Slashdot Mirror
eBay Accused of Price Gouging Scheme
Symbiot writes "eBay is being sued in a Calilfornia court for a practice that the plaintiff, Glenn Block of Pennsylvania, claims artificially raises the amount of a bid. The practice combines the warning emails that eBay sends out when you are the highest bidder and your bid is at your maximum, with the bid increment mechanism. It seems that if your original maximum bid settnig prevents your current bid from falling on an increment then your current bid will be raised to the next increment as soon as you raise your maximum. If the plaintiff wins this class action suit could cost eBay tens or hundreds of millions of dollars."
whats a settnig? is it a type of fig or nut?
cha-ching. money baby... money
Marked as: WONTFIX
I suffer from attention surplus disorder.
This is a repeatable behavior. Feel free to test it on my auctions :)
More seriously, I didn't understand why this would automatically increase my bid when I was the highest bidder. I assumed it was buried in some terms and conditions, but I didn't think it was fair - because yes, you're actually registering a new bid against yourself.
If this is indeed in their terms somewhere, then I have no issue writing it off as an annoyance.
The same reason the "money shaving" scheme in office space was wrong comes to mind.
But it wasn't wrong. Initech was wrong!
F------ terrible seller, scammer, price gouger!!
+++++++++++++Very good information, Quick to load, trustworthy poster, would click again.
liqbase
You win!!!
First Death Post!!!
As the first Slashdotter to predict the eminent demise of the subject of the thread, you win one free bullet for use when you decide to blow your brains out because you can't deal with everyone else being so stupid.
As an added bonus, you receive and extra 'just in case I fuck it up' bullet because you, sir, also posted the ever enlightening 'I'm too good for you' post in which you describe how you are better than everyone else and will no longer associate yourself with the subject of the thread. Consider yourself in the good company of those who no longer watch TV, but feel the need to tell everyone.
Kudos to you sir and thank you for helping to keep Slashdot discussions packed full of meaningless, cynical, cliche posts. You hard work does not go unnoticed.
Help me take back Slashdot. When did 'News for Nerds' become 'FUD and Conspiracy Theories for Extremist Nutjobs'?
No kidding...
I burped that cheese sandwich for days...
Everyone will get an email from eBay saying they're eligible for a refund. 95% won't make it past most spam filters.
That's awesome! I'll have to try that next time I'm forced to repay people.
"I am Former Ebay President and Nigerian Billionaire. Though this proposal may be very surprise to you as we have not met in any way before.
I got your contact address through your country's judiciary and feel you will serve as a reliable source to be used to achieve this aim, by trusting under the care of you and other people like you (the plaintifs) the total sum of THIRTY MILLION US DOLLARS (US $30M). Does that not make you stand up and take notice? You have not tried Cialls yet?
- The settlement lasts 36 hours!
- you are ready to start within just 10 minutes!
- you can mix it with alcohol!
Choose the time and the place. Our settlement will do the rest. Now 2 - 10 times cheaper than our competitors!
Please include the details of your case information including your Ebay(tm) username, the ten-digit auction number, and the names of the other parties involved. By joining this settlement you agree to indemnify Ebay and all of it's affiliates against all future liability with respect to the action at hand. Include your contact phone number so we can send your case information to law firms that have successfully settled cases in your area.
Friend, you may be a winner! I is being confused. Why have you not claimed your cash? Do you not like cash?
Sincerely,
The Law Office of Dewie, Cheatem, and Howe
"
The ______ Agenda
Before eBay, there was a contingent of lonely, fat housewives and weirdos that collected tons of goofy, worthless crap that nobody cared or knew about. After eBay, this contingent of social malcontents has found a place on the net where they can let their obsessive pathology run wild. If you don't believe me, look at eBay's forums and see all the ADD/bipolar people complaining their their treasure hunt game is rigged. If you think Slashdotters are antisocial nerds, you have no idea... eBay locals make AOL people look like the M.I.T. graduation class.
Remember folks, this is the site that gave us the virgin mary grilled cheese sandwich. Of course it's populated by a bunch of loonies who are desperately looking to get their 15 minutes of fame and move out of their trailers. Why is Slashdot giving these people any publicity? Every other day someone is threatening a class action against eBay because they got negative feedback over the 18-century electric can opener they sold being claimed as bogus.
If they have thousands of auctions going every day over the period of a couple years, the small percentage they get from the extra $1.50 or so can start adding up if they are affecting a large number of bidders.
This sounds just like Superman III!
Is that where you shoot everyone else who might bid, and then just bid the reserve yourself? Worked for me...
If you disagree, post your argument. (-1, Overrated) isn't your personal censorship tool for views you don't like.