Mystery Auctions: Ebay's New Money-Makers

Everyone wants a little something in their life whether it be a new car, a new home or simply a new everything! Ebay has been known to be the biggest auction site on the Internet with buyers bidding on everything from myspace accounts to religious figures in their morning toast. It's no wonder sellers would come up with mystery auctions. There are several types including mystery boxes, e-envelopes and gift cards. Since it's a mystery, no one knows what's in them. How sure can the buyer be when bidding or even clicking on the "Buy it now!" icon occurs before it's too late?

This isn't against the rules and the sellers are well aware by posting what WOULD be fine print on your next credit card. The following was taken from one of the mystery sellers on Ebay:

"This auction is not a lottery, gambling, drawing, or anything of the such. You are simply purchasing an e-envelope, and whatever is inside of it is a gift from me to you! Please leave positive feedback for me, since you are simply purchasing an e-envelope. You are NOT guaranteed to get the amount you spent on this auction returned to you."

To make this clear to anyone for or against this type of auction, it benefits both the buyer and the seller...sometimes. It's an intelligent way to make money on the seller's part because if they're legit, they will weigh out several ways for themselves to make money on Ebay. The buyer can still make money also if they are the lucky winner. I'll lay it out for you:

The buyer is selling each e-envelope for $1.00. There are 10 e-envelopes with the highest one being $2.00. The rest will contain six $0.25 e-envelopes while the other three will contain $0.50 each. If ten people buy all e-envelopes, the buyer makes a profit of $5.00 while the lucky winner also wins double what they paid for. The others will have to try again next time. But in this sort of mystery auction, you are risking $0.75 the most. If you search under mystery auctions on Ebay, you will come across up to 1,000 results.

My suggestion to those willing to participate in these auctions is to play responsibly. As the seller, don't cheat your audience. It's meant to be fun and everyone wants positive feedback. It's vital to be honest in your description of the mystery auction. As for the buyer, if you're depending on the grand prize to buy your new car or a new home, steer clear!