Again, a laymans view....

Isn't there a differnce between eBay and a LIVE auction.

In the case of a Sotherby's or whatever, they have possession of the merchandise, They do repairs, maintanance and inspections of the merchandise. They appraise the merchandise and list it in a catalog for an upcoming auction. They have an ability to varify and authenticate all merchandise that they list and thus are responsible for how it is photographed, repaired or restored and listed.

In the case of eBay, they don't have such control. They are a service and hold the lister responsible for all that. You or I as potentional listers have the responsibility to excercise all those above actions. Ebay, has the responsibility to enforce their rules, cancel questionable auctions, respond to bidder complaints, and hold the lister responsible for inaccurate or fraudulant listings.

At least, that is how I understand it.