For those of you who read this blog, you might have noticed my absence on the updating front in the last couple of weeks.
Now this is not through want of trying, laziness or indeed computer breakdown. I have been doing some research for my latest blog subject... in fact I like to call it unintentional research.
Yep, what started out as an easy way of making a few quid and clearing a space in the lounge, has transformed itself into my inspiration. Oh and a costly nightmare.
Just over three weeks ago I received the email from those nice people at Sony giving me the spec on the new PS3 console. At that point I realised I needed to act fast.
Within two hours my Sony PS2 was up on eBay. Complete with 41 games, two controllers, all the leads, instructions, some eye toy thing and a few other choice bits and pieces, I was confident it would sell for a few hundred quid.
So, the seven-day sale progressed and I watched the price slowly creep up and up and up.
Twinned with countless questions from potential buyers, my excitement was going through the roof.
And then it happened. I could almost hear the angels sing as the 'confirmation of the winning bidder' email dropped into my inbox.
"Not a bad price," I thought... it'll pay for a big chunk of my new shiny PS3 when it's launched.
I completed checkout on the internet auction house and emailed the invoice to the buyer.
And then I waited... And then I waited some more... and then a little longer just in case... And then sent a reminder invoice... and then waited just a little bit longer.
In exactly the same amount of time that it had taken for my excitement to build-up, it deflated over.
No contact and no money.
Anyway, this leads me onto part two. I re-listed, put a Buy It Now price on it and waited.
To my amazement after an hour it had sold - to a Nigerian who wanted it for her son.
Now anyone who knows anything about eBay will know about the Nigerian eBay scam where they set up phoney Paypal accounts ask you to send the item as a matter of urgency and then never pay you.
I was not a person that was going to be sucked in.
I went to re-list and discovered you could only do that once. I then had to re-type it all out.
Oh well I thought, picking up the pieces of my enthusiasm for selling things on the internet.
By the third attempt, Sony had officially announced the launch date of the PS3 and so interest in my third PS2 auction dwindled somewhat.
My enthusiasm for the whole process dwindled further when the item once again sold, and the buyer disappeared without a trace.
Fortunately I'm pretty resilient so I thought I'd give it one more shot. And it sold, and the winning bidder actually paid!
Though I wasn't quite prepared for the bill eBay sent me for selling the same item four times. (They take a chunk of your winnings as it were for the effort).
Anyhow, at the very least it gave me inspiration for this piece.
So readers be warned! EBay is great when it's good, but it sucks when time wasters and certain Nigerians have fun at your expense.
I think I'll start selling things at Stonehouse Creek car boot sale from now on.
Here are the latest releases reviewed (sorry post-Christmas is a very quiet period for game releases):
Title: The Warriors.
Platform: Sony PSP.
RRP: £29.99
Hit count: 4/5
New York, 1979. A battle on the streets. The armies of the night number 60,000 strong, and tonight they're all after The Warriors a street gang wrongly accused of killing a rival gang leader. The Warriors must make their way from one end of New York to their turf on the other side of the city. All that stands between The Warriors and their survival are 20 miles and thousands of street gang members. The army of gangs owns the streets and there's no turning back, they must fight for their lives and learn the meaning of loyalty as danger and uncertainty emerge from the city night.
Boasting varied gameplay and the ability to play as nine different Warriors with a huge range of visceral fighting styles and deadly combos, this game is great for beat-em up fans - but bad for the aching fingers (which is no great shake).
Title: The Sims 2: The Seasons.
Platform: PC DVD.
RRP: £19.99
Hit count: 1/5.
Head outdoors for year-round fun with your Sims! New seasonal activities await your Sims including snowball fights, chasing fireflies, jumping in leaf piles, and more. Strengthen family ties in Winter, let romance bloom in Spring, deepen the bonds of friendship in Summer, or fast-track your career in Fall. Your Sims can now explore new careers and master new talents throughout the year, but beware freezing, sunburn, sneezing, and other unexpected weather effects! Dress your Sims appropriately or face the consequences!
That's what the PR company say who are trying to market the product. What I would say is STOP REINVENTING THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The first one or two were fun okay, but how many more can we take?!
