I have a very happy ending to an Ebay auction that I lost..
About eight years ago, I was wanting an HP 42S and was keeping my eyes open to different Ebay auctions for any good deals. One auction was offering a New-In-Box (NIB) 42S, but the description was written in an obscure manner, so unfortunately for the seller, the calculator wasn't getting a lot of bids. So I placed a bid of $45, and was the high bidder.
The auction was going end the next morning at 6:30 am. But wouldn't you know it, my home PC decided to have a problem the night before, which meant I wouldn't be able increase my bid (if needed).
So the next morning I went to work early, to watch the auction and make sure I continued to be the high bidder. With five minutes left, someone out bid me, so I intended to increase my bid. But at that very minute, our IT department started some network backup/maintenance process, which decreased network performance to the point that it was useless. So I lost the auction, and the 42S went to the other bidder for $50.
Five minutes after the end of the auction, the network was back up to full speed. I was SO frustrated!! I don't know why I did this, but I decided to write the seller just to say I would've bid so much more if my home PC and work PC hadn't of "locked" me out of the auction. Again, I don't know why I sent the message, because I knew it was pointless - the auction was over.
Within five minutes of sending the message, I received a phone call from the seller. He was calling to say he could tell how bad I wanted to win the auction, and if I really wanted a 42S, that he had bought a SECOND NIB calculator on clearance, at the same time as the first one (the one he just auctioned). He even said I could have it for the price I had bid - $45! He wanted to know my address because he was going to the post office and wanted to drop it in the mail! I said I needed to pay him first, and he said we could take care of that later.
Needless to say, I was SO elated! I couldn't believe what had just happened! I sent him the money and added some more money too. I still can't believe that Texan man's unselfishness.
Matt