing all right.

I have friends who "turn and burn" and I have friends who are willing to hold out for more .... both are successful. There is always more than one way to be successful (IMO).

I don't disagree about having "professional courtesy" between regulars so the group doesn't run each other up, but in my area the dynamics of the auction scene are to complicated to "share the wealth" at every auction. I have certainly made business relationships were I don't run up some bidders and they have returned the favor and thier are a couple of old regulars that have been doing this forever and have no other source of income and they are really hurting right now so I never bid on units they are interested in. With that being said, we have far to few auctions per month, to many regulars, at least 15-25 that pop in and out depending on the auction, and all the newbies thrown in for everyone to get all the units they need for the month. Add to it that there is real competition between a handful of the regulars about 5-7 that purposely try to run each other up. So sometimes I'm the nice guy and don't go after units and the favor is returned, and sometimes there is a unit I really want and I don't care if everyone else has gotten thier quota for the day I'm gonna get it and if I if I already bought a unit or two that day so what! Like I said, with all the competition and the one-hit wonder newbies still winning between 50-75% of the units per auction there is just not eneough units to go around, and like someone else mentioned there is certainly no time to run around with all the regulars deciding who is going to get which unit that day, and not to mention the implied colusion.

Not to step on anyones toes but several of you have publicly admitted to "Bid Rigging" and "Collusion"
which is a Felony.

I would advise you not to post anymore about " agreements" that you have....and edit what you have already posted

I went ahead and answered my own question about the "law" as you are claiming.  What you are referring to is the Sherman Act of 1890.  http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/guidelines/211578.htm

Bid rigging in this law is in regard to pocurement and how most gov/public entites get goods and services.  Not 5 buddies in a crowd of 50 not bidding each other up.  Now, if the crowd was only those 5 people and they said you have this locker for $10 then that could be considered collusion.  That is also why the facility reserves the right to reject any/all bids.

The closest case I found to bid rigging/collusion was in CA in 2011 about an auctioneer and 7 investors that rigged auctions.

Now if you want to get very technical what myself, movieman, and I'm sure others that don't run each other up are doing could be considered unethical, but not illegal.  There are too many sellers and too many buyers.

Heck - you could say there was "collusion" even on the TV shows.  A few of the buyers would "back-off" a locker if Brandi or say Berry wanted it.  Hester excluded of course.

I believe he is referring to this:
By having or making any agreements that effect the final price is collusion and bid rigging just as he said. It is also a felony crime.

Ok, you got me!  Do you want to put the handcuffs on in back or front of my body ?  That felony conviction sure won't look good on my record....oh wait, I have to get in line with bankers who made home loans with zero down to unemployed immigrants...like the ones who lived next door to me; were evicted; moved back in and squatted for 6 months before the home was sold at...AN AUCTION!

Wow!  I was just wondering if you hated it when the sneaky mousy girl landed a unit or when EF scored 3.......
Collusion, bid rigging, felonies?
Dang~I opened a big ol' can o' worms~

 

Dang~I opened a big ol' can o' worms~

 

For those falling on the side of felonies being committed (collusion, bid rigging) it reminds me of the facility manager who came by a lkr I had just purchased at an auction.  He started sputtering uncontrolably when he saw three propane tanks in the lkr.

He was incensed that the former owner had stored these illegal and dangerous items in HIS locker!  Call out the bomb squad !

Folks, it happens "felonies" and other "bending" of the rules.  Frankly, this fuss about bid rigging and collusion is rubbish (IMO). 

'nuff said' as far as I am concerned.

LOL Rockin - it wasn't you.  It's the "your breaking the law" post that started it.  If you take the law very litteral then every auction I have been to at least 80% of the people are breaking the law.  Friends / groups will be in collusion so as not to bid each other up.  The regular that got some inside info from the girl at the front desk is now in collusion with her as he has info no one else has.  Two people going off to the side and whispering about what all they saw are now in collusion.

Like I said - even on the TV shows you could see it when you get very literal.  The Sherman Act was written in 1890.  Way before the first storage auction.

This whole thing is like speeding.  Is it illegal - yep.  Are you going to jail over it -- doubtfull, unless your 30 MPH over or such.  Does 70% of all drivers do it - yep.

I'm searching the web looking for case studies now.  Wish I still had access to the old law / court cases from when took healthcare law.  So far I've found a Aug 2011 case in california against a auctioneer and 7 real estate investors.  Read about two stamp dealers from like 10 years ago in NY but not found the case or links yet.

I still don't care too much who wins a locker.  I will keep trying to win a locker and not spend a fortune to do it.

Wow!  I was just wondering if you hated it when the sneaky mousy girl landed a unit or when EF scored 3.......

 
 Don't really care who wins but I will support you on the sneaky mousy girl and dislike it if she wins. 

My husband does not like it when our EF wins he is just an a$$. I missed an all most fight with him being an A$$ the other day.  was sitting in the truck it was cold. 

Around here, it seems the regulars have a number in mind, and don't go over that.  I haven't seen a lot of "bid 'em up" bravado or buying a unit just to make a point.  I'm a "smalls" guy - and I usually have a conversation with myself on whether to bid or not!  (Do I need medication for that!?)     If I like a unit I bid, but I am also smart enough to see if one of the store owners/regulars likes a unit too, then I just stay out of the way and let them make a living.....

If you do this part time and like a unit - don't just stop (less hit your max) on a unit just due to a store/fulltimer is bidding.  They will see, bid, and purchase more units then you will every week.

I've gone up against newbies, full time stores, and mostly old regulars that like small units like I do.  If I like a unit I don't stop until I reach my max most times.  A few times I'll lay off if have won a unit or two and know the old timers have not.  Only few times I've not really bid on a unit is when it's one of my buddies.  We are all in "collusion" and don't normally bid each other up.  Though we have actually done just that a few times before.

im confused...People go to auctions for different reasons, for resale, for personal gain, to fill their home. Bottom line is, the smartest,dumbest or the one with the most cash wins right?