Online auction sites do more than sell items – they are also the source of some seriously unusual situations such as the ones listed below.
In two thousand four, the wife of a famous UK radio DJ sold his Lotus Esprit sports car on eBay with a Buy It Now tag of fifty pence. The vehicle sold within minutes and the owner was requested to come pick it up the same day. The Mrs said she sold the car in revenge, after hearing her husband flirt with a British photo model on the air of his radio show.
In two thousand five, the VW Golf owned by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (before he became Pope Benedict) was sold on eBay Germany for nearly two hundred thousand euro. The winning bid was made by an online casino famous for their outrageous eBay purchases.
Comedian Billy Connolly sold his custom made Harley Davidson trike on which he did his world tour of Australia for eighteen thousand dollars, in two thousand seven.
In two thousand four, a scrapped F-18 Hornet (a US made fighter jet) was sold on eBay by its legal owner for one million dollars. The Buy It Now tag gave the option to pay nine million and have the plane restored to flying condition. However the FBI advised the owner that the plane could be sold only to a US citizen, based within the US, and to never leave US airspace. The plane never sold.
In the same year, eBay saw a listing of a fully seaworthy, sixteen thousand ton British aircraft carrier – the HMS Vengeance. The auction was removed though as eBay decided the item was considered ordnance, even though all of the carriers’ weapons had been removed.
In two thousand six, a Chinese businessman purchased a retired MIG-21 jet fighter of the Czech Air Force, on eBay. Oddly enough, the seller refused to ship the plane to its new owner. It is still unclear whether or not the buyer was scammed.
For the best man and van removal services in your area though, you need to check your local business listings. All of the good man and van removal companies are listed online. Don’t rule out online auctions though – never know, you might come across your next home in one of the outrageous listings of online auctions.
Water from a cup which Elvis Presley himself drank from (apparently), during a gig in North Carolina in nineteen seventy seven was sold on eBay for four hundred and fifty five dollars.
In two thousand four, an Australian sold a single piece of Kellogg’s breakfast cereal on eBay because it resembled E.T. from Spielberg’s nineteen eighties film. The cereal piece sold for nearly eleven hundred dollars AU. Its seller went on national television current affairs show in relation to his outrageous sale.
A number of Brits have posted outrageous eBay auctions and have donated the money to charity. One such case involves a British man who sold a single, left-over Brussel sprout from his Christmas dinner for one thousand five hundred and fifty pounds.
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About the Author:
Kim Jacobs
Kim Jacobs is a removals coordinator with over 11 years of experience as part of the Get man and van team and other firms in the home and office relocation industry in London. Before joining our company, Kim has worked in various logistical and transportation companies and institutions such as Transport for London, The Removals Ombudsman, and has coordinated moving projects with some of the biggest suppliers of various goods such as IKEA, HomeBase, Amazon, Sainsbury's and others. While working as a chief removals coordinator, Kim also enjoys sharing her expertise with others through writing in our blog.
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