Guantanamo-eBay.com Opens for Business

Guantanamo-eBay.com Opens for Business
by Luna Flesher
Dec 11th, 2004

eBay, Inc. (Nasdaq:EBAY) announced last month its plans to launch a new website catering to residents of the US Navy base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The announcement was shrouded in secrecy, yet more details became available today, when eBay launched the new site six weeks ahead of schedule.

“We wanted to allow Guantanamo residents the opportunity to get their orders in before Christmas,” states eBay CEO, Meg Whitman.

As with their existing eBay business model, Guantanamo-eBay.com will allow merchants to offer goods for sale on an auction website. Potential buyers place bids over the internet. The product is then shipped to the winning bidder after the merchant receives payment. The new site differs in that it is limited only to buyers and sellers residing at Guantanamo Bay.

“Our market research indicates that there are detainees in this region who did not have access to common products, such as toothpaste, soap, food, consumer electronics and collectibles,” said Michael Dearing, eBay Marketing VP. “Yet at the same time, US military personnel have a surplus of these products they would willingly part with – provided they could be compensated with a supplement to their meager earnings.”

Products up for bid include “Can of Beans, Only Half Used, LOOK”, “RARE – Brand New Bottle of Aspirin, no reserve!”, and “Blasting sound! JVC DSP749 Home Theater System w/ Speakers”.

Bottles of medicine, especially pain killers, sell for as much as $1,500 US Dollars, while a top of the line car stereo system sold for only $14.65. Perhaps the strangest item purchased on this first day of bidding was a 24” collectible Javanese pedang sword.

Shipping is usually free, and products can be delivered in the amount of time it takes to walk across the base.

Some higher-ranking US officials expressed concern about a US company seeking commercial gain from alleged terrorist detainees, especially in such a high-profile situation. Local military commanders, however, seem enthusiastic about the new service.

“If anything, this has helped calm the detainees and boost the morale of our guards,” stated a Lieutenant, who requested anonymity. “Smart [aleck] remarks have gone down. So has violence. Well, except for that decapitation incident in cell-block 17. But rest assured, when we find that towel-headed Arab terrorist … [scum], we will whip him and pull out his fingernails. Again.”

eBay stocks rose a quarter point on news of initial profits generated from the new venture.