You are wasting internet time! LOL
You said; " Yes, I only tagged the item with an early $123 bid to see how high it would go ...I had no desire to own it " Why did you not want it? I wonder if you knew the seller was defrauding buyers at any point, why you didn't say something? You had plenty of time to do so. Or maybe your outrage is just because it was a friend whose wife was not very knowledgeable about guns. Which then says the rest of the community is not your prime focus. I am sure she just didn't wake up one morning and say, "Oh today I will jump on GB and buy a gun, lets see, this one my husband would like."
What is the real back story here? Or let it drop and as I said "let it be".
Now remember if you reply then your new title will be "Mr. Last Word".
This whole thing is screwy, everything he has written, here and elsewhere, "reads" like he is the buyer. It seems a little suspect that both him, and his "friend", sit around bidding on guns to watch them, instead of just putting them on their watch list. He claims his "friend" knew it was junked, but then brought it to him so they could consult with some "world renowned expert" to tell them what the pictures already made obvious. It's also a little curious that the "lady" has her own GB account, and would buy from him on gunbroker instead of just buying in person.
That said, Clauss is problematic. The fraud aspect is debatable to me, I approach auctions like a three toed wolf approaches a trap, if I get burned, it's my fault. Clauss does make very good use of shill bidders.
