Usually I remain aloof from e-bay stuff, as I do not use, or much like, the system. HOWEVER, this seems an easy way to get scammed by someone and does not appear to be reasonably detectable until it's too late. I have deleted identifying bits in the text to keep from propagating innocent IDs all over. Forwarded message follows: -------------------------------------------------------- Xref: ix.netcom.com rec.radio.swap I don't normally post on this group, but this is so important that it needs to get out as quickly as possible before anybody else gets burned. Late last month (April) I had put a XXXX repeater up for sale on Ebay. It was bid on by quite a few different persons. The high bidder on it didn't contact me for four days and finally sent an email backing out of the deal. This resulted in a negative feedback being placed which made it public knowledge that he had back out. Two days ago I was contacted by two of the higher bidders. Each had been contacted by a person in Xxxxxx Xxxxx, California wanting to know if they were still willing to honor their bid on the repeater! Now this is the very same repeater sitting in my shop as I type this! Since the email address of the seller in the original auction was overlooked (you would have to do a search of past auctions to get a peek at it) this person played the part very well as the owner and managed to get two money orders sent to him. The address he uses is a mail drop on XXXXX Rd in Xxxxx Xxxxxx, CA. If you see this street come up in any dealings with a person out in that area BEWARE! PLEASE if you have been or get contacted by anybody on Ebay who wants to pursue a bid you made on an item, double check his email address Ebay has been notified and I'm pushing to get the bidding history either removed or modified to notify all involved that the history has been accessed. Thank you for taking the time to read. Signed XXXXXXXXX ---------------------------------------------------------- End forwarded message Since we here are dealing in a different line of equipment, I did not include the alleged miscreant's address or city... but the algorithm of the scam can be applied anywhere. Of course I realize that anyone can post anything they like to Usenet, but this has the Ring of Truth to it. Caveat Vendor..... just another reason I dislike e-bay. No *real* auction is timed... the sale is made final when no other bidder increments the price... so even 'sniping' has a balancing force against it: the ever-rising price. When there is a known time limit for the sale to expire, then how can that be fair? Cheers John