Boat mistakenly sold for €22.50

A court has ruled that a boat advertised on an internet auction site must be handed over for just €22.50 after the seller forgot to set a minimum price for it

A court has ruled that a boat advertised on an internet auction site must be handed over for just ?22.50 after the seller forgot to set a minimum price for it. Jakob Kauder had expected to sell his 21ft boat for at least ?12,000 when he placed it on a German auction site.

When he realised his mistake he tried to retract the boat from auction on the site, citing “technical problems” and “errors” on the website. Judges in Köln ruled that the sale was legally binding, however, because no reserve price had been placed on the boat.

A court spokesman said, “the seller must make good on his offer. He can’t say after the fact that he didn’t want to sell.”

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