So why doesn't someone here create an auction with a zero bid and explain the idea in the description of the bid?

If anyone does this, I suggest that you also set up dummy email and ebay accounts so that people cannot contact you to complain. Otherwise, your real email account might overflow with negative comments.

If someone wants to help Randy sell more subs, bid on the eBay auction. Then withdraw the bid. You can, indeed I think you MUST state a reason for a bid retraction that all may peruse. The answer to that is:

Just found info for FREE at - www.flyertalk.Forum etc

i.e. The paste link from elsewhere here.

It is legal. eBay can't touch you, and seller can't touch you IMO. But every bidder/potential bidder/lot viewer can see there was a withdrawn bid as that shows up clearly - and go read why.

I am flying off in 4 hours on my own Concorde flight adventure, and hope a lot more folks book these for $1250 and ENJOY the experience.

------------------
~ Glen ~

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum1/HTML/006919.html

The above is a May 24 post from a new FT'er. The bolding is mine. May have zippo whatever to do with this thread auction of course. I do not know how many lots of airline info gets sold on ebay, (if ever before this???) but the post made me smile nonetheless.

I have no problem whatever with whomever listed the lot on eBay. They are simply using their brain to make a buck and save folks who obtain the info $10,000 on a Concorde ticket at the same time, and hopefully getting Randy a lot more paid subs as a side-bar, and helping underwrite this BB.

I too have no problem whatsoever with this person listing this lot. It benefits everyone. IMO, some people here are probably just bitter they didn't think of it first.

What does this mean? Is it just a way of raising your post count without adding anything meaningful to the topic?

At this point I see three auctions with almost identical titles (check them with this link).
One is the original one, as yanxfann told us, asking $25 for the info.
The other two have a $0.01 starting price. One of them even has the link to the original FlyerTalk MilesBuzz! thread discussing the whole Inside Flyer method, so it sounds like just a nominal listing. The other one has a $0.01 starting price too, but does not link to FlyerTalk.

[This message has been edited by SK (edited 05-28-2002).]

Don't throw your shoulder out trying to pat yourself on the back.

And I guess I could ask you the same question about your last post.

SK: In a phrase that's very popular at my workplace, I can neither confirm nor deny that I listed the following auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1356295081

That being said note that potential bidders for this auction must be preapproved, i.e. it is impossible to bid without contacting the "seller" first. Experience has shown me that the folks at ebay Safeharbor (their rules enforcement arm) are VERY particular about sellers including links in auctions so I'm confident that anyone emailing this seller will be GIVEN the FT link about this about the magazine/*Wood/Quantas promotion and will be encouraged to contribute to the charity of their choice if they find the information helpful.

PS: My hat's off to the lister of this auction, it seems like their intentions are honorable: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=1356345882


[This message has been edited by yanxfann (edited 05-28-2002).]

FYI - ebay has strict rules about what reasons are allowed for bid retractions, and finding stuff elsewhere does not qualify.

Though well intended, this is however incorrect. As per the eBay rules:

If finding the item you want cheaper was a valid "excuse" for canceling a bid, I doubt eBay would function very well.

[This message has been edited by SMessier (edited 05-28-2002).]

I don't think there is anything wrong with selling this information on ebay, as long as its clear that it is information and not tickets and that it involves several steps, capacity controls, and some risk. This information is very valuable, and the price charged seems well below the value of the information.

I do have a problem with people who want to interfere with this guy's auction. I think those folks are motivated out of jealousy.

Certainly we're all entitled to our own opinions. FT is about SHARING ideas, in my eyes selling this information (whether on ebay or any other venue) DEFINITELY isn't in the spirit of this forum.

PS: I too DO NOT advocate auction interference of any kind

This is not true, finding something for less money (even free) is not a valid reason for retracting a bid on Ebay (see Ebay bid retraction rules). Ebay probably will not cancel your account or suspend you if this is a first offense, but they will warn you if the seller reports the invalid bid retraction to them.