posted on December 17, 2000 12:53:42 AM
It's very interesting but it is also kind of scary. I wonder how much of this goes on? I guess no one will ever know.
posted on December 17, 2000 08:38:19 AM
The part that realy stinks about this is, had the auction been over, and this so called "expert" had sent that info to all the bidders, eBay would not consider it Auction Interference.
posted on December 17, 2000 09:35:56 AM
I have had a few "experts" e-mail me about some of the items I have sold. Some of the "experts" have been very helpful and I welcomed the knowledge they gave me. But there have also been a couple of "experts" who were dead wrong.
We have "experts" that come into our shop also. At times they have interfered in an ongoing sale and it can be annoying. But at least it is happening in front of my face and I can defend myself.
If it is being done "behind the scenes" and the seller is unaware, that is the scary part. Fortunately this was on a public board and it did backfire.
posted on December 17, 2000 11:24:11 AM
Another reason to have private auctions.
In the safeharbor forum at least one person had common sense not to ruin the seller's reputation.
Since it really doesn't take a rocket science to find out who the seller of the Tarzan book, the seller will have a cloud of suspicion wherever they go. I know I will wonder about the seller.
If the seller is not-guilty of the allegations will the seller recoup his/her reputation? How much time and energy has the seller spent or will spend on damage control?
Does the originator of the safeharbor forum realise the damage they have caused if the seller is not guilty?
posted on December 17, 2000 11:49:07 AM
.... if the seller is not guilty?
Guilty of what? It seems clear to me that the high bidder knows what they're bidding on, as per their 2 posts on the thread. The underbidder is the the person that started the thread. If the thread originator is so damn concerned about the price it's now at, [or that they've been outbid?] they could simply retract their bid. Not run to an eBay chat board and start making all sorts of ridiculous assumptions.
"A thing is worth whatever the buyer will pay for it."
Publilius Syrus: "Sententiae" ca. 50 B.C.
