That said, of course, I don't like the result of this auction one bit... it's a chip that should be available for 3 bucks at the most from any reputable dealer.

Absolutely correct. In my book, I do not care how good you are at creative writing. Technically, the slime ball might have been on the right side of the law. And yes the buyer should have known better. But any ethical seller would have made it crystal clear that the chip up for sale was not the rare Arodie. The fact that a chip that commonly sells for a couple of dollars was bid up to $45 is proof enough that the ad was deceptive. Or else the seller just did not have a clue.

Oh, and by the way .... CHEERS.