An online search for a book leads me to a seller on Yahoo! Auctions. At $2, it looks like a genuine basement bargain. I thought i might have to fork out $10 for a 2^nd hand copy. This is fantastic. I don't have to cough up a hefty sum for shipping fees and all else that comes with purchasing a book from abroad either. I suppose this must be my lucky day.

An email comes in slightly later, triumphantly announcing that i am the (sole) winner of this auction and that i am to transfer my money to the auctioneer, whereupon the book will be emailed to me.

Email?

And then i realise, to my horror, that i am the ignoramus who paid $2 for a crappy electronic book!

Postscript · I checked the page again and saw some itty-bitty fine print -- "title of the book.eBook". On hindsight, i should have scanned everything fastidiously, but i'd still say this is an outrageous marketing ploy. The disclaimer reminded me to Ask whatever question in Q & A before bid, which i did. I asked: So how's the condition of the book?

No wonder the seller never did bother to reply.