Hi everyone. I've got myself in a bit of a mess and need some urgent advice regarding an item I bid on on ebay. I bid on and won two concert tickets (for The Stone Roses in June) on ebay which I did not wish to pay for and now the seller is taking me to court. The day the stone roses tickets went on sale, they were virtually impossible to purchase through the tickets master type sites before they were already sold out. Within minutes, tickets were listed on ebay for at least double the price.... then triple then soon after some sellers were listing tickets for ridiculously high prices. Ebay members who were also Stone Roses fans were outraged by this (me included) and begun placing high bid on listings in an attempt to rebel against the ticket touts who had contributed the the unavailability of tickets. I know it was a little silly, but I got caught up in the moment and joined it with the activity. Pages and pages of tickets were soon going for millions of pounds on ebay and people were discussing their disapproval with ticket touts on facebook and joining in with the rebellion by placing bogus bids on ebay. Here's an example of buyers plaing bids and inflating the price to 10,000,000.00: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Stone-Roses-Tickets-Heaton-Park-Manchester-Sat-30-/120797234310?pt=UK_Tickets_Tickets_LE&hash=item1c20138486#ht_500wt_1156 I placed a bid on some tickets and won the auction at £1353.00 The seller and I exchanged a few messages, me being a little cocky to begin with saying I did not agree with ticket touts etc... then I apologised for taking my frustrations out of the seller and begun following the process of cancelling the transaction through the resolution centre. The seller filed and 'unpaid item' case against me, but is also sending me messages stating that he is a barrister and will take me to court for the full amount plus costs. Ebay help centre states that: [B]I won an item but no longer want to buy it. What should I do?[/b] A bid or purchase on eBay is considered a contract and you’re obligated to purchase the item. However, if you feel that you have a legitimate reason for not buying the item, you can contact the seller and explain your situation. Many sellers are willing to work with you if you communicate with them openly and honestly. If you haven’t done so already, request the seller’s contact information. Possibly, things can be worked out to everyone’s satisfaction. If the seller doesn’t respond in the way you hoped, keep in mind that failing to purchase an item you have won can result in an unpaid item being filed against you by the seller. If you get too many unpaid items in too short a time period, your account may be restricted or suspended. Now... to begin with I thought the seller had no legal grounds to actually take me to court, but now I am beginning to worry that he may actually have a case and I could be forced through the courts to complete the transaction and pay this ridiculous high amount for tickets. There must be others experiencing the same thing, as literally hundreds of bogus high bids were placed on that day (Friday 21st October). I read another thread on here about a person who bought a caravan on eBay and decided they didn't want it because it wasn't as described, was taken to court and lost because they wasn't very prepared int their defence. I want to make sure I am well prepared in my defence if this seller does do as he said he will. So... sorry it was a long intro... but what do we think people. Thanks in advance... Maxine News related stories: http://www.stonerosesheatonpark.com/2011/10/26/stone-roses-ticket-touts/ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/10/21/stone-roses-tickets-ebay-touts-cashing-in-on-comeback-tour-115875-23504536/ http://www.metro.co.uk/music/879392-stone-roses-fans-anger-as-tickets-on-ebay-sell-for-1-500