How about when an item has no bids, you place an opening bid and within seconds are told that you have been outbid?

Its happened to me a number or times.

So, if purely by coincidence someone else is placing their bid seconds after you then fair enough - however its happened too me too often to be coincidence. On each occasion the seller has been a dealer.

I am wondering whether there is some kind of programme that allows the seller to monitor an item and then beat any bids placed up to a pre-set amount.