I've heard of "bidding rings" on Yahoo Japan, 
where sellers get together and agree to 'bid-up' 
the prices on each other's items. But this would 
have more to do with the seller, not the deputy. 
In general, sellers have more to gain than 
deputies in engaging in such practices. (I'm 
making no specific accusations in this case, as 
I have no personal experience with this 
particular seller.)

It sounds a little bit like you regret the high 
amount that you set your bid at. To avoid this 
in the future, I suggest bidding closer to the 
auction's end, giving other bidder's less time 
to 'test' your maximum bid. This strategy has 
its risks as well, as you may engage in a 
bidding war or not even get your foot in the 
door...I'm sure that others can testify to this, 
I know I can ^_^

Anyways, I'm glad you got your wishlist cel! 
Good luck bidding in the future.

--gracie