What do I do?

I have a user, David Cotterell (doublestargeezer), who PMed me accusing me of rigging an auction. What do I do?

PMed messages
===============================================================================================
One more thing. Your winning bid occurred at the same time as my last three bids. around 7:30 pm EST last night.... Go look at the bidding history.

But you were not on line at the time.

So how did you win the auction at all? I placed three bids while you were not on line, no other bids were placed until the deadline the following morning and you won the auction.

I hope you can see this through my eyes. Something is wrong here...

Dave
---- Original Message ----
Sent: 2/7/2016 3:59 PM
From: William Lee
To: David Cotterell
Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged

> I don't know; I wasn't online at the time. I would say Herb's software is to blame, but I have no administrative access to this website, so I can't tell.
>
> But when you accuse me of being dishonest and cheating, that's I take exception and classify you as being an "asshole". If you want to run to Herb and whine, go right ahead. But that would be defamation.
>
> I will share this thread with the community.
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> Sent: 2/7/2016 3:32 PM
> From: David Cotterell
> To: William Lee
> Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged
>
> > Settle down, Sparky. Can you explain how your bids topped mine with 0 seconds delay? The bidding history shows your bid and mine occurring at the same second.... No one can type four digits and a dollar sign that fast.
> >
> > I'll be talking to Herb on Monday and this email exchange will be shared with him.
> >
> > cIao.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > ---- Original Message ----
> > Sent: 2/7/2016 4:19 AM
> > From: William Lee
> > To: David Cotterell
> > Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged
> >
> > >
> > > You need to calm down and stop being an asshole. I'm not using a fucking bot, so stop accusing me of having one.
> > >
> > > Do speak to your fucking mother with that mouth?
> > > ---- Original Message ----
> > > Sent: 2/6/2016 4:36 PM
> > > From: David Cotterell
> > > To: William Lee
> > > Subject: Bidding is rigged
> > >
> > > > Bidding on the Worley paper. Every time I place a bid it tells me you have outbid me by a small amount. There is zero timelag which means you have some sort of bot automatically outbidding me.
> > > >
> > > > I call bullshit. And I'm contacting Herb about it.
> > > >
> > > > You can have the paper.
> > > >
> > > > Dave C.
> > > >
> > > >

Ease up big boy - HE is right and you are not right

Herb

CORRECTION

He is wrong and you are right

More after the game

Herb

I just want to go on record here to say that my accusation and all the subsequent back and forth was entirely in Private Messages.

I have asked Herb in a PM about how I may have misunderstood the bidding process and if, indeed, my accusation was uncalled for.

Mr. Lee has chosen to take the discussion public.

7 minutes to go in the Superb Owl....

Dave

William Lee said:

I have a user, David Cotterell (doublestargeezer), who PMed me accusing me of rigging an auction. What do I do?

PMed messages
===============================================================================================
One more thing. Your winning bid occurred at the same time as my last three bids. around 7:30 pm EST last night.... Go look at the bidding history.

But you were not on line at the time.

So how did you win the auction at all? I placed three bids while you were not on line, no other bids were placed until the deadline the following morning and you won the auction.

I hope you can see this through my eyes. Something is wrong here...

Dave
---- Original Message ----
Sent: 2/7/2016 3:59 PM
From: William Lee
To: David Cotterell
Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged

> I don't know; I wasn't online at the time. I would say Herb's software is to blame, but I have no administrative access to this website, so I can't tell.
>
> But when you accuse me of being dishonest and cheating, that's I take exception and classify you as being an "asshole". If you want to run to Herb and whine, go right ahead. But that would be defamation.
>
> I will share this thread with the community.
>
> ---- Original Message ----
> Sent: 2/7/2016 3:32 PM
> From: David Cotterell
> To: William Lee
> Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged
>
> > Settle down, Sparky. Can you explain how your bids topped mine with 0 seconds delay? The bidding history shows your bid and mine occurring at the same second.... No one can type four digits and a dollar sign that fast.
> >
> > I'll be talking to Herb on Monday and this email exchange will be shared with him.
> >
> > cIao.
> >
> > Dave
> >
> > ---- Original Message ----
> > Sent: 2/7/2016 4:19 AM
> > From: William Lee
> > To: David Cotterell
> > Subject: Re: Bidding is rigged
> >
> > >
> > > You need to calm down and stop being an asshole. I'm not using a fucking bot, so stop accusing me of having one.
> > >
> > > Do speak to your fucking mother with that mouth?
> > > ---- Original Message ----
> > > Sent: 2/6/2016 4:36 PM
> > > From: David Cotterell
> > > To: William Lee
> > > Subject: Bidding is rigged
> > >
> > > > Bidding on the Worley paper. Every time I place a bid it tells me you have outbid me by a small amount. There is zero timelag which means you have some sort of bot automatically outbidding me.
> > > >
> > > > I call bullshit. And I'm contacting Herb about it.
> > > >
> > > > You can have the paper.
> > > >
> > > > Dave C.
> > > >
> > > >

Admittedly it has been sometime since I participated in an auction on CN but if I am not mistaken the bidding here works as follows.

1. Depending on the starting amount bidding happens in increments of $.50 $1.00 etc.

2. The way I always bid was deciding on the max I was willing to pay and entering that amount. If that is enough to beat the current bid my bid will only reflect the amount it takes to beat the current bid by the increment reflected on the bid screen.

3. Lets say the current bid is at $20.50 with a minimum bid of $21.00 to take the lead.

4. If my maximum I am willing to pay is $30.00 I can enter that amount. However all the system shows that I have bid is $21.00 since that's all it takes to win.

5. Now if someone new or you comes along and bids $25.00 you must keep in mind that I have a maximum of $30.00 entered, if this occurs I will instantly be reflected as having outbid you with $25.50 whether I am online or not and will continue outbid you everytime (INSTANTLY) until you enter something higher than $30.00 even though I am not online. AND the time of my (automatic) bid will reflect to be the same as yours or perhaps maybe one second off depending on the clock.

6. If no one else bids on it and it stays at $25.50 then when the auction ends I win and only have to pay the $25.50 even if I entered $30.00 or $3000.00 as my maximum.

The situation sounds very much like that may be what was occurring.....

I guess Dave is ok if you are buying off him or selling, just stay off the Politics forum or Auction on here.