posted on March 26, 2001 02:45:27 PM
I recently had an auction end for a small change purse made out of a bull scrotum. I didn't think it was a big deal until I got an e-mail from someone (not a bidder in the auction) who criticized me for selling the item.
Here's a copy of the e-mail;
Dear Seller,
It has come to our attention that you are selling an item that was made causing the suffering of defenseless animals. I'm sure you wouldn't want your own scrotum chopped off so someone could store their coins in it. What makes you think this is any less harmful because it's an animal's scrotum instead of your own?
Please refrain from selling items that are made from the exploitation and torture of harmless and defeseless animals, or we will contact your bidders to discourage them from doing ANY business with you of any kind.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
How do I even respond to this? Or should I even bother? My concern is that this person(s) will contact my bidders.
P.S. I don't normally deal in these type items...but even if I did, who is this person to tell me what I can and cannot sell---as long as it's within Ebay's guidelines.
posted on March 26, 2001 02:57:58 PM
I don't think I would bother to respond as it may only bring another response from them.
First of all this sounded like Jerry12 but I did a search and I see that these are actually for sale. And in blonde or brunette, no less. Learn something new everyday!
posted on March 26, 2001 03:12:01 PM
You could look the person up by their email address and see if they are registered on eBay. If they are, you could send a copy of the email you received to Safe Harbor, just to alert them to the "threat" you received.
Also, don't the new hidden emails of bidders on eBay protect a seller from just this type of nonsense?
And, I would imagine that the bull was already dead before someone relieved him of his scrotum. After all, don't bulls "need" those for their ummm, bullishness?
Edited to correct my tenses.
Edited to add, I wonder if they contacted the buyer as well? After all, they are the ones who bought the item.
[ edited by Meya on Mar 26, 2001 03:12 PM ]
[ edited by Meya on Mar 26, 2001 03:17 PM ]
posted on March 26, 2001 03:14:56 PM
My first thought would be to forward their e-mail to SafeHarbor (I assume they used the "ask seller a question" feature) since they are clearly harrassing you.
Second, if you feel like responding, you could point out to them that many animals are slaughtered to provide food, and this piece of skin/leather/whatever would no doubt have either gone into a landfill or have been ground up for dog food!
Seriously, though, I hope this wacko just goes away. Any normal person would realize that something like this would come from an already-slaughtered animal.
posted on March 26, 2001 03:37:07 PM
If this person emails other bidders on your auction, couldn't this be construed as 'auction interference'?
If it is any consolation to you, this Saturday a letter appeared in our local paper urging children not to buy chocolates for Mothers Day (it is March 25th in the UK) because the milk that these milk chocolates is made from comes from cows who are 'needlessly exploited' by being separated from their calves and being made endlessly pregnant in order that we, the consumer, can buy milk. They was also a long paragraph about the calves bleating lost and alone, yearning for their Mothers etc. etc. and what a bad example this was to set on 'Mother's Day'.
Enough already!! Everyone is entitled to their own views but in my opinion stuff like this is really going too far. If this person objects to the item you are selling they shouldn't bother looking at these type of auctions. I don't much like the 'used panty' type auctions myself but there is a simple solution. If it's not your thing, then don't upset yourself any further by looking at the stuff. I'm not saying avoid life's problems altogether, but for goodness sake if it's not your thing, then no-one's forcing you to do it!!
[ edited by fallen_madonna on Mar 26, 2001 03:38 PM ]
posted on March 26, 2001 03:44:54 PM
I'd contact safe harbor and let them not do anything about it.
Then I would send the person an email asking if they wore leather shoes or belts and ask them if they would like it if somebody cut a strip of flesh from them just to hold somebody else pants up or keep somebody elses feet warm.
Tree huggers!!
If GOD didn't want us to eat animals, why did he make them out of MEAT??!!
*********************************
The statement below is true.
The statement above is false.
posted on March 26, 2001 04:00:53 PM
first i've just gotta say ...
ewwwwwwwww! who would want such a thing?? but :shrug: whatever blows the buyers' hair back.
lollipop, i'd ignore. replying with anything less than, 'oh golly! thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. i've seen the error of my ways, and will return said scrotum to said bull as soon as i can locate which bull it belongs to' is asking for trouble.
couldn't hurt to forward it to safeharbor, in case the emailer does interfere in some way with your auctions.
posted on March 26, 2001 05:23:43 PM
Tell 'em that it was not made from bull scotum, but actually from the last guy who messed with your auctions....Then ask 'em if they wanna help you with your merchandise!
posted on March 26, 2001 06:40:55 PM
Thanks everyone for the great laugh.
Lillipop, I dont think I will be bidding on your auction any time soon. It is not that I object to the Bull scrotum coin purse but. since i have been buying so many hotwheels on Ebay, I dont think I have enough change left to fill the darn thing.
On a serious note I would forward that email to safe Harbor. If the person was dumb enough to send it with the same email address that thay are registed under then Ebay can do something about it.
[ edited by tomwiii on Mar 26, 2001 05:46 PM ]