Etc...

So, what else did you buy?

Used-car dealer Paul Jones of Stourport-on-Severn, England, was delighted when his early-1990s-vintage pink Nissan Figaro convertible (with a white top) fetched $17,000 on eBay late last month. He had a lot of money tied up in the auto, which had been imported from Japan and then refurbished at still more expense. What's more, it was the first time he'd sold a vehicle on the Internet auction site. So it must have come as a rude surprise when a representative of the buyer called to say he wouldn't be keeping his end of the bargain. Well, maybe, but Jones somehow was able to laugh it off and will readvertise the car. Here's what happened: The buyer, Jack Neal of Sleaford, also in England, saw it on a home computer, liked its looks, and clicked the "buy it now" option, triggering an e-mail from the auction site that extended congratulations for the deal. Alas, that was news to his parents, Rachel and John Neal, who hadn't realized what he was up to while their backs were turned. At that point, they "flew into a panic" and Dad telephoned Jones. Rachel thinks she must have left her eBay password on the PC without logging off. Even so, she says her son is such a computer whiz that he figured out the drill all by himself. By the way, Jack is 3.