This is not a problem, this is how the free market works.... are you suggesting that ZOS should step in and let guilds who bid less win the traders over guilds who bid more?? THAT would be rigging the bids, not another guild who strategically pools funds and places bids in coordination with sister guilds. The idea of implementing some affirmative action on guild trader hires is totally absurd and would undermine the entire bidding process and free market structure.

The recent changes have now permitted you to bid on up to 10x traders per week, which is more then enough to cover 'safty bids' on backup traders if your initial target was not acquired. If you are not winning that trader, another guild must have valued the location more then you and was willing to pay more - you can either do the same and increase the bid amount until you win that trader or go somewhere else.

You comment about them 'rigging the bids' by collecting gold and placing bids is exactly what the trade guilds do and is not rigging, even if they pool funds and bid - YOU CAN DO THE SAME THING! They have no way to exclude you from the bidding pool, you have an equal chance to acquire a trader just the same as anyone else... it just sounds like you are underbidding on a trader and then upset that you don't win.

The comment about making sure other rival guilds dont get traders unless they play by 'their rules' is another load of Guar Guano.... no guild/player/group has the ability to exclude another guild from placing bids and winning specific traders. Just because another guild bids more then you, or strategically places bids, does not constitute illegal bidding practices. If you want the trader, you need to just pony up and bid more! If you dont make enough in taxes to cover the bid, do raffles, auctions, and events to fund the delta (just like every other major trading guild does in this game)

Finally - the fact that the bids are a blind-bid situation, other guilds should have NO CLUE where you are placing your bids for this week, nor the amount you bid. If that information was leaked out of your guild management circle and got into the hands of a rival trade guild... that is an internal problem you need to address. Provided you keep that info private and only with trusted officers and GMs - no one else would have any clue what trader you are putting bids under and therefor have no way to 'block' your bidding anyways.

TL/DR - There are no restrictions on how much you can bid, or if you can make alliances and pacts with multiple guilds so you dont fight for the same traders. In your situation... you either need to bid more or switch to a less popular trader/zone.