On Thu, 20 May 2004 12:44:04 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:


"Don Pearce" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 19 May 2004 23:08:49 +0100, "Keith G"
wrote:

OK, seems I gotta be the one to post this he

See:


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...7&item=8101010
615

Some dickhead has paid £120 for an empty box (inc. p&p) and ain't too
happy
about it - check the buyer's feedback. What makes me smile is the seller
appears to be quite comfortable with it - check his feedback to the
buyer!

Now, is it me, or is there *just enough* ambiguity in the description and
auction title to trap the unwary....???

Hit rate on the auction is 55,000 and still rising!

:-)


Just had a look, and I think it is rather funny. I see no ambiguity
there whatever. The whole thing is spelled out very clearly in two
lines - no small print at all.


Yes, apart from the fact that the seller has studiously avoided the word
'empty' anywhere in the description.....

Even when he gave its purpose as to pose around the town pretending
you have the real thing at home? I think that came across as rather
more than just a hint.


Full marks to this seller from me.


Not from me. I think he's a clever little cookie who achieved exactly what
he set out to do - caught an eager-beaver dummy with a Famous Name (which
ain't hard to do, check the bids - there's plenty of them out there!) and
the rest of us with a description wording where clarity makes the omission
and obfuscation difficult to spot.....

No, I don't believe he intended any such thing. I think he was
described exactly what he was selling, and was expecting either no
bids, or something barely above his starting bid.


I'm sure echo910 will be very happy with his nice box.


Ooh, I don't think so - read the feedback he left! (Certainly not as happy
as the seller seems to be! :-)

An interesting example of the essence of eBay - the greedy 'grab a
bargain/make a killing' dichotomy which keeps the whole thing going,
Although,in this instance, I think the long-term effects might well be the
opposite of the immediately obvious - the publicity the seller's getting
(4,000+ more hits overnight??) is hardly likely to do his future eBay
activities any good with the dopey 'computer gamer fraternity' and poor old
echo910 (who has an excellent track record as a buyer so far, I might add)
has learned a valuable 'lesson for life' at a fairly reasonable price!

It has been said that you can't con an honest man.

(I have to say my own interest in 'computer games' ended with a weekend lost
to 'Pogo Joe' on the kid's Commodore 64 a long time ago! :-)



My interest ended with Robot Nim, on the Video Genie.

d
Pearce Consulting
http://www.pearce.uk.com