eBay Bidder Burns Runaway Bride Toast Artist
Man Says He May Seek Help from Court
POSTED: 5:07 am EDT May 9, 2005
STILLWATER, N.J. -- A local man who made the case of runaway Georgia bride Jennifer Wilbanks the toast of eBay said he feels burned because the winning bidder has refused to pay for the item.
Perry Lonzello, 48, of Stillwater, carved a rudimentary drawing of Wilbanks on a piece of toasted Wonder Bread last week and posted it at the online auction site on a whim.
The auction debuted with a bid of $1.11 on May 1, but that amount grew quickly after the item drew the attention of media outlets across the nation. And when the auction ended Sunday, Lonzello said a California man had submitted the winning bid of $15,400.
Lonzello -- who has said he planned to donate money from the auction to charity -- was prepared to hand over the toast on national television on Monday, only to learn that the buyer had a change of heart.
"The purchaser reneged on the sale," Lonzello told The Star-Ledger of Newark, adding that the man was no longer returning his calls. "He said he was goofing around. I think some legal action will be coming out of this."
Such auction disputes are typically referred by eBay to a third-party resolution service, according to the auction company's Web site. It was not known how long it would take to resolve the matter.
"This guy is stepping up (to pay)," Lonzello said. "I got stuck with the eBay fees of $500."
some butter and it's already to go......
