Hi Carl ---- as you may know, I am one of the regulars on this board who also occasionally writes to both sellers and bidders on eBay regarding auction lots and bidding. I am not familiar with your auction (and, thanks to eBay's problems, have not been able to look it up), so am expressing no opinion whatsoever on your specific situation.

In general, though, I agree with the comments made earlier by Robert Pardue. It is my personal opinion that if an item is accurately described, then I, as an eBay "critic" (I don't really care for the appellation "chip police", implying as it does some kind of "official" status) have no interest in intervening. I take the position, however, that if there is fraud or misrepresentation in the auction lot description, it is appropriate for knowledgeable individuals to make the true facts known (to buyers and sellers alike). Of course, not everyone agrees with my position in this regard, relying on the old-fashioned doctrine of "caveat emptor" (a doctrine which, in most commercial contexts, is discredited in the United States).

I do understand the frustration of the situation you have described. I wonder, however, whether the persons who emailed your buyer were in fact members of the club. I have had personal contact with several hundred members of the club and have yet to find a single snake (though I am aware of one ex-member who would qualify).

I join Archie in urging you to attend the convention -- I am sure you will find it an enlightening and enjoyable experience. ----- jim o\-S