For many of us the joy of selling and buying on eBay is equated only with the frustration of selling and buying on eBay.
But for Maria Angeles Duran, from Spain, the fight against the ecommerce giant has moved to the courtroom.
A magistrates court in Madrid has ruled Duran can take eBay to court over its refusal to allow her sell plots of land on the sun.
In November 2010 Duran registered the star in her name with a local notary. She had been inspired by an American man who registered the moon and many planets in his name that September.
Duran had done her homework, apparently the international agreement declaring no country can claim ownership of a planet, doesn’t prohibit against individuals from making such a claim.
“I backed my claim legally,” she told media at the time.
“I am not stupid, I know the law. I did it but anyone else could have done it, it simply occurred to me first.”
In the years since Duran has been selling plots of land on the sun for €1 (AUD$1.46) per metre square.
Her ad promised: “buy new object, unused, unopened, undamaged. Shipping is free” – and in return buyers received a diploma of acquisition.
According to Duran, she received 600 orders worth €1,200 before eBay closed the page. They claim the item on sale could not be touched or transported and believed it to be a scam.
Duran filed a suit against eBay last year for breach of contract, and claimed €10,000 in compensation.
Amazingly the ecommerce giant tried to settle the claim out of court, but Duran wasn’t satisfied.
She claimed the pact was “blind” because she didn’t know how much money was she going to get.
The trial will go ahead in mid-July, reports the Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia.
