Wow, some lucky guy won a PSA Ruth card for a buck!

Knopfler

Wish I would have know about this earlier, but it sold so fast I would not have had a chance to win it unless I was sitting at my PC all day constantly hitting refresh. I wonder if a card collector won this, or just a profiteer?

PSA Babe Ruth Card for a Buck

bman90278

Or if the winning bidder actually gets the card. Noticed the seller has "0" feedback.

Brian

Knopfler

The seller is EBay. They create a new ID each day so it makes it a little harder to find the item. The buyer will definitely get the card.

rube26105

that would be sweet, matt- you can look for the robotic lawnmower on there

julen23

i could use my wealth to buy an instructor to teach me how to do the robot.

jrinck

The description says MINT, but it's clearly EX 5. Even Ebay is violating its own rules.

WinPitcher

Yeah I saw that too.


Steve

mtcards

We should report them and see if they ban themselves

leathtech

<< <i>We should report them and see if they ban themselves >>



I'm sure they'll just open another account!

Knopfler

I wonder if they would even resond if you just sent a general question about the item. Somehow I doubt it.

wem1472

I wonder if the buyer used the 30% live.com discount and got it for .70 cents? LOL

MBMiller25

<< <i>Textwonder if the buyer used the 30% live.com discount and got it for .70 cents >>




That would be classic!

Knopfler

Looks like eBay managed to screw this promotion up too! There is a post on slickdeals with over 2,000 replies and I guess some people have created scripts to win these prizes. In addition to the grand prize each day, there and Wii's and iPods and various other items selling for $1.00 Buy It Now as well. The scripts are winning over half of the items. They are won by zero feedback bidders within 5 seconds or less from when the item hits eBay's internal search results! I was thinking of trying to win the Corvette today, but looks like it would just be a waste of time.

BunchOBull

Yes...I was about 30 seconds too late on the Corvette...there are certainly bots trolling...

'09 Vette

Good job eBay.

MBMiller25

Nice, Ebay could screw up a wet dream!

Knopfler

There's an MSNBC article talking about how eBay has screwed this up and most of these auctions are being won with no visitors ever viewing the auctions!

MSNBC article on Ebay's Doorbuster promotion

WinPitcher

Typical, they try to do something good and hackers sleaze the way in.


Is anyone surprised?


Steve

BunchOBull

I was pretty PO'd about the Corvette...I know it's a free contest and my chance to win was slim, but I had done the math and figured it would hit between 7 and 8 pm CST...so was hitting refresh every 10 seconds when the 'vette was listed and it didn't show up one time...it did however show up on the "completed" listings page I was also refreshing at the same exact minute it was listed and subsequently "purchased."

blue227

Quote from MSNBC.com article on the eBay promotion:


Bids placed by scripting tools are now so widespread that some eBay auction sellers pulled pranks in recent days and began inserting the word "Holiday Doorbusters" into their descriptions so automated tools would be tricked into purchasing them. In one case, a member sold several $1 pictures of his pet with this warning:

"This is picture I took of my cat with my Cannon Powershot Camera after she overheard that people where using scripting to purchase HOLIDAY DOORBUSTERS items on eBay. Not responsible for poor scripting techniques."


MSNBC.com article

TNP777

<< <i>Quote from MSNBC.com article on the eBay promotion:


Bids placed by scripting tools are now so widespread that some eBay auction sellers pulled pranks in recent days and began inserting the word "Holiday Doorbusters" into their descriptions so automated tools would be tricked into purchasing them. In one case, a member sold several $1 pictures of his pet with this warning:

"This is picture I took of my cat with my Cannon Powershot Camera after she overheard that people where using scripting to purchase HOLIDAY DOORBUSTERS items on eBay. Not responsible for poor scripting techniques."


MSNBC.com article >>

JTB

If someone is smart enough to write and execute a script like this, more power to 'em. I'm jealous of their ability, not bitter that I didn't win a free car.

WinPitcher

The trouble with that analogy is that some were not smart enough I think and simply bought the program.

And it was against the rules set in place by ebay.


Steve

storm888

This will soon be a major scandal.

The easy remedy - after the fact - is for EBAY to force the "cheaters" to litigate
any attempts to claim the prizes. An HONEST - non-RICO - enterprise would
do that in a flash.

..........

I was at the USPS a while ago. The lines were HUGE. MOST of the folks in line
were either talking about or listening to BASHING stories about the "contest."

EBAY can ill-afford the kind of publicity and word-of-mouth that this MESS is
going to generate.

.............

Such contests can EASILY be made fair. It almost seems like everything JD
does is intentionally designed to wreck the company.

I suspect that everybody is going to be shocked at the number of longtime
sellers who exit EBAY during the early part of 2009. Google search-results
are ALL that is needed to sell items; EBAY is nearly redundant.

WinPitcher

I'm not bitter nor am I jealous, I would have liked for someone to have won these doorbusters the way for which it was intended.


Steve