Hey, remember that guy who sold a snowbank on eBay, getting $3,550 to donate to charity?
Yeah, it was a junk bid.
I appreciate that journalists did their due diligence and contacted the guy who was selling the snowbank, to determine that 1. He’s really selling a snowbank and 2. He’s really donating the proceeds to charity.
But once again, they seem to take an unconfirmed winning bid as if it’s a completed transaction. And when the bid is ridiculously high after lots of media coverage, there frankly should be an assumption that the bidder isn’t going to pay.
Same deal with the Guitar Hero auction, which sold at 100 times its suggested retail price just because it came with some story of a guy whose son smoked pot. Though the winning bidder in that auction is a long-time account with good feedback, the deal hasn’t been concluded yet so we shouldn’t assume it’s good.
Is a little bit of healthy skepticism (and patience) too much to ask?
I just heard on CBC radio the snowbank eventualy was sold (probably to the second highest bidder), and the not yet melted remains will be hauled away and then the snow will be sold in smaller bags with the proceeds again going to charity. No word yet if the water that will result in the melting of the snow will be bottled and auctioned off again.