"The Monster" is the name I gave T206

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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

"Ryan, it sounds like you think that voluntarily entering a contract, then intentionally breeching it for the purpose of your own financial gain and at the expense of the other party is to be applauded, at least if that other party is eBay."

Yes, Jeff, that's exactly what I think. Did you think by framing it as breech of contract I would see the folly of my ways and suddenly realize what a truly reprehensible action it was that I suggested something like that should be applauded?
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"My question would be where do you draw the line? If it's OK to take advantage of (essentially defraud) eBay, then who else is it OK to do this to?"

Would you like a list? How about SCP/Sotheby's, for example? Or pick any other slimy company who makes money by ripping people off. Just be sure to pick an actual slimy company of scumbags instead of the ethical juggernaut we know SCP/Sotheby's to be. We already know they would never "take advantage of" or "essentially defraud" anyone. So pick Microsoft or Wal-Mart or Halliburton or whoever it's trendiest to hate. It's not a slippery slope. There are no gray areas with what I'm talking about. I'm not saying it's okay to go murder Bill Gates or rob your local Wal-Mart. I'm saying that people or companies who screw people deserve to taste their own medicine sometimes. I'm not going to dispense this justice myself, but I'm absolutely fine with it happening. I would certainly never encourage someone to engage in anything illegal, but it's worth noting that if you or anyone else were to "take advantage" of SCP/Sotheby's, (as a totally random example) for instance, I'm pretty sure it would mean that somewhere far, far away, an angel gets their wings.
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"I'm not here to defend eBay's business practices."

That might not be why you're here in a metaphysical or ontological sense, Jeff, but that's certainly why you're here in this thread. It's Bill's unethical breech of contract that seems to bother you. Not his ending auction early. Or even better, it's his inability to take ownership of this action that really gets you. So let's say Bill ended the auction early (which is the part that most of us have the issue with) and then set up a buy-it-now for the bidder to do at whatever price they agreed upon. If the transaction still went through ebay so that ebay still got their cut and would be able to feed their children for at least one more night, would you still be here sticking up for all the poor and underprivileged corporate monopolies who can't stick up for themselves?

As noble as the charitable work you do on behalf of ebay might be, I don't think you would have even posted if your breech-of-contract radar hadn't gone off. The point of your initial post was to scold Bill for bullying ebay and But just because you believe in and follow the rules, that doesn't make it ethical, either. I guess it's all just a matter of opinion. Some might consider it unethical to come to the defense of a giant monopoly who'd been denied the opportunity to be paid a few dollars on a single tiny transaction. Others might consider such behavior the very model of ethics in the modern world.

-Ryan