[meteorite-list] Ad Ebay sellers must see Work Around

[valparint at aol.com]

What if a seller sold an "option to buy" instead of the item itself? For example, suppose you have a meteorite that you expect to go for $1,000. You create a nice certificate, suitable for framing, that says the winner can buy your meteorite at 10 times the price paid for the certificate. Then, you auction the certificate. You would expect the certificate to sell for about $100, which is what ebay would calculate their FVF on, so they get nine bucks. 

Bid increments would run from 25 cents to a dollar, which equates to 2.50 and 10.00, respectively, when the option is exercised. Of course, the buyer would get credit for the price of the certificate.

Best of all, ebay is counter-screwed.

Paul Swartz