Reply To: Siyum Hashas on eBay controversy….

apushatayid, thank you for helping me get the word out. I understand your thinking but you overlook a couple of things.

“the guy posting it is a long time eBay member with 100% positive feedback and unlikely to be playing any games”

As a buyer, not a seller.

Buyers don’t want to ruin their reputation either and a cancelled auction will get a negative review.

“Plus the bidder on the auction is also a member with a 100% history”

Yes, 100% of this users bids, have been with this seller, for this item.

No, that’s 100% of their recent auction bids. You are ignoring that this bidder has 100% feedback on their purchases – so we’re dealing with someone who has had a real presence and positive transaction history and not a new user with 0 feedback.

“and so while it’s easy to throw around anonymous comments on this thread”

It is just as easy to be anonymopus on ebay when you are not actually buying anything.

It might be anonymous in the sense that it’s not information available to the general public but there are real personal consequences about entering into a legal contract by bidding on eBay.

“it’s something else entirely to bid $9,700.”

not when you know you have zero to lose when you are the seller and bidder, or are in cahoots with the seller and you know you are not on the hook for 97 cents, let alone 9700 dollars.

You are completely overlooking the fact that if this auction completes which we will see in less than 24 hours then the seller will have to pay eBay the final fee of 10% up to $750 (in this case $750) and the only way to get that back is to persuade eBay that there was a legitimate reason to back out on the deal.

“That’s putting one’s money where one’s mouth is – or in my opinion smart money.”

Or, in my opinion, a great practical joke.

The seller cannot be in cahoots with the whole world. What’s to stop a serious person from, Brooklyn, Far Rockaway or maybe Lakewood who feels that this is a great cause and is really excited to bid, then goes on and wins only to be told that it’s all a joke?

Aside from the terrible avla involved in such a thing, eBay will certainly not waive the $750 final fee and the buyer will almost certainly leave very negative feedback.

In the real world this would not be funny at all and so if you ask me if this auction completes which we will know in less than 24 hours you can be sure it’s no joke.