This might be illegal

[Chad4Mac]

Sorry if you are an ebay seller -- I think all consumers should be notified on Apple's new prices throughout its Laptops.

Normally I would not do this -- buyer be ware. But I need the used ebay iBooks to drop in price!
I lieu of my intense desire to have a iBook as my new home stereo (meaning throw away the CD Player, while keeping the receiver, and use a used White iBook for (MP3) music with JBL Speakers *see below), I have started notifying ebay buyers that they are paying to much for thier used machines. I have seen people bidding on used iBooks for more than a Brand New iBook today.

I mean if they are overbidding on used iBooks, wouldn't it make sense to go directly through Apple and buy the new iBook for cheaper if not the same price? They just simply don't know any better, and it actifically overvalues the price of the used iBook. Eventually the ebay prices will drop, but it will take time -- too much time.

In addition, it would be better for these overbidding buyers to buy directly through Apple, and not cunsumer "sellers". It equals more revenue for Apple (good thing), a garenteed product, a better product (updates), and more opportunities for cheap-asses like me to buy a 600 mhz iBook for five hundred or less.

A simple e-mail to the highest bidders will due.

Please help?

Chad4CheaperUsediBookPricesOnEbay

(*I can see it now...iBook as my stereo. Friends come over to the house for a drink or two before we go out. They bring special CD to listen too -- I tell them to import the CD into the Mac and press play. They have a song that they want to listen too but I don't have it -- Limewire already launched and running with two terabytes available. It is a win-win situation!)

[job]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
more opportunities for cheap-asses like me to buy a 600 mhz iBook for five hundred or less.

I was wondering about the true purpose about this thread until I read that line...

[idkew]

if you are too dumb to realize that you can buy new for less than a used, it is your damn fault. send emails to these people would be unfair and bad business.

you are seriously saying that if you could get an extra $500, you would turn it down?


BUYER BEWARE.

[mcrain]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
A simple e-mail to the highest bidders will due.


Let's see here. A bid is considered by ebay as a contract to purchase in the event you are the high bidder. Now you, a third party sees two people who have entered into a binding agreement to buy and sell an item at the highest bid price. You decide to try to induce the potential buyer into breaching the agreement in order to damage the market for used computers.

Wow, that's certainly interesting.

[King Cobra]

There have been a few eBay scams, one I can remember, when someone bidded $10000, or something ridiculous, on a Powerbook, and the Auction had to be closed. That truly is sad. :(

BTW: Enjoy the Powerbook, mcrain! :D

[Chad4Mac]

Originally posted by mcrain


Let's see here. A bid is considered by ebay as a contract to purchase in the event you are the high bidder. Now you, a third party sees two people who have entered into a binding agreement to buy and sell an item at the highest bid price. You decide to try to induce the potential buyer into breaching the agreement in order to damage the market for used computers.

Wow, that's certainly interesting.

If the breech agreement (cost) is lower than the benefit of recieving a better, cheaper Apple product, then breech.

A email to the highest bidder doesn't mean that he/she is the actual buyer; at the time of the email he/she is just the highest bidder. Before the auction closes the bidder may leave the the aution off technicality. Then the bidder offering the second highest bid (now the highest) will win, that if no one out bids hime/her.

Where's the damage?

The market will adjust now matter what.

If the bidder wants too: Then that recently high bidder goes to the Apple Store (.com) and buys a iBook computer for a comparable price. He gets a new iBook and the used iBook seller get the fair market value (maybe even higher value because you've only got rid of one bidder -- there are other bidders). Plus it's probably over the reserve value -- the value the auctioner places on that item.

The harm is with the bidder; he/she will recieve a bad mark (cost) if need be, but will recieve a better product (benefit). He/she must way the benefits and the costs.

"Damage" might be a bit to harsh. The market will always adjust. If anything, consumers are getting ripped off -- without information. Everyone, is left happier, just off a simple email.

Think of it as information sharing...interesting.

Chad4mac

[Taft]

I think this situation is worth thinking about.

Because this eBay is effectively running an auction, the normal rules and regulations of an auction should apply. But the semantics of operating over the internet present complications that warrant flexibility in the rules of sale.

Consider, for instance, an auction for a brick of gold started now and ending in a month. I place the first bid on the gold (at its current fair value) and the price of gold immediately halves. Now there is no way that I would pay the price I originally bid on if it was on the market. Therefore the seller of the gold will make a substantial profit simply from fortuitous timing.

If this circumstance is enforced by eBay, they are basically acting as an exchange and the bid becomes a buy on a future on the underlying item on that exchange. A bid is effectively a bought future that cannot be sold except by a third party's (alien to both you and the seller) decision to place a bid.

Ebay is not an exchange. They are a venue for auctions. They say so in thei rules and regulations. By not acting to void this type of transaction (at the user's request) I believe they are overstepping their bounds. They are effectively allowing a seller to scam a buyer in a rapidly changing market.

This isn't the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and these bids shouldn't act as futures in rapidly changing markets. The length of most auctions on eBay makes this a ridiculous proposition.

Taft

[evildead]

There was a guy that sold a Nickel for several dollars a few years ago on eBay... "There is a sucker born every min"

You can go out and screem at the moutains but you will never stop every one from picking up a hot frying pan... it just wont work. Thats very noble of you to try and tell people that they are not getting much of a deal... but then again.. it looks like your trying to get bids to be lower for your slef. If you were selling something on eBay... would you stop the bids when they got to be higher than what every you were selling was worth?

Macs also have a very high resale value... you have to factor that in as well.


I was working for a guy a while ago that wanted me to upgrade his older G3 bagie Tower. I told him it was not worth the money for the CPU, RAM, FireWireHD, PCI cards, and the money he would have to pay me to do it all. I did the right thing and risked a pay cut to tell him what he really should do.. he thought he knew better and ended up paying something close to $1600 total for everything. And it still didnt work right. He had some hardware problems that we found durring the upgrade... it never worked right. As soon as I would get it to work, the next day he would call me and it would not boot again.

[Chad4Mac]

Got this message from ebay after my numerous emails to bidders of potential over valued iBooks and PowerBooks:

"Sorry, you have exceeded the daily limit of emails that you can send with this system.
Please try again another day."

Oh well, tomorrow's another day...

Maybe they are on to me...J/k

Chad4Mac

I feel like Nader.

[Nipsy]

Well, there are several distinct problems with what you are doing:

It violates eBay policy.
It is unsolicited mail.
It is self serving.

Basically, the stupidity of the masses is what powers 50% of all eBay transactions. There was a period when 128MB PowerMac DIMMs cost $18 at the store, and routinely sold for $50 on eBay.

The PowerMac G4 733 I bought in February for $1252 sold in October for $1425.01...such is the nature of eBay.

It would be far more ethical for you to just find a great retail deal on a refurb iBook, and quit rockin' the boat.

[alex_ant]

Originally posted by Taft
Consider, for instance, an auction for a brick of gold started now and ending in a month. I place the first bid on the gold (at its current fair value) and the price of gold immediately halves. Now there is no way that I would pay the price I originally bid on if it was on the market. Therefore the seller of the gold will make a substantial profit simply from fortuitous timing.
You could apply that example to any item up for bid that fluctuates wildly in value - gold, stock, computers, frozen concentrated orange juice... you could even apply it to a non-eBay-style e-commerce site like Amazon. I buy a new Mac from Amazon, I select ground shipping, and a day later, Apple comes out with new hardware that kills the value of the hardware I just ordered that hasn't even arrived yet.
If this circumstance is enforced by eBay, they are basically acting as an exchange and the bid becomes a buy on a future on the underlying item on that exchange. A bid is effectively a bought future that cannot be sold except by a third party's (alien to both you and the seller) decision to place a bid.

Ebay is not an exchange. They are a venue for auctions. They say so in thei rules and regulations. By not acting to void this type of transaction (at the user's request) I believe they are overstepping their bounds. They are effectively allowing a seller to scam a buyer in a rapidly changing market.
I don't see how they aren't both. If you look at it that way, Circuit City is an exchange, too - they almost exclusively sell items that will quickly depreciate in value. Yet they're still a legitimate business. I don't see why an auction site being an "exchange" is such a nasty thing. It's always the consumer's job to educate him/herself. It's common sense that some things decrease in value over time. It is the consumer's job to take this into account.
This isn't the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and these bids shouldn't act as futures in rapidly changing markets. The length of most auctions on eBay makes this a ridiculous proposition.
3, 7, or 10 days is a ridiculous proposition?

[Sun Baked]

The net allows you to be an informed consumer, if you fail to become one - it's your own darn fault.

[Chad4Mac]

Originally posted by Nipsy
Well, there are several distinct problems with what you are doing:

It violates eBay policy.
It is unsolicited mail.
It is self serving.

Basically, the stupidity of the masses is what powers 50% of all eBay transactions. There was a period when 128MB PowerMac DIMMs cost $18 at the store, and routinely sold for $50 on eBay.

The PowerMac G4 733 I bought in February for $1252 sold in October for $1425.01...such is the nature of eBay.

It would be far more ethical for you to just find a great retail deal on a refurb iBook, and quit rockin' the boat.

What unethical about this? What is so wrong about this?

"Violating" the rules? JESUS! I'm Robin Hood!

These are, after all, potential Mac guys. Stupid they may be now now, but if they act on my email, they are smart. I'm actually sure they will like this "unsolicited" email.

Self serving? You think after emailing twenty top bidders that I am going to have a major difference on the market price of used iBooks and Powerbooks. It's going to take a month -- atleast -- to drop the price on used iBooks and PowerBooks, even without a single email.

I hope I just redirected/educated twenty high bidders to the Apple Store Website and they bought a brand new iBook or PowerBook. I hope they are happy and I made their day. It's the least I can do for all the help others have given me!

Oh, and by the way, it just might speed up the process of me buying a used iBook for under five hundred bucks or less...

[alex_ant]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
What unethical about this? What is so wrong about this?

"Violating" the rules? JESUS! I'm Robin Hood!
Robin Hood didn't steal from those who were contractually due money and give to the stupid, he stole from the unjustly rich and gave to the unjustly poor.

[solvs]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
Maybe they are on to me...J/k

I feel like Nader.

I don't think it's illegal, but it certainly isn't very ethical. And, well... it might actually be against eBay user policy. You better be careful, they just might be on to you. It's good of you to want to inform potential buyers of the alternatives, but you seem to be forgetting that you could also be hurting the sellers. You do seem to be doing this for somewhat selfish reasons.

So please, don't compare yourself to Ralph Nader.

You should probably stop this futile crusade before you do get into trouble. Try to find a nice used or refurb computer (which you should be able to do now with the recent upgrades and picedrops), or just suck it up and wait until you can afford something better. Besides, I wouldn't trust online auctions for multi-hundred $$$ purchases anyway.

No offense, but there are a lot of people out there who seem to think like you.

[Nipsy]

Here's what is likely to happen:

You email bidders doing them a service, and thinking you're gonna help trend the market down, thereby doing yourself a service.

Buyers will cancel bids.

Sellers will investigate the cancellations.

Buyers will mention you.

Sellers will complain to eBay.

Prices will trend down, but you may not have an eBay account left to take advantage with!

This is in clear violation of eBay policy, and they will catch on in days!

[idkew]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
Got this message from ebay after my numerous emails to bidders of potential over valued iBooks and PowerBooks:

"Sorry, you have exceeded the daily limit of emails that you can send with this system.
Please try again another day."

Oh well, tomorrow's another day...

Maybe they are on to me...J/k

Chad4Mac

I feel like Nader.

you are a bitter loser. you a crying because you can't get what you want. go back to 4th grade.

it is against ebay policy to send unsolicited email to bidders. last time i checked, there is a ~$5 fine for EVERY unsolicited email sent. hope you didn't send too many.

i wish i knew your ebay name so i could turn YOU into ebay.

[G4scott]

aw, come on guys, give him a chance. What's a little disturbance in the hell known as e-bay going to do? So what if it hurts sellers, besides, there's still plenty of stupid people out there who will still bid over the actual value of a computer...

The thing I like e-bay for is searching for good musical instruments... Of course, there are always the nazi's who come in with super-high bids in the last 10 seconds of the auction...

[Sun Baked]

Of course e-bay probably is a good way to launder drug money ...

So stop sending letters to these people, lest you be visited and taught a lesson.

[Taft]

Kewl. When was the last time we had a lively discussion? Too long, I think...

[QUOTE]Originally posted by alex_ant

You could apply that example to any item up for bid that fluctuates wildly in value - gold, stock, computers, frozen concentrated orange juice... you could even apply it to a non-eBay-style e-commerce site like Amazon. I buy a new Mac from Amazon, I select ground shipping, and a day later, Apple comes out with new hardware that kills the value of the hardware I just ordered that hasn't even arrived yet.


There's a big difference. On eBay, you haven't bought the item yet, you've just entered into an agreement to buy the item at a future date. The objection I am making is that even if the price of the item changes wildly, you can't "sell" your agreement between the time you make it and the end of the auction. "Selling" can only be accomplished by a third party's action. Its like some highly restrictive over the counter contract.


I don't see how they aren't both. If you look at it that way, Circuit City is an exchange, too - they almost exclusively sell items that will quickly depreciate in value. Yet they're still a legitimate business.

But the depreciation occurs *after* you buy it. I could buy a current Mac system, not use it at all, not even open it, and then sell it for *exactly* the same price to another buyer. I would have the option to sell whenever I saw fit.

The main differences between an exchange, eBay, and a reseller are... a market facilitates sales between buyers and sellers and garauntees that the parties live up to their agreements. eBay does only part of this; they are a venue for auction sales and can't really assure that either party will live up to their agreements (or very rarely assert that ability...which amounts simply to terms you agree to that they could subsequently sue you for breaching. Exchanges hold margin accounts to immediately penalize, and impose and enforce real, tested and binding laws over its participants). Circuit City is a vendor. They sell a product. Where they get that product is irrelevant. They acquire the merchandise (at which point they own the items), then the sell them to others. *Much* different.

The difference I am targeting at eBay is that you enter into an agreement and there is no way to get out of that agreement (no way to sell) even if you see that the deal has gotten significantly worse *between* the time you entered the agreement and the time the contract is executed.


I don't see why an auction site being an "exchange" is such a nasty thing. It's always the consumer's job to educate him/herself. It's common sense that some things decrease in value over time. It is the consumer's job to take this into account.

Its not a nasty thing. Its simply not the business that eBay is in. Common sense is *very* important. But sometimes common sense and education can't predict a highly volatile market's actions.


3, 7, or 10 days is a ridiculous proposition?

No, the ridiculous proposition is exerting the rules of a "standard" auction on an auction that is governed by a wildly different set of semantical rules (longer time period between an auction's start and end, no live interaction between participants, etc.)

Taft

[alex_ant]

Originally posted by Taft
There's a big difference. On eBay, you haven't bought the item yet, you've just entered into an agreement to buy the item at a future date. The objection I am making is that even if the price of the item changes wildly, you can't "sell" your agreement between the time you make it and the end of the auction. "Selling" can only be accomplished by a third party's action. Its like some highly restrictive over the counter contract.
That's true. I'm not sure what the big stink about it is, though. It's made clear in eBay's rules, which you must read in order to get an account, and it's just one of the restrictions buyers subject themselves to for the privilege of being able to use eBay.
But the depreciation occurs *after* you buy it. I could buy a current Mac system, not use it at all, not even open it, and then sell it for *exactly* the same price to another buyer. I would have the option to sell whenever I saw fit.
You could resell it for exactly the same price provided it didn't depreciate in value due to market forces (price drops, new competition, new Apple products, etc.) before you did so. The only difference between this and eBay then is that by using eBay, you subject yourself to a delay of 3-10 days between the time you bid and the time the auction ends and the price is set in stone. They key factor is that you are bidding - you are logging into your account, which was created when you agreed to eBay's terms of service, and you are entering into a legally binding contract to pay an amount as high as the amount you bid if you win the item. eBay is very clear about this - whenever you bid, they remind you that a bid is a contract that obligates you to purchase the thing you bid on from the seller should you win the auction. They are very clear about the time it will take before the auction ends, the fact that bids cannot be retracted, and the fact that you are responsible for your own actions on their site.
The main differences between an exchange, eBay, and a reseller are... a market facilitates sales between buyers and sellers and garauntees that the parties live up to their agreements. eBay does only part of this; they are a venue for auction sales and can't really assure that either party will live up to their agreements (or very rarely assert that ability...which amounts simply to terms you agree to that they could subsequently sue you for breaching. Exchanges hold margin accounts to immediately penalize, and impose and enforce real, tested and binding laws over its participants). Circuit City is a vendor. They sell a product. Where they get that product is irrelevant. They acquire the merchandise (at which point they own the items), then the sell them to others. *Much* different.

The difference I am targeting at eBay is that you enter into an agreement and there is no way to get out of that agreement (no way to sell) even if you see that the deal has gotten significantly worse *between* the time you entered the agreement and the time the contract is executed.


[quote][b]Its not a nasty thing. Its simply not the business that eBay is in. Common sense is *very* important. But sometimes common sense and education can't predict a highly volatile market's actions.
Common sense and education may not be able to predict what will happen in a market, but common sense can tell you that there is risk in everything, and especially so since this is eBay. When you bid on eBay, you're saying "I pledge to pay as much as ___ for this female ostrich, and I realize that even if an asteroid were to hit the earth in two days and kill all male ostriches so my female ostrich wouldn't be able to have babies and make me rich, I would still be obligated to pay for this ostrich." For the people who bid on eBay, this is acceptable, and so they continue to bid on things. For others, it's not acceptable, and so they're free not to. My point is that risk is inherent in everything, and it's up to the consumer to draw his/her own conclusions from this.
No, the ridiculous proposition is exerting the rules of a "standard" auction on an auction that is governed by a wildly different set of semantical rules (longer time period between an auction's start and end, no live interaction between participants, etc.)
Sure they're different, but I don't see how they're ridiculous? Again, these semantical rules are drawn out very clearly on eBay's site, and if you do maintain that they're ridiculous, you are free not to participate in their auctions.

Alex

[MacBandit]

So let me see here. You are trying to lower the prices of iBooks by reaching everyone who buys them at auction on eBay. So that you can steal music and share it with the world.


You are a model citizen.

[Choppaface]

this completely violates ebay's rules. hope you don't get punted.... the sellers are going to report you for sure..maybe even some of the more short-tempered buyers who think you're teasing them he he :D :D

[redAPPLE]

if you are the highest bidder, you just cannot cancel a bid. right?

if so, and a lot of people would cancel their bids, sooner or later, eBay would cancel their memberships.

and everyone gets cancelled. ;)

it is an interesting theory though, pointing out to buyers that they are "overbidding".

it is correct that the buyers need to bring their own intelligence, they need to be aware of a product's value.

on second thought...

damn those people who overbid the product's value...

have a nice day. whereever you all are.

[redAPPLE]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
Sorry if you are an ebay seller -- I think all consumers should be notified on Apple's new prices throughout its Laptops.

Normally I would not do this -- buyer be ware. But I need the used ebay iBooks to drop in price!
I lieu of my intense desire to have a iBook as my new home stereo (meaning throw away the CD Player, while keeping the receiver, and use a used White iBook for (MP3) music with JBL Speakers *see below), I have started notifying ebay buyers that they are paying to much for thier used machines. I have seen people bidding on used iBooks for more than a Brand New iBook today.


so you are that dirty bastard who keeps sending those emails to my potential buyers. :mad:

when i get you... i'd shove my ibook (somewhere)... with the screen open. :D

no seriously now.

i think i can identify with your situation.

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by redAPPLE
if you are the highest bidder, you just cannot cancel a bid. right?


Yes, you can:


Bid Retractions

Before bidding on an item on eBay, be sure to read the item description and check the seller's feedback. If you have any questions about the listing, contact the seller by going to the View Item page and clicking on either the seller's User ID or on the Ask Seller a Question link.

Please remember that every bid on eBay is binding (unless the item is listed in a category under the Non-Binding Bid Policy or the transaction is prohibited by law or by eBay's User Agreement). Bidding on multiple identical items should be done only if you intend to buy all of the items.

It is ONLY OK to retract a bid if...

* You accidentally enter a wrong bid amount (for example, you bid $99.50 instead of $9.95). If this occurs, re-enter the correct bid amount immediately.
* The description of an item you have bid on has changed significantly.
* You cannot reach the seller. This means that you have tried calling the seller and the seller's phone number doesn't work, or you have tried emailing the seller and it comes back undeliverable.

Before you retract your bid, please read complete information on bid retractions including the Special Retraction Rules.

[Chad4Mac]

Originally posted by idkew


you are a bitter loser. you a crying because you can't get what you want. go back to 4th grade.

it is against ebay policy to send unsolicited email to bidders. last time i checked, there is a ~$5 fine for EVERY unsolicited email sent. hope you didn't send too many.

i wish i knew your ebay name so i could turn YOU into ebay.

You just reminded me of a Fourth Grade Nark.

Do you think that the bidders recieving emails will/would complain?

If anything, they have wrote thank you notes...

They just bought brand new Apple computers for less than their bids on used ones.

Chad4mac

You are always entitled to your opinion

[MacBandit]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac


You are always entitled to your opinion

Yes everyone is entitled to there own stupid oppinion. It just so happens that he overwhelming oppinion is that what you are doing is WRONG. Also piracy is something that is not allowed or even discussed on this site. Getting music from other people and then sharing it with the world is one of the worst forms of this. You are one of reasons that they are trying to make cds that will not even play on a computer.

[Chad4Mac]

Originally posted by Nipsy
Here's what is likely to happen:

You email bidders doing them a service, and thinking you're gonna help trend the market down, thereby doing yourself a service.

Buyers will cancel bids.

Sellers will investigate the cancellations.

Buyers will mention you.

Sellers will complain to eBay.

Prices will trend down, but you may not have an eBay account left to take advantage with!

This is in clear violation of eBay policy, and they will catch on in days!

I'd loved for them to waste their time and money on this one!

First, they have an old email that I can't even access anymore -- haven't for years.

If they do have a billing/shipping address, it's old as sin -- don't llive there anymore.

Telephone number ... whatever.

They will have to find contact info...

Have never bought a thing on ebay...

The time and money they would have to spend to do something (e.g., kick me off of ebay all together, charge me a difference, etc.) is to great for less than twenty emails...

Chad4Mac

[mcrain]

Originally posted by Chad4Mac
I'd loved for them to waste their time and money on this one!

First, they have an old email that I can't even access anymore -- haven't for years.

If they do have a billing/shipping address, it's old as sin -- don't llive there anymore.

Telephone number ... whatever.

They will have to find contact info...

Have never bought a thing on ebay...

The time and money they would have to spend to do something (e.g., kick me off of ebay all together, charge me a difference, etc.) is to great for less than twenty emails...

Chad4Mac

What you probably aren't sure about is whether the e-bay user policy allows for an aggrieved seller or bidder to recover attorneys' fees from a defendant. If so, all those costs of private investigators, court costs, and attorneys fees won't be borne by the seller who got screwed by you, but by you!

Think.

Oh, and I'd be happy to waste my time sueing or better yet prosecuting a scumbag that's done what you're attempting to do. Especially considering it wouldnt' take me very long to find you Mr. Chad Benton Macallister.

Remember, what is a waste of time to you is someone else's job.

[Chad4Mac]

Wrong or right?

I quess I can see where my action on ebay (all fourty minutes and less than twenty emails on ebay ) is "wrong." I could see that from the start. In any event, the damage -- if there was any -- is done.

Just one point: Just because the highest bidder degates his/her bid before the aution is over doesn't mean that another bidder won't bid higher than that bid. Remeber, the aution is not over. Even if the highest bidder removes himself/herself from the aution, the next highest bidder is a winner. The net loss is the difference between the highest prior bid and second highest bid. This difference is the increment amount, ten, five, one dollar, whatever. I would imagine that bid increments are a small amount.

This is where my theory is jumbled.

If I am trying to drop the price of a bid item by say two hundred dollars, is the ten dollar decrease in actual price helping any? Most likely not.

I would have to spend days notifing all bidders that they are bidding too high. And ebay has a cap on thier emails. It is impossible for me -- only me -- to change the price of the bid item to the price that would satisfy me.

I loved how many of you thought this was going to change the entire market for iBooks on ebay, screwing the seller off of large denominations. In actuality, in the couple cases where I could have changed the price of the bid, who is to know whether, one, the sellers sold his/her bid over the reserve amount (plus some figure) and, two, whether seller is not satisfied.

I could just so happen that off a single email by me, informing the highest bidder of a aution that I THINK they overbidding that:

1) the bidder leaves the bid and buys a cheaper, better product; therefore, you have a satisfied buyer

2) the seller stills sells his/her aution (even after a default) at a price higher than he/she valued it

Which follows that both the bidder and seller are satisfied, which benefits both parties.

The other case would be without a email by me:

1) buyer holds bid, later finds out he overpaid, not satisfied

2) seller recieves overvalued bid, satisfied

Which follows that only the seller is satisfied

Whatever. It's over. I guess I'm wrong...

Chad4Mac

[Chad4Mac]

My horoscope for today (off of MSN):

Your horoscope for today, Scorpio:
Another person might not appreciate your topic of conversation. Accept that other people have a lower tolerance for diverse viewpoints and wait until more open-minded people are around. If you need a loan, a friend is more than happy to oblige.

Just a horoscope, but the first sentence says it so well!!!!

Chad4Mac

[alex_ant]

I'm a Scorpio too. Closed-minded ****ers. :)

[Sun Baked]

One of the things that works for sellers of hot items on e-bay, is people's desire to win.

If the people are dumb enough to go into the auction without setting themselves a maximum price and/or knowing the actual value relative to current market - then I don't see why anybody else should even bother to educate them.

Let these people be stupid enough to pay more than a product is worth, it's a good learning experience for them. That is if they ever realize their mistake.

[SilvorX]

Originally posted by evildead
There was a guy that sold a Nickel for several dollars a few years ago on eBay... "There is a sucker born every min"

not neccessarily, coins can be worth ALOT of money...cuz theres ppl out there who are coin collectors..including me :P, ya theres probably scams for coins out there...but theres not even near as many coin scams as computer scams lol...ive seen coins i bought for face value end up being worth 10x of what i paid :D...theres a huge market of coin collectors out there...and most of them are really picky...a person from here i know sold a canadian coin via ebay to the governor of taiwan..and it sounded like he was satisfied with the order.

[scem0]

Prices on eBay for apple products are ludicrous. IT is because of
the whole supply and demand principal. There is a low supply on
eBay, and a high demand from shoppers. I wouldn't buy a mac
off eBay, but PCs are a good deal. THat is because people custom
build PCs and sell them real cheap on eBay. I got a 2.4 GHz for
$700. That was after shipping, etc. eBay is a good deal on PC's
but a bad deal on macs.