Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

eBay Shuts Down Ultima Online Charity Auctions

Posted by Zonk on from the dangit dept.

An Anonymous Reader writes "Numerous players in Ultima Online are donating vitual gold to "Crazy" Joe Harden. Harden started some eBay auctions with the best of intentions, giving all the proceeds to the Red Cross for the tsunami disaster relief. Unfortunately, Ebay has decided to shut him down. Here's a quote from the article over on FileFront: "The auctions were for in-game gold in Ultima Online. What Harden did was set up places within Ultima Online where players could come and either buy 'junk,' as he called it, or simply donate gold to be auctioned off on eBay. After setting up 43 auctions, things were running smoothly until eBay pulled every single one of them off of their site." We reported on this effort yesterday.

6 of 38 comments (clear)

  1. Some important points missing from summary by LeninZhiv · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some important points the Slashdot summary didn't mention:

    1) This is because E-bay forbids auctions in the name of a charity as
    there have been people in the past who have used this as a con.

    2) According to the article, Crazy Joe is in agreement with this
    policy and is not upset that the auctions were pulled.

    3) He's putting the auctions back up without mention of the Red Cross
    or his website so everything should still go smoothly for those who
    have donated.

    Of course if everybody reads TFA there's no problem, but the way the
    write-up puts it makes things seem as though things are a lot more
    outrageous than they are. Besides, on slashdot "if everybody reads
    TFA" is a pretty laughable suggestion...

    1. Re:Some important points missing from summary by GoofyBoy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      > but the way the write-up puts it makes things seem as though things are a lot more outrageous than they are

      How much responsibility do the slashdot editors have when it comes to this?

      If you read the write up, it implies something ("eBay unfair and against charitable works!") yet if you read the link (or do a search on google) its a totally different story ("Charitable works not done properly.") Even once sentence at the end "Ebay has a policy to prevent fraud in a charity name, autions are planned to be reposted at a later date." would have made the story more balanced.

      Considering how many people will not read comments, don't the editors have a responsiblity to be more reflective of the truth and not being so ... tabloid-like?

      --
      The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  2. Why wasn't he following the rules? by NexusTw1n · · Score: 3, Interesting
    "Donlay said there are a few ways that sellers can hold auctions on eBay for charity donations. The first is through a tool called Givingworks, where the money never even reaches the sellers hands; it goes directly to the charity."
    Anyone know why he was collecting the money himself rather than following ebay's procedure which would guarantee to all bidders that the money really would go to charity?
    --
    It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. --Albert Einstein
  3. Should've read the article first by numbski · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Knee-jerk reaction.

    eBay doesn't suck in this case I guess. He can still do the auctions, but has to carefully word how he puts it up.

    I'd just put up

    CrazyJoe UO Ultimae Online Tsunami Gold

    That should say plenty there (I think?).

    He can't mention the Red Cross. :\

    --

    Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

  4. Re:Spirit of the 'law' vs. Letter of the 'law' by GoofyBoy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Did you even read the article?

    >The honorable thing here would be to back this guy up and applaud his efforts.

    1. Its a policy not to have regular individuals have an action in the name of a charity (Red Cross). A good one at that, as it prevent fraud, when a buyer expects the money to go somewhere but it might not. Even Joe Harden admits thats its a good policy.
    2. The auctions are/going to be up again ""I purposely left a few tidbits in the very vague "new" auctions that hopefully will perk some eyebrows and buyers can investigate why this Auction mentions my name, the Tsunami, and Stratics," he said."

    >The letter of your rule states that you can't sell virtual goods.

    This has nothing to do with why it was pulled.

    --
    The surprise isn't how often we make bad choices; the surprise is how seldom they defeat us.
  5. He's already donated the money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative
    If you read his site, he's already donated $3000 from his credit card for the fund. What these auctions will be doing is simply refunding him the money already spent, if he goes over $3000 on the auctions he'll make another donation. If he gets less then $3000 he'll just consider the extra a personal donation on his part.


    I've known this guy for a few years now, he's good on his word and won't be keeping the gold to himself, it will all be sold on ebay (auctions are re-listed with different wording) and the donation to the red cross has already been made. He's one of the few people left on the internet you can actually trust their word on.

    --J. R. Cook