Idiots...

jmagnus · #1 12-16-2007, 06:36 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=006

Just wondering what you all think about this. Don't worry about any non-greek seeing this and trying to bid because:

1. I'm pretty much sure that there is nothing in it.
2. I have a friend who set up a ebay account and bid 900 for it.

Just wondering your thoughts. I personally think it's funny that he says TKE members only should bid on it...like the idiot is actually a member...it makes me laugh.

texas*princess · #2 12-16-2007, 10:24 AM

If it was an actual ritual book (though reading the discription it doesn't really sound like it would be? but I'm not a TKE, so I wouldn't really know) I'd say generally most Greeks are against those sort of things being bought and sold on ebay... except for the Greeks that feel the need to collect other org's ritual info... 'cause they are out there

SydneyK · #3 12-16-2007, 10:43 AM

Hmmm. The seller clearly identified the book as the ritual, but it doesn't appear that the ritual is actually included. (But like t*p said, I'm not a TKE so I don't know.) I bet this isn't the ritual, and if it is, I think TKE's HQ would be able to stop the auction. (I *think* I remember another org stopping an auction under similar circumstances.)

texas*princess · #4 12-16-2007, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Hmmm. The seller clearly identified the book as the ritual, but it doesn't appear that the ritual is actually included. (But like t*p said, I'm not a TKE so I don't know.) I bet this isn't the ritual, and if it is, I think TKE's HQ would be able to stop the auction. (I *think* I remember another org stopping an auction under similar circumstances.)

It's possible that the book isn't ritual, but the seller identified it as such because:

a) He really didn't know

or

b) He does know, but is saying it's ritual in a sad attempt to get higher bids

Benzgirl · #5 12-16-2007, 12:04 PM

This sounds like something that can now be obtained on some GLO's websites. I doubt it will actually contain the sacred rituals.

Leslie Anne · #6 12-16-2007, 01:06 PM

*Looks like I posted while jmagnus was posting.

I agree that it doesn't sound like it contains the initiation ritual. However, rituals do show up on ebay fairly often. The last two that I know of went to members of those groups.

I also doubt that the seller is a TKE. Why would you sell your own ritual unless you didn't care about your organization anymore?

I have to add that while it's interesting, I think posting here about a ritual on ebay only alerts the collectors. Who do you think buys them?

ETA: I don't think the scam will work as planned. It will just go to the next highest bidder on a 2nd Chance, the seller will still make money, and some idiot will have TKE's pledgemaster's guide.

AGDee · #7 12-16-2007, 01:50 PM

Does your friend understand that he could end up having to pay $900 for this??

jmagnus · #8 12-16-2007, 12:56 PM

Sorry guys(and gals), looks like I need to clarify. I am a member of TKE. It is definitely NOT a ritual book. All it is, is the "pledgemaster's guide", available for free download on the HQ site. My friend set up a fake ebay account and bit 900 on it in hopes that others would raise the bid quite high, and the seller would be out of the cash. Kinda like scamming the scammer if you know what I mean...

EE-BO · #9 12-16-2007, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmagnus

Sorry guys(and gals), looks like I need to clarify. I am a member of TKE. It is definitely NOT a ritual book. All it is, is the "pledgemaster's guide", available for free download on the HQ site. My friend set up a fake ebay account and bit 900 on it in hopes that others would raise the bid quite high, and the seller would be out of the cash. Kinda like scamming the scammer if you know what I mean...

The seller posted a listing that may or may not be intentionally misleading.

Your "friend" knows the book is not real and yet, according to you, set up a "fake" eBay account and placed a $900 bid he has no intention of honoring.

As of a couple of years ago, you cannot set up a new eBay account without providing a credit card or other banking information. So either your "friend" has stolen someone's banking info, or that person- being the genius he is- has set up an account that can be traced right back to him.

The seller, at the worst, has created an inaccurate listing that will force him to refund the buyer's money when the item is not as advertised.

Your "friend" is committing a felony if he fails to pay for the item with a winning bid. If the bidding gets up into the 100s, you are looking at serious trouble. EBay can and does take action on non-paying bidders. The higher the dollar amount, the more severe. And right here in a public internet forum your "friend" has announced the crime. I am not saying your "friend" is headed to jail- that is most unlikely- but there are lots of lesser unnecessary turns it could take, like being banned from eBay or having something hit your credit report.

Or better still, suppose a fellow TKE bids over $900 for that book mistakenly thinking it is a ritual book and that he is doing a good deed? Maybe not everyone remembers the details like you and knows for sure that is not a ritual book.

Sorry, but this is almost funny (no, actually- it is very funny

)

SoCalGirl · #10 12-16-2007, 03:11 PM

TKE HQ should be notified so they can take proper action.

Leslie Anne · #11 12-16-2007, 03:24 PM

Well, as jmagnus said, it looks like it isn't actually their ritual. Seems to me that it's just a print out of some documents from here:
http://www.tke.org/member_resources/chapter_operations/
No big deal if it's openly available. ?

jmagnus · #12 12-17-2007, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leslie Anne

Well, as jmagnus said, it looks like it isn't actually their ritual. Seems to me that it's just a print out of some documents from here:
http://www.tke.org/member_resources/chapter_operations/
No big deal if it's openly available. ?

Yup, everything is right there...for free.

jmagnus · #13 12-17-2007, 12:35 AM

I reported the item to ebay again, this time as possibly stolen. I imagine that a TKE member left this somewhere, the seller found it and decided to sell it.

I received an autoresponse from ebay saying I would receive a response in 24-48 hours which surprises me. Usually I get the autoresponse telling me that "ebay will not be able to inform you of the outcome due to our privacy policy", or something to that effect.

cuteASAbug · #14 12-17-2007, 12:52 AM

I gotta ask- why do you care so much? It's not secret, any Joe Schmo can get this information off your HQ's site, and people sell stuff on ebay that they don't know about all the time. If some poor sucker wants to pay for this thinking that it's the real thing and has the money to do so, I say let him. Heck, if I knew that someone out there was willing to pay for it, I'd probably put my Advantage up on ebay.

VandalSquirrel · #15 12-17-2007, 04:57 AM

I would think that there may be issues of copyright infringement, and well, eBay doesn't take kindly to that. Of course I am not an Intellectual Property Lawyer, or a Patent Attorney, but TKE HQ may want to call upon a brother who is. If the item for sale is what is available free on the website, and the one link to the "Black Book" has a copyright of 2007 at the bottom, then maybe eBay should be notified.