There are some in the penny auction circuit that have been at the game for years. They know what they like and they know what they don't like. One of the things that veteran penny auction bidders love is the ability to register a specific user name on the auction site.
To the average person coming on to the scene this may not seem like a big deal but to those who are veterans, their name is some sacred to them. They use their name as a means to intimidate others that are bidding. They become known as power-bidders that won't give up until they win the auction.
In cases where the community and locals within a penny auction site spot a power-bidder latching on to an item, many won't even bother because they know that the power-bidder is willing to spend as high as the retail price of an item just to get it.
They know that other know it, and they use their ID and reputation to walk away with some great items at massive discounts.
Those who detest this style of intimidation would love to see the system shift to anonymous bidding. If the auction systems were anonymous, there would be no fear of going up against a power-bidder and need to deal with intimidation. Granted, the bonus to anonymous penny auctions are that the power-bidders are kept in check and bid-bullying is virtually eliminated but it's not a model that people would generally enjoy.
Mainly because people don't want to become a number.
People like to know who they're bidding against. They want to know that they're facing off against real people when they're involved in the penny auctions. That's one of the thrills of getting involved in penny auctions it's a gamble so to speak and it draws on the competitive nature we have to do better than the guy sitting next to it.
With the reputation that a lot of the penny auction community has, it would also make things worse in terms of PR. A lot of past users and outsiders looking in think that the community is full of scammers and website aiming to just take the money of bidders without delivering. An anonymous system might very well control the bully-bids but it would make scam, shill and bot bids much more difficult to spot for those who want a clean experience.
The current model offers the most enjoyment from a competition standpoint. Unfortunately it creates a playground for those who want to use intimidation to game the system but the best defense is a good offense. Those who take it to the court against bully-bidders can usually come out on top if they're willing to go the distance with the bully-bidder in any given penny auction.