Kool Aid? Something's Fishy here

inspiredsports

I'm not sure what's going on with this one.

The seller has thousands of sales with 100% positive feedback and many of the bidders involved have thousands of purchases under their belts.

So anyway, it appears to be a single pack of Cherry Kool Aid and was at $150 at the time I posted.

I know it's some kind of scam, I just haven't been able to put it all together yet.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270511657263

F1nut

Pop a cherry.

hearingimpared

Maybe it's a vintage Kool Aid packet.

inspiredsports

F1nut wrote: »

Pop a cherry.

I am definitely in the wrong business! This stuff costs 15 cents a pack unless there's something way illegal in what this dude is selling, but I think he wouldn't risk selling on eBay if that was the case.

inspiredsports

There are 8 different bidders involved, and the top bidder has almost 3,000 buys/sells. It just makes no sense at all.

nooshinjohn

I am thinking about selling my haunted and cursed Titanic steel chunks on Ebay... I have about 4 ounces of material from the hull ot Titanic that I was given at an artifact exhibit and since I have had this stuff I had nothing but the shittiest of luck

Conradicles

I am the current high bidder.

Disc Jockey

"WYSIWYG" Probably includes that roll of 20's holding up the kool-aid packet. You just have to guess how many.

Tony M

Disc Jockey wrote: »

"WYSIWYG" Probably includes that roll of 20's holding up the kool-aid packet. You just have to guess how many.

It looks like 1 - 20.00 bill to me.;)
There is white paper to the right of the 20.00.

anhchungdoan

I thought the Pres election is over .

Disc Jockey

This should shed some light :rolleyes:

The Kool Aid Packet



24 Jul 2006
If you were twenty-five years old and had already bombed on two internet startup businesses, would you try again? And if you did try again, this time selling on eBay, what would you sell?

If your name is Brian Schwartz (eBay user ID: EZas123), your answer is as easy as 1, 2, 3. First you'd sell an empty box. Next you'd sell a pancake. For a combined total of 35,000 Unique Visitors and $325, while simultaneously being featured as the #1 and #2 Most Watched Items on eBay Pulse.

"You can not be serious!" No doubt that's a phrase that Brian's heard a lot lately. What kind of idiot can build a business by selling boxes and pancakes? And why doesn't eBay kick his young arrogant rump off their site?

If you're Brian S, a full-time Marketing Coordinator and Part Time eBay Trading Assistant with a niche market of aiding aspiring sellers, you just chuckle and shake your head. It's not about boxes and pancakes, you'd say to the jesters. If you'd take a closer look, you'll see what it's about. 'EZ' utilizes his unique creativity to promote his Auction Design, Marketing Consultation & Listing Service while putting a smile on peoples faces, in more ways than one.

"It's all about the Kool Aid Smile :-D" And that's what is currently up for sale by EZas123 with 37 bids and a high bid of $208.49, with a little over 3 days remaining. Yes, a Cherry Kool Aid Packet. Although, If you look deeper under the surface, in a literal sense, you will see he adds value to his customer relationships to build his credibility and sees this as a new way to ensure long-term survival."It's the wow experience that makes all of the difference."

As eBayer "phatwolf_online" states in the Question Section of the Kool Aid Auction, "I can't believe that people are not 'getting it'... EZ has gone to considerable lengths and sacrifices to bring you, not just a Cherry Flavored Kool Aid Packet. Its a symbol of the community! A light, shining bright in this darkened world. Why? its a metaphor for life itself. Let us rally to its cry. and rejoice in its no artificial flavours. POP those cherries. and lets take our stand now. I am no longer afraid EZ. Thank you."

One of Brian's biggest mistakes with his past businesses was short term planning. EZ, who's storename is cleverly titled, 'The Ripple Effects', claims,"If you are serious about online business and long-term survival, it's all about adding value for the customer. Without the customer, it wouldn't be EZ.

bobman1235

Nope, still lost.

falconcry72

koolaid is delicious

inspiredsports

I figured if I posted here someone would solve it. This is the smartest damn forum on the net!

From the post above it seems that it used to be just the product (2006), but now I wonder if you really are getting the roll of $20's too that are only shown in the image at the bottom if you have Adobe Flash Player installed on your computer. If in fact you really do get the roll of $20's, I wonder if it is legal?

Slinger182

I'm so damn confused...

inspiredsports

Here's my take on this now.

First, the seller sells really bizarre stuff to get attention, just like the attention I inadvertently gave him by posting here. This gets him more exposure as his weird items end up being featured as most popular by eBay. I'm sure people also view his other items for sale link where he has hundreds of items featured.

I'm not sure what the roll of 20's pictured means, but I have a feeling that you get your money back if you spend a couple hundred bucks on a 15 cent pack of KoolAid. Otherwise the guy could not maintain a 100% rating.

All in all, I think it's what used to be termed a "publicity stunt".

snow

WYSIWYG

What you see is what you get


Obviously to me at least you are bidding on a package of Kool-Aid and a roll of bills, how many are in that roll and how many are 1$ 's? not sure it looks a twenty on the inside and a twenty on the outside for sure at least.

In small lettering you may see on the bottom..... You are Bidding on a Kool Aid Packet. Not for Human Consumption. Anything that Comes with it is a BONUS GIFT From Me to You.

I have seen these type of auctions before with a mystery gift sometimes you make out like a bandit other times you dont


REGARDS SNOW

cstmar01

snow wrote: »

WYSIWYG

What you see is what you get


Obviously to me at least you are bidding on a package of Kool-Aid and a roll of bills, how many are in that roll and how many are 1$ 's? not sure it looks a twenty on the inside and a twenty on the outside for sure at least.

In small lettering you may see on the bottom..... You are Bidding on a Kool Aid Packet. Not for Human Consumption. Anything that Comes with it is a BONUS GIFT From Me to You.

I have seen these type of auctions before with a mystery gift sometimes you make out like a bandit other times you dont


REGARDS SNOW

Yep, thats the same thought I had. He's also increasing his chances of selling other things, why? because if he's got something like this and you get money from it, he's going to become popular and more people are going to want to get in on the action, or buy other things because he's probably giving a good deal, ect.
I've seen it happen too before, you just have to figure out how much he might have in there and take a guess. I'm guessing its probably close to what the highest bid is if he gets the amount of positive feedback, or gives some money out with it each time, as if someone got ripped off I'm sure they would post negative.

inspiredsports

It looks like this guy had figured out the eBay version of the almost instant lottery ticket.

sucks2beme

So there's a guy that puts up test auctions here in the DFW area.
WTF???
http://cgi.ebay.com/Test-Post-Do-Not-Bid_W0QQitemZ290375301722QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439bb77a5a

So what happens if I bid? I'm sick of this crap and am about to do something
stupid to make it go away. I just reported him, and we'll see if fleabay
does anything but send me a canned reply.

superjunior

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I am thinking about selling my haunted and cursed Titanic steel chunks on Ebay... I have about 4 ounces of material from the hull ot Titanic that I was given at an artifact exhibit and since I have had this stuff I had nothing but the shittiest of luck

:eek: throw it back in the north atlantic

hearingimpared

superjunior wrote: »

:eek: throw it back in the north atlantic

NO, it might release the Kraken!!!:eek:

Ron-P

Yep, it's a scam. What is it with all these r***k type bidders. They all have high, positive feedback ratings yet there all the same type of screen names.

I bid on a sword that had several of these types of screen names a while back. Something tells me there all false accounts just to pump up the bids.

Disc Jockey

Ron-P wrote: »

Yep, it's a scam. What is it with all these r***k type bidders. They all have high, positive feedback ratings yet there all the same type of screen names.

I bid on a sword that had several of these types of screen names a while back. Something tells me there all false accounts just to pump up the bids.

I think that's standard practice with ebay these days, they obscure the bidder's screen name.

Ron-P

So ebay does that intentionally?

concealer404

Ron-P wrote: »

So ebay does that intentionally?

Yep. Kindof ticks me off. Doesn't really make a difference, just irks me because i'm grumpy.

Disc Jockey

Yep. I noticed it the first time a while back. When you're the seller you can see the true screen names.

inspiredsports

Disc Jockey wrote: »

Yep. I noticed it the first time a while back. When you're the seller you can see the true screen names.

Bidders were figuring out other bidders patterns and then not bidding against buyers who got the reputation of not losing. This caused auctions to close at lower prices so eBay greedily started cloaking bidder names. As DJ says, the seller is privy to the bidders name.

snow

Well it ended at $610.00 Better hope you enjoy every sip of that kool-Aid at $70.00 a glass

Or that theres a big roll of twentys that come with it.



REGARDS SNOW

Tony M

610.00..........I think it's a pile of dog excrement.Someone who will never pay...

snow

tony millard wrote: »

610.00..........I think it's a pile of dog excrement.Someone who will never pay...

It will be interesting to see if both the winner pays and if he does whether he leaves positive feedback.



REGARDS SNOW