I think the suspected monkey business (sorry, couldn't resist) is the possibility that Juyrecod2000 is fictitious, and was created soley to exploit Ichiy's automatic bid. If I recall, all you need to set up an eBay ID is an email address. So it's possible that Juyrecod2000 is a friend or alias of the seller, whose assignment was to plumb deeper into Ichiy's automatic bid amount without the intention of ever buying the piece.
Of course it could just as well be that Juyrecod2000 was a new bidder who really wanted the seatpost and legitimately bid $145, but couldn't outmuscle Ichiy financially. I am surprised that someone would go to $150 in his first auction. I suppose that is the root of suspicion. I know my first buy was something like $10, and I sweated bullets over that one until it arrived.
The moral is be careful with automatic bid amounts, keep them reasonable. There are legal (although perhaps immoral) ways for sellers to draw out your maximum bid. The only totally "against the rules" practice is to have an accomplice overbid so you're reserve price goes public, then the seller contacts you to tell you the high bidder backed out and you must now pay the entire maximum bid amount.
Tom Adams, Kansas City
> >This Simplex post was put on eBay on March 23. On March 24, 2001, an
eBay
> >screen name, "juyrecod2000" with no feedback was created and pushed the
price
> >of the seatpost for our friend Ichiy to over $150. This does not strike
me
> >as fair. Any comments?
>
> Define unfair and why you think it's so. Do you feel Ichiy is more
> deserving than juyrecod2000? If you think people with no feedback
> shouldn't be able to bit one parts you're missing the point of an on-line
> "auction house." Everybody needs to start somewhere and I've said it
> before that people should be able to spend their money on anything they
> like. In my eyes the only seatpost that is worth $150 is jewel encrusted.
>
> enjoy,
> Brandon"monkey--only one feedback--man"Ives
>
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> Nobody can do everything,
> but if everybody did something
> everything would get done.
> -Gil Scott Heron-
> !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!