eBay: Truly Asia, truly Malaysian ...

PETALING JAYA: It didn’t take long for Malaysian surfers to give online auction site eBay Malaysia (http://ebay.com.my) its own particular local twist and flavour.

The local edition of the world-famous site was launched Dec 2. As expected, most of the auction listings were for computer-related items, old books, and craft and collectible items.

It also appears some local sellers have wasted no time in turning our eBay into a uniquely Malaysian marketplace -- or more accurately, an online pasar malam (street night market), with items such as “DELICIOUS MURUKU for SALE!” from an eBay seller based in Subang Jaya, Selangor.

A related item was “Kuih Raya (Almond London)” from a seller based in Seremban.

Sadly, no samples were available for either product.

Sometimes it is not the item being sold that is amusing, but rather, its description.

Take, for instance, this one under the heading “Parker Pen” – it reads “Very nice and good parker pen. Will bring luck to you. first hand condition. Brand very new. accident free. 2004 summer latestest edition.”

Yes, it is not just the latest but the latestest edition, though you’d have to wonder what kind of “accident” could befall a pen.

Another seller who was hawking off “2pcs Magnetic Torch Light” had this to say: “It Use Magnetic to make power, like the ROLEX watch!! Very Good for Car People, Camp people!”

As in the pasar malam, somewhat dubious products are also showing up on eBay Malaysia.

These include various purported aphrodisiacs including Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma), Minyak Gamat (sea cucumber extract) Minyak Lintah (leech oil extract), and even cecair pemikat wanita (pheromones).

And true to form, some Malaysians have tried to sell pirated VCDs, DVDs and TV shows on the new auction site.

To be fair though, you can also find products of a similar ilk in Lelong.com (http://lelong.com.my), the local auction site.

When the politicians were touting the benefits of e-commerce to the common folk, they probably did not envision the sale of such products online.

Still, it is not all pasar malam stuff at eBay Malaysia. At the other end of the scale, some sellers have started selling high-ticket items.

Among them are a “Bentley Turbo R LWB; Year 1992” listed at RM170,000, and a “1st rolex tudor submariner model” going for RM3,800 -- though both items had no bids as at press time.

Perhaps it is just early days for eBay Malaysia but for now, it is truly a case of caveat emptor -- let the buyer beware.

We hope the local online auction websites will eventually become viable marketplaces and also a reliable means for Malaysians to generate some side-income.

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