Admittedly, it was a shady listing for a lot of reasons.  The buyer was a nincompoop but I *really* wanted the item and, after it was relisted for auction (instead of a Buy It Now), I put in a bid.  The highest I was willing to go.  And then another bidder came in and (with 17 bids!) bumped it up little by little by little...up from $100 to $250 at auction's end.

And I won!

Expensive, but I won.  And I paid but that nagging feeling followed me so, in light of bluerose's trauma, I checked out the bidder I'd been battling with for this item and it turns out they've ONLY BID ON ITEMS FROM THE SELLER and a half dozen other likely-not-coincidences led me to think they were shill bidding and, now that I've called eBay to discuss my suspicions, it turns out the seller and the bidder were using the same computer--if not actually are the same person.

So, I'm pissed off that I spent $250 on an item I want, true, but that I was bidding in a rigged auction to win.  That this con artist made money scamming me.  And all six of the eBay phone support people agreed that it was a big problem and that the investigation to come would most likely result in the suspension of both accounts...but I can't get a refund.

eBay has forbid me from telling the seller that they are under investigation for shill bidding--because they say if they find out before the investigation is complete, they could dodge it somehow and sorta cover their tracks.  They suggested, in the cheeriest voice, that I could ask the seller to cancel the transaction--so long as I came up with "a valid reason".  I have a valid reason, eBay, and it's fraudulent bidding...but no, they want me to come up with another one.  They suggested I say, "I'm no longer interested in My Little Pony items."  (Pshaw!  Those words will never cross my lips!  )

So I can't ask for a partial refund or give the real reason why I want the item returned ("Because you're a rat-**&$%@# and I don't want to give you one penny of mine.").  I cannot invoke Buyer's Protection unless the item doesn't arrive or arrives substantively different than described.  The folks at eBay said that, obviously I was willing to pay $250 for it, since I bid that high, so what was the big deal and then in the same breath thanked me for pointing out someone engaged in such bad behavior for the site.  They all thanked me and thanked me and thanked me--but none of them will actually stand up for me and DO anything.  :/

So, do I keep the item that I wanted but that burns in my craw having bid against the seller to raise the final sale price by 150% or do I make up some stupid lie and beg the seller to offer me a refund and/or a transaction cancellation?  They have the right to decline me on that, too, and I don't see why they wouldn't since they're already immoral &^$#-kicking criminals. 

I'm having a day where even Ponies are tainted with ugly emotions.  :/

Thanks for letting me vent.  I don't know that I need advice so much as I need contact with people who understand that this isn't okay and it stinks that all they'll do is 'investigate' and (hopefully) protect future buyers but not do anything to help me.

I'm wondering if I've found a Starglow variant?

I was working my way through an estate collection I purchased from the original owner when I found these two Starglows ponies.  Their body colors are quite different--though I've seen Starglows all along the blue/green spectrum so that isn't too unusual.  The hair, though, did strike me.  The greener of the two ponies has, instead of dark pink hair, completely snow white stripes.  There's not even a hint of pink to it, so I don't think it is an issue of extreme fading.  The roots are pure white, too, same as the ends. Both ponies were purchased together by a woman who made sure that her grandchildren had all of the same toys to play with when they visited her, showed no signs of having been submerged or washed, and they've been stored together all these years--so I'd expect them both to have the same conditions in terms of fading and plastic degradation.  The symbol and eye paint on the white-haired pony is the same color--unfaded--and is actually probably a little darker than the regular-haired pony.

What do you think?  Has anyone ever seen Starglow with pure white hair?  Is this a variant or something else?  I've seen a lot of Starglows in a lot of conditions--but none like this.

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ETA:  I compared her hair with the white hair of Love Token and it seems a match.  Starglow's photographs a little differently as it is coarser than Love Token's satin straight hair, but in person they look spot on.  Also, I tested both Starglows and they glow in the dark, both equally nice and bright. 

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In general, I'm an adult.  I have two children.  I pay my taxes.  I make sure my vehicle registration is up-to-date.  I buy multi-vitamins.  I even have a life insurance policy.  What I haven't given enough thought to, however, is insuring my MLP collection.  In the case of some catastrophic loss--fire, tornado, or pony-wise thieves--my ponies would only be replaced insofar as my homeowner's insurance would cover general household losses.  Should I have it insured separately?  How much does a collection (of any sort) need to be worth before it makes sense to go to the trouble (and additional expense) to have it insured?

Have you?

If so, how did you establish the value/have your collection appraised?  Do you keep records of your collection, photos or lists or something, in a safe place outside your home?  I'm afraid to admit that I don't.  Sure, I have some photos of some things on Flickr but the bulk of my collection, and record of it even existing, would disappear if my house did.   

Any experience or thoughts would be appreciated.  I don't even know what questions I should be asking. 

Rachel

I'm curious.  You meet a genie and he, like most genies of legend, grants you three wishes.  But this one is different.  Inside that lamp is the most amazing pony room ever and any MLP item that has ever been created by Hasbro is inside and that genie will go fetch you three items.  Anything.

What are your three MLP wishes?  They might be huge grails or the currently most-wanted set completers or the little piece that keeps eluding you or the thing you had as a child or the merchandise you saw once and wish you'd bought.  It could be anything but they have to be three things you really, really, really want.

My Wishes:
- a rainbow awning to complete my Paradise Estates (I think I might never find one)
- MOC Wigwam (my favorite pony from childhood)
-the vintage bedding set with comforter/duvet cover  (i regret selling mine in the 90s)

How about you? 

Taking ponies apart makes me nervous, but I have an unbelievably skudgy Argentina pony that needed some intervention.  Among other problems, the tail ring is very rusty and is a solid metal collar instead of the crimped metal band I'm used to seeing in US ponies so I can't just unwrap it.  How do you remove it?  Metal snips or something?  I'm painfully tool-ignorant but this pony needs help.

Thanks!