A MANCHESTER United fan owes £660,000 for one derby day programme after bidding on eBay - to scupper people cashing in on Munich memorabilia.
Season ticket holder David Bonner, 45, could not buy an official match day programme at the game which marked the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
He waited in huge queues before being told they had sold out, with some supporters buying up to 40 at once.
Disgusted, he made over-the-top bids for 11 programmes on the internet auction site - totalling a whopping £67m.
Staff at eBay removed his 10 bids of £6,666,666, but he won one with a bid of £660,000 - and now the seller has contacted him demanding payment.
"He's got no chance," said dad-of-two David, a security guard of Burtonwood, Warrington. "Trying to cash in immediately in this way just shows a total lack of respect.
"I can understand sales of historic programmes and memorabilia, but when I saw the programmes and scarves on eBay I decided to do something about it.
"I hope they take me to court, because the sellers should be named and shamed."
Fans of both sides were given commemorative scarves at the match, which they raised during the minute's silence before the game.
But within hours some were on eBay, a move condemned by Sir Matt Busby's son Sandy.
The site later removed listings for the scarves, but not the United Review programmes - which feature Paul Scholes, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Wes Brown on the cover, wearing 50s-style kits in front of the historic clock.
The Munich air crash on February 6, 1958, claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight United players from the legendary Busby Babes team.
An eBay spokesman said the website makes it clear that buyers enter a legally binding contract if they win a bid. He said: "In this case we would encourage the buyer to contact the seller directly to try to resolve the matter amicably."
David, who has had a season ticket for 18 years, has contacted the seller to say he won't pay, although he admits his email could not be described as `amicable'.
What do you think? Have your say.
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£660,000 bill for eBay protest
February 18, 2008
Manchester United fan Dave Bonner
Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
Honey Bunny (18/02/2008 at 12:03)
If you are the seller you could prove everyone wrong and give it to charity to auction!
Feelin Blue, Alderley Edge (18/02/2008 at 12:13)
LeythBlue, Leigh (18/02/2008 at 12:47)
Colin Bell's Underpants (18/02/2008 at 12:49)
paul (18/02/2008 at 12:59)
Don't pay mate let the scumbag take you to court.
A Realist, Manchester (18/02/2008 at 13:01)
better off red (18/02/2008 at 13:44)
touting should be outlawed; at the moment it is frowned upon.
what these people (the munich vultures) are doing is just like the touts who charge £1000 for this year's FA Cup final (and we don't even know who Man Utd will be playing!).
Just do a search for FA cup final and you'll see.
Dave Bonner should get a knighthood for what he's doing, which is standing up for what is right; and you, mr A Realist, should be forced to buy everything from touts from now on.
Kevin From Hulme (18/02/2008 at 13:52)
Rafa For City Maybe....
Ex Bus Driver 118 118, Manchester (18/02/2008 at 13:55)
and i am surprised ebay have gotten involved they usually leave it to the buyer and seller to sort out as the powers that be there have no guts and let scammers get away with murder
Join the Ebay Boycott next week like our american counterparts no buying or selling for reasons why refer to the ebay notice boards
Womble, Westhoughton (18/02/2008 at 13:57)
Ex Bus Driver 118 118, Manchester (18/02/2008 at 14:09)
drew peacock, stockport (18/02/2008 at 14:25)
But, a contract is a contract, so there we go.
Is that an official scarf in the photo by the way?
Edward P (18/02/2008 at 14:41)
Anyone who purchased a programme or had a scarf given to them is the lawful owner of that property and therefore can sell them.
Ebay functions like any other auction house. If this chap were to go to Sotheby's and indicate that he is willing to buy apainting for £660,000 then he would be legally bound to pay.
If he doesn't pay this sum then what is there to stop other joke bids? This will affect vendors.
Football programmes have been sold for many years to collectors. Some people purchased ten at a time on the day and if they sold them, gave them to friends etc then that is their choice.
I am sure that there are copies of the programme from the first game after Munich that have changed hands over the years.
A few years ago one of our museums held an exhibition of Titanic memorabelia, much of which was privately owned. Where do we stop?
I look forward to the court's ruling in due course.
Audenshaw mod, Audenshaw (18/02/2008 at 15:05)
Worsley Blue Bob, Walkden (18/02/2008 at 15:34)
You seem to have this obsession with our stadium along with the rest of you rags. The rags did`nt complain when they had a cantilever stand built and paid for by Manchester Council for the 1966 World Cup, yours place is the council swamp.
Anyway you lot are in Trafford not Manchester so belt up.
If you rags think so highly of this guy and his high morals, you will all be chipping in and paying towards his bill.
I think not!
Tok, Leafy Cheshire (18/02/2008 at 15:44)
As it stands, it reads like a case of sour grapes coupled with an urge to prevent other people who missed out from purchasing memorabilia online.
Mr Bonner has missed the point - people will only pay what they think the item is worth to them.
At best Mr Bonner is frustrated with the simple laws of supply and demand, at worst he wants other people to suffer because he missed out.
Sally Best (18/02/2008 at 16:10)
Mr Angry, Bury (18/02/2008 at 16:18)
poc (18/02/2008 at 16:32)
Then a couple of days later I read in the paper about United fans selling the scarfs on eBay - shocked I wasn't!
What I find laughable is the fact everybody was concerned about the lack of respect City fans would show during the minutes silence, yet the only people who have came out of this situation badly is United's own fans by cashing in on the tribute.
However, back to this story and I can't even believe its made the news. I don't consider a program to be any more a souvineer than the one the MEN produced which was sold all over Manchester. Did this guy go out and buy a bulk of these so that the MEN couldn't cash in on the tribute? So the seller was probably right to sell it, but this guy is never going to pay - something which happens daily on eBay so why all the fuss over it?
For the record, I'm neither a United or City fan.
steve cowley (18/02/2008 at 16:32)
pay up and don't be BITTER
Bonner (18/02/2008 at 17:35)
What scarf I am wearing is irrelevent in this argument, what is relevent is the number of sellers who have withdrawn from the 'auctions' because they have realised my argument is valid!!
I will be raising the subject on "Legends" tonight on Century so if anybody wishes to discuss this further then listen and phone in.
The values mentioned were a fraction of the £666million that MUFC inc are in debt to the American hedgefunds.
Power to the people.
Pink Final Postbag (18/02/2008 at 19:42)
Mark Spencer, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire. (18/02/2008 at 20:59)
Just offer to pay it off at 50 pence a year - if they don't agree - cancel the deal.
Born2bVile (18/02/2008 at 23:23)
Your fans showed respect at the match, your team proved worthy winners.
Your internet fans have no class.
BluePolarBear, ex of Stockport (19/02/2008 at 01:21)
Also I know that football is expensive,but it becomes even more expensive when the blackmarket takes over.The ebays and the ticket touts, make a fortune from football,and give nothing back.The game moves further and further away from the working class when these vultures take over.
Perhaps united should have put a limit on the number of programmes sold to each person.You can't say that forty programmes are for your family..unless you are fertile in a superhuman way.Plus by the look of some of the people in the que,there was no way they had two friends,never mind thirty or forty.