Bargain!

Ebay is just one of those things that has inadvertently entered our lives, to the point that many people just couldn't live without it. Addictive? You bet!

Ebay is much more than a virtual auction site. It is a monument to human limitations, a celebration of dumbness. How else could we explain users bidding for items such as 'a vampire killing kit', 'the internet' or 'the meaning of life'?! (and why did 'the meaning of life' only reach $3.26??)

This just comes to prove that Ebayers should be cautious when purchasing items. Since sellers are hiding behind their virtual identities -and despite reliability measurements like transactional feedback- buyers hardly know the nature and state they are bidding for until it has reached them. In these cases, disappointment is usually directly proportional with the money paid for the item.

Fewer are cases in which ebay transactions turn against the seller's interest. A good example is that of a US mum tracking down a thief who burgled her home after the ill-gotten gains were offered for sale on eBay: "I was shocked and almost in tears," Todd told the Washington Post. "I was like, 'That's mine! That's mine!' I was just floored. When I found it, I clicked on 'see seller's other items,' and when I scrolled through, lo and behold, there was my [laptop]." The suspected burglar was subsequently charged with 12 counts of burglary realating to breaks-ins at various homes in the DC area. He is in jail on remand awaiting trial.

My personal experience with Ebay has been a fairy tale as compared to the cases described above. After quickly browsing the items on offer, I finally identified what I needed the most: a voice changer. 'Useless', you may say. 'Bargain!', would be my answer. What's a new identity without a new voice to go with it? The auction was within 1 hour of its end, and the item had just reached £4.50. I guessed that £12 as a maximum bid would do the trick, and within 55 minutes the item was mine. Eureka!

The arrival of the package a few days later brought disappointment and amusement in equal terms: the item was wrapped in Christmas paper, and notoriously torn apart in the transportation process (see picture above). Nevertheless, the item itself was in good state, and the seller will probably get positive feedback from me. It's all a game, after all. Or maybe it isn't?