The auction for a private one-hour online “strategy session” with women’s rights activist Sandra Fluke ended two days early because the auctioneer, a charitable website BiddingForGood, deemed some responses to the auction as unacceptably “harassing.”
“We had a wonderful opportunity to make Sandra Fluke available for a consulting session with the highest bidder in this auction, but unfortunately, due to a disturbingly high number of harassing responses to this item, we have decided to close the auction two days early,” BiddingForGood said in a special note on the webpage for the auction.
“We congratulate the winning bidder, and we apologize to those who share our enthusiasm to collaborate with Sandra and expected an opportunity to continue bidding on this auction item.”
The winning bidder was apparently RosieR, who bid $400. RosieR had been in something of a bidding war with two other bidders, SimonTemplar and RustyTRN.
When bidding unexpectedly closed, RosieR had bested SimonTemplar’s final bid by a mere $10.
RosieR will now be able to receive advice from the 31-year-old Georgetown Law graduate “by phone or Skype at a mutually convenient time,” for up to an hour. If all goes according to plan, Fluke will help RosieR “harness the power of activism and/or advocacy.”
Bidding started at $20 on Nov. 26.
The original closing date of the auction had been set for Dec. 5 at 10 p.m. EST.