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'Tron Guy' Forced to Sell Plane on eBay


Well, folks, the recession is officially in full swing. You know we're living in tough times when a full-grown man can no longer afford to indulge in his childhood fantasies (in this case, wearing a handmade costume and spending six figures on a matching airplane). That's just the situation Jay Maynard, a.k.a. Tron Guy, is facing, according to Wired.

Maynard recently posted to eBay his two-seater airplane, complete with customized green-and-blue paint job and gray-and-blue interior scheme. About a year ago, he paid around $140,000 for the plane, later overhauling its appearance to match the costume that made him famous: a replica of the one worn in the cult sci-fi film 'Tron.' Maynard became an Internet sensation in 2004 after he created a Web site, complete with photos and videos, that chronicled his creation of the skin-tight, blue-and-white jumpsuit. Maynard told Wired there was no way around selling his beloved plane, which sat at $30,100 Thursday morning (reserve not met).

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eBay, Web

Man Sells Father's Remains on eBay for Revenge


Hell hath no fury like a resentful child scorned. Forty-five years ago, Brit-based Kenneth Ireland left his two children and his wife for another woman, leaving the family with nothing but $28 dollars. Son William Ireland, who was six when Dad departed, spent his childhood longing for a father, and in 2006, William tracked his old pops down and tried to reconnect. Not long after, his estranged father passed away.

When it was revealed that Ireland Sr. left his entire estate to his second wife and the child they had together, William was apparently none too pleased, having hoped his father might try to make amends. He shelled out the money for the funeral and received his father's ashes, which, in a way typical of revenge scenarios, he then posted on eBay. According to TheSun.co.uk, the listing for the auction (which ended Sunday, Father's Day) simply read: 'Here are the ashes of my father, Kenneth Ireland, an adulterer who left a wife, two children and just £17 (about $28) in her pocket. He never paid a penny towards his kids' upbringing.'

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Cell Phones, eBay

'New' Verizon Phone From eBay Comes With Porn

Consumers buying gadgets and games sometimes discover questionable, and even illegal, items hidden in the packaging or sitting dormant in the device's memory. One eBay shopper, going by the name Lillian, recently noticed illicit material on a supposedly new cell phone, according to The Consumerist.

Lillian purchased her Verizon phone from a reputably reliable eBay source with almost impeccable feedback from previous sales. When the "new" LG Chocolate arrived, Lillian grew wary of its origins, as it came in packaging not associated with a new Verizon phone. The screen also possessed a few light scratches, and the phone came with a non-LG charger that fell apart when Lillian handled it. Lillian also noticed that the indicator in the phone's battery compartment revealed that the phone may have been dropped in water.

Still uncertain if she had been duped (C'mon, Lily!), Lillian scrolled through the device's "MyLinks," and discovered shortcuts to a variety of Spanish language sites, including some that displayed pornography. iQue lastima! At this point, Lillian finally realized something was amiss, and turned to The Consumerist for help. The Consumerist watchdogs wisely recommended she familiarize herself with eBay's security policy, and that she also file a complaint.

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Web

Online 'Corporate Scalping' Makes Tickets Harder to Come By

Online Sales Make for More Exclusive Tickets

It wasn't all that long ago that getting the hot ticket meant waiting in line for hours (or days) outside of your local Ticketmaster affiliate, all the while exchanging tales of geeky fan appreciation with other would-be concert attendees. These days, everyone's just a click away from the show of a lifetime -- and a click away from exorbitant prices, thanks to many scalping laws having been weakened or completely obliterated. This has opened the door to a new type of ticket resale: corporate scalping.

No longer is scalping solely the realm of shady individuals who buy tickets and illegally flip them for many times the initial price. These days, scalping has been legitimized -- and in many ways galvanized -- by sites like StubHub (owned by eBay) and TicketsNow (owned by Ticketmaster). On those sites, tickets for sold-out shows go for many times their face value, and, with online tickets often selling out in mere minutes, there's no reliable way for dedicated fans to dodge those high prices (you can't really camp out in front of Ticketmaster.com).

What can you do? Not much at this point, other than write to your local legislators and ask that they get those scalping laws back on the books ASAP. After all, the summer concert season approaches! [From: The New York Times]

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eBay, Green Tech

Geothermal Cave Home Up for Sale on eBay


Have you ever wanted to live in a tricked-out cave? Was the tricked-out cave in your fantasy located in Festus, Missouri? If you answered yes to one of these questions, and have $300,000 lying around, you may want to check out eBay.

The Sleeper family of Festus, Missouri is selling their unique, 17,000 square-foot home on eBay. The eco-friendly abode, complete with kitchen, laundry room, party room and its own water source, is built into a cave and is naturally climate-controlled by passive solar and geothermal energy.

The house looks awesome, but we have some real concerns about the property and the family selling it: one, the house is located in Festus, Missouri; two, the family calls itself the Sleepers and lives in a cave. Sounds like a grizzly bear trap to us. Buyer beware! [From: Wavy.com]

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Computers, eBay

French eBay Removes 'Yellow Star' Ranking After Anti-Nazi Complaints






The French Web site of online auctioneer eBay has temporarily changed its policy due to a user complaint linking the site's ranking system to a symbol of Nazi Germany, according to an AFP report in Yahoo! News.

Earlier this month, Dominique Bellamy wrote to the site, complaining of eBay's 'yellow star' user rank and comparing it to the yellow Star of David that European Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Recalling the Nazi invasion of France, Bellamy's wife Francoise told AFP, "It brought back bad memories of the occupation."

As frequent eBay users know, the site employs color-coded stars as a user rating system. The 'yellow star' is the lowest rating that one user can give another. While the French site has not made any public announcement of the policy change, a spokesperson for the eBay corporation did acknowledge the change, telling AFP in an e-mail that "no definitive change has been decided yet." According to the e-mail, no other eBay sites have received similar complaints. [From: AFP]

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Cell Phones, Celebrities, BlackBerry, eBay

Jude Law, Natalie Portman Contact Info Found on eBay BlackBerry

Blackberry Loaded With Celebrity Contact Info Sold on eBay
We've told you before to make sure you wipe out your cell phone before selling it or giving it away, but apparently some of you still aren't listening. What's worse, is that some of you who don't listen auction off your BlackBerrys on eBay loaded with contact info for people who we're pretty sure would rather the general public not be able to reach them.

Kent Devey picked up a used BlackBerry on eBay for £16 (about $23) loaded with the personal contact information of about 50 celebrities, including Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Kevin Spacey. Devey didn't believe what he found on his new BlackBerry until he gave Julie Walters a ring. Sure enough, she answered the phone.

Devey, being at least somewhat reasonable, is returning the BlackBerry to Working Titles Films, whom the seller is believed to work for. The company is grateful and sending him a new handset along with tickets to 'Billy Elliot.' [From: Telegraph]

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Cell Phones, Computers, Advice, Celebrities, eBay, iPhone

What You Can and Can't Sell on eBay

Recession Guide: What You Can and Can't Sell on eBay
We haven't seen any numbers confirming this yet, but we're pretty sure people are flocking to eBay to sell whatever they have laying around in order to supplement their income during the recession. However it is important to realize that while that 1st gen iPhone may be a good way to line your pockets with a little extra dough you can't auction off just anything on eBay.

eBay has some pretty stringent terms of service (TOS) that prohibit you from selling intangible items, drug paraphernalia, and other "inappropriate" things. So what's out?

  • Your virginity. Natalie Dylan attempted to auction off her cherry on eBay to pay for school. eBay politely told her to take it elsewhere, which she did. Nevada's Moonlite Bunny Ranch is now organizing the auction.
  • Yourself, or your soul. Falling under the category of a "non-item" you can't auction off your being or your eternal spirit. Sorry guys.
  • Your wife. There's a problem if your item can resist the idea of being auctioned off.
  • Your bong. Drug paraphernalia is a big no-no. Even if it's touched the lips of an Olympic record holder.
  • A Senate Seat. As a bunch of jokesters found out in the aftermath of the Rod Blagojevich scandal.

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eBay

"867-5309" Phone Number Now Selling on eBay



Have you ever wanted to own an intangible piece of rock memorabilia? Well, you have until February 9th to bid on the area code 201 version of the famous Tommy Tutone phone number. And it'll only cost you a few thousand bucks!

Yes, you can have the privilege of getting random phone calls from random pranksters who listen to the '80s song about a guy who finds a girl's number on a bathroom wall. Spencer Potter, a 28-year-old DJ, is selling off his business with the well-known number after having it for the past five years. He says he gets about 40 calls a day and once dated a woman who gave it out as a fake number to guys at bars. (It's unclear whether or not her name is Jenny).

Since people don't own phone numbers, you can't actually sell them, but Potter's getting away with it with the inclusion of his New York area business, A Blast Entertainment. Vonage, which Potter used to register the digits, agreed to the sale. Potter hopes it gets him over $40,000 but, as of now, he's stuck at $7,500. [From: CNN]

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Computers

Ebay's Controversial New(ish) Rating System Is Kicking Off Small Sellers


In January 2008, eBay instituted a new policy that effectively de-lists (a.k.a. shuts down) sellers whose Detailed Seller Rating (DSR) ratings fall below 4.3 on a 5 point scale. An eBayer's DSR is judged on four categories: whether the item is as described, communication is good, shipping time is reasonable, and shipping and handling charges are appropriate. A 5 is great, a 4 is reasonable and a 3 is neutral. Receiving a string of 4s can easily drop a rating below 4.3 and knock out the seller, who in most cases relies on eBay as their main source of income.

There have been grumbles since the policy was implemented in January, but according to a recent article in Business Week, the sellers are becoming increasingly vocal in their frustration. The tightening of the credit markets, drop in consumer spending, and higher fees have fueled the frustration. The biggest complaint centers on the shipping and handling charge, with which many of the smaller sellers are having a difficult time keeping costs down, resulting in 3s and 4s on the ratings. Larger operations such as actual brick and mortar retail stores can offer free shipping and still come out ahead.

Many of the sellers knocked off of eBay's sellers list are finding it extremely difficult to contest these expulsions as a result of eBay's canned e-mail responses and frustrating mazes of automated phone trees. The article cites examples of sellers who wake up one morning to find that access to their sellers' accounts is denied.

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Cameras, eBay

MI6 Agent Forgets to Delete Work Records from Camera Before Selling on eBay

We'd swear this had to be some sort of spoof on the impeccable James Bond, but sadly enough, the whole thing is true. A secondhand Nikon Coolpix camera which sold on eBay for a mere £17 ($30) turned out to be a real bargain once its new 28-year old owner completed his first image dump. Along with decidedly decent snaps from his US vacation, he also found a number of "top secret" images, diagrams and sketches that have since been confirmed as MI6 material. We're talking photos of rocket launchers, hand-drawn graphics of terrorist links and all sorts of other information not at all intended for civilian eyes. 'Course, the whole thing could just be the act of one talented Photoshopper, but we highly doubt the agency would be so fortunate.

[Via Digg, image courtesy of WWII Airplane Model]

Cell Phones, iPhone

Pre-Owned First Gen iPhones Still Fetching Crazy Prices on eBay


This little phenomenon has been going on ever since lines were wrapped around buildings as consumers waited impatiently for the iPhone 3G, but even now, original iPhones are fetching wild prices on the secondhand market. In a weird twist of economics, Apple's iPhone actually maintained the majority of its value even after its successor hit the market.

Why, you ask? Put simply, a first-gen iPhone purchased from eBay or other pre-owned resellers arrives sans an AT&T contract, and of course, it can be (relatively) easily unlocked to work with some other carrier. PSA: if you're still sitting on your old iPhone for no apparent reason, now would probably be an excellent time to test the market.

[Image courtesy of IFOAppleStore]

Computers, eBay, Green Tech

eBay's New Site Sells Environmentally-Conscious Goods



Stuff reseller giant eBay is getting in on the whole "environmentally conscious" trend by launching a newest sister site, WorldofGood.com. The site launched earlier this week, and its goal is "to sell goods produced with social and environmental goals in mind, which we assume doesn't mean sweatshop-made PVC Nikes packaged in Styrofoam kryptonite.

World of Good Inc. is a company eBay started to create "ethical supply chains" for consumer products, and the Web site's goal is to put that mantra into practice. The goods sold will be fixed-price, and will supposedly have positive effects on the world around them. Shoppers will be able to search by social and environmental categories, and independent organizations like Rainforest Alliance and Co-op America will screen sellers and verify the items listed on the site.

"We really want consumers to drill down into the detail of what's behind that product," WorldofGood.com general manager Robert Chatwani said. As is the case of eBay, sellers on WorldofGood.com will pay a listing fee and give eBay a commission on successful sales. And eBay login information will work immediately, streamlining the process for the end user.

Of course, there are other ways to buy such goods online -- the excellent etsy.com being one of many -- but the trend is gaining steam, and eBay wants to be a part of it. The Natural Marketing Institute's estimate that the U.S. market for "environmentally friendly" goods was $209 billion in 2005, and the group projects that will rise to $420 billion in 2010. Which means sustainable profits! [From: NewsVine]

Computers, eBay

Sensitive Bank Info Bought on eBay

Royal Bank of Scotland Customer Information Accidentally Sold on eBayEvery buy a used hard drive on eBay? If so, did it come with any surprises on-board after you installed it? Imagine how you'd feel if you installed your new (to you) drive and found millions of customer records from various banks! That's exactly what happened to Andrew Chapman from Oxford, England. Chapman bought the used drive for £77 (about $140) and found himself perusing customer records from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), among others.

The drive came from the archiving firm Graphic Data, which is supposed to protect such data from getting into the wrong hands. Graphic Data's services are used by banks like RBS and American Express to store and, ultimately, dispose of confidential information.

How exactly this drive escaped without being cleaned remains to be seen, but we're guessing the company is scrambling to find out. Last year, after a similar leak due to a lost laptop, Nationwide Building Society was fined nearly two million dollars for not protecting customer information. Expect something similar here. [From: BBC News]

Video Games, eBay

Angry Father Nails Xbox To Tree



What do you do when your kids get out of hand while playing with their Xbox? Your options are:
  1. A time out.
  2. No dessert.
  3. Nail that Xbox to a tree, dammit!
Yes, option number three was in order for a Mechanicsville, Va., father, who apparently had enough of his kids' shenanigans/back talk/zombie-like addiction to Halo. Out into the backyard and up onto the tree the Xbox went.

Lest you think this punishment too harsh, the kids' mother -- who by the way posted this story on CNN's ireport Web site -- says the action was appropriate and that the kids don't hate their dad.

The shattered unit is available now on Ebay, with half the proceeds from the sale going toward the Hanover County School system and the other half to the kids' college fund. In return, you get a pile of junk, since we're pretty sure nailing a gaming system to a tree trunk invalidates the warranty. [From: Joystiq.com]



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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

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