Tsunami 'wave rat' had best intentions, mother says
Student who offered the domain "tsunamirelief.com" for $50,000 on eBay, was supposedly only trying to raise money for relief efforts.
The 20-year-old art student, Josh Kaplan, was the subject of a tabloid front-page headline on Monday when the New York Post dubbed him a "wave rat" and suggested he was trying to profit from disaster.
"It was all a gross misunderstanding," Linda Kaplan said in a telephone interview from her home in Thornhill, Ontario, on Monday after the tabloid paper known for its splashy headlines detailed what it called her son's "shocking eBay bid."
"He wanted to sell it and donate the money to tsunami relief. My husband and I said, 'That's a good idea, Josh.' But it all turned into a nightmare."
The domain name had been initially registered by Michelle Tirado of Southbury, Conn., the morning she heard news of the tsunami disaster.
Tirado, a freelance journalist who registers domain names to sell for profit as a sideline, listed it for sale with an asking bid of $99, but donated it to Kaplan, who she said claimed to represent an international fund-raising effort.
After finding the sale listing on eBay with a $50,000 starting bid, Tirado thought there was something fishy going on. "I thought there was a good chance this is fraud," Tirado said in a telephone interview.
Tirado said Kaplan sent her an angry e-mail on Monday complaining about the newspaper story.
The domain name was voluntarily withdrawn from eBay by the seller, according to eBay spokesman Chris Donlay, who said the online service had strict policies on charity sale items that ensured the purchase price goes to a specific charity.
Linda Kaplan said Josh, who she said was at classes at Ontario College of Art and Design, was deciding whether to go through eBay's rules for a charitable listing or just return the domain name to Tirado.
"He was completely shocked," she said about suggestions he might be trying to benefit himself. "His intention was solely to give to tsunami relief."
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