Had the same experience sometimes. As it was quite important for to get in touch with the seller I asked a friend to send that message over his account. It actually worked. It is quite a mystery to me what their filter configuration is. At 01:28 03.02.2008, you wrote: >Today after an auction closed I attempted to contact a fellow eBayer, >Phonofan, to send off congratulations for winning one of the very last Home >phonographs to go out the door of the Edison factory. The machine >actually went for a >most reasonable price considering the rarity and the wood grained #10 cygnet >horn. So, Phonofan, if you are on this list, major congratulations >to you for >winning this prize. > >Now what surprised me was that eBay blocked my contact to him. About a week >ago on a non-phono related item I tried to contact a bidder about >the item the >newbie was bidding on to tell him he was being shilled and that the item was >a modern reproduction. Again eBay blocked me from contact but I thought that >was because it was an active auction. > >Three weeks ago one friend of mine who is into radio, musical, train, etc., >items offered a Lionel caboose on eBay. A friend of ours >unsuccessfully bid on >it and eBay put them both out on suspension for shilling. When both >protested eBay would not say why or how they did something wrong, >only that eBay's >methods uncovered the alleged shilling and action was taken. Simply >put, "You >are guilty because eBay says so!" eBay suggested my friend get >PayPal so they >could track his selling better and be sure no shilling was going >on. In order >to get back onto eBay they both had to complete an online reeducation course >of eBay rules, none of which they could identify as having been >broken by them. > >Big Brother is watching. > >Best Wishes to Everyone, > >Al > > > > >**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. >(http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 >48) >_______________________________________________ >Phono-L mailing list >http://phono-l.oldcrank.org