I am the person who was attempting to sell the banana on Ebay, and I think that, like myself, many of your website viewers are disappointed with Ebay's decision to pull the auction. The email I received from Ebay stated that:
"eBay does not allow listings that are intended as jokes or items that are not for sale."
I would like to mention that this listing was not intended as a joke (despite being rather funny!), and should the winning bidder cough up the money, I was fully intending to send the banana off to them (even though I may have had trouble sending it overseas because of laws regarding the importation of fruit and vegetables...)
I would also like to mention that I do not see why Ebay are complaining at me when I am not to blame for the fact that somebody (probably with even less to do than I) decided to bid an extraordinary amount of money for a banana. This person obviously needs to get out a bit more often, and perhaps find the true value of money.
Of course, he could have been thinking in Zambian Kwacha's, in which case this would have been a bid for £3.48, but I assume that Ebay took this to be pounds.
I would like to thank you for your two articles on this banana, and for helping me achieve my 15 minutes of fame.
Richie Graham
(PS, I'm not actually from Barnstaple... I live about 20 miles away, and actually go college in Tiverton 20 miles in the opposite direction... But I appreciate the thought!)
See Also
Banana for sale on Ebay
Banana auctioned on Ebay soars in value