Darkside friends I have to ask a question. I will give a little background but only a little as more might implicate guilty parties although I think there is slight chance of that. Anyway, I came upon knowledge in the form of e-mail messages to someone that they have participated in Ebay auctions from work. Nothing terrible there except that it would appear that these auctions were for items offered by that individuals side business or perhaps one run by a brother or other close relative.

Near as I can tell they intended to 'lose' the auction but the price would then be higher than if they had not participated. Is that possible? I have never had the slightest temptation to fight with others for the chance to pay more for something that I could go directly to a seller and purchase but I try to remain uncritical of those for whom Ebay is a real passion.

Recently someone e-mailed me an Ebay auction for some very obscure parts for an electronic pipe organ. They knew that I was trying to obtain those parts and in fact had located a seller of same in Michigan. This seller was in Pennsylvania. When I went to bid I got a message that the item had been withdrawn by the seller. Fine, but later I got notified that it was back along with three others like it. There was a single bid on all four for exactly the same amount as the opening bid had been on the withdrawn item. I experimented on one of them but stopped bidding at the price that I could obtain the item for from the seller in MI. The initial bid it appears was set to automatically increase, to what I don't know.

Is it me or is this medium ripe with abuse potential?

H