..."I wonder why every time I bid on a solar cover the price is immediately inflated by a bidder with a "protected id" that can't be seen and the sellers certainly seem to sell a lot of stuff to "protected ids"."

EVERYTIME?? How many times has that been? Maybe you are not bidding high enough?

"Hmmmmm..... maybe... just maybe.. the buyers ain't the problem."

Hmmm... Maybe ... just maybe ... you are painting ("most") everybody with the same brush??