Soul Sale Pulled from eBay

SEATTLE (AP) â€” EBay has become the place for a lost soul. <br><br>Adam Burtle, 20, sold his soul on the Internet auction site, fetching $400 before the listing was removed and the University of Washington

Friday, February 9th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) â€” EBay has become the place for a lost soul.

Adam Burtle, 20, sold his soul on the Internet auction site, fetching $400 before the listing was removed and the University of Washington student and part-time automotive technician was suspended from the site.

For his listing, the self-described atheist displayed a picture of himself wearing an ``I'm with stupid'' T-shirt.

``Please realize, I make no warranties as to the condition of the soul. As of now, it is near mint condition, with only minor scratches,'' he wrote. ``Due to difficulties involved with removing my soul, the winning bidder will either have to settle for a night of yummy Thai food and cool indie flicks, or wait until my natural death.''

EBay has blocked similar auctions in the past but said Burtle's soul slipped through.

The bidding started a week ago at 5 cents. Burtle's former girlfriend bid $6.66 but she was overtaken in the final hour of the auction on Thursday when the price shot up to $400.

The buyer was identified as a Des Moines, Iowa, woman with an eBay feedback rating of zero, meaning she has no track record with other users of the Web site.

``I don't think she's going to be able to collect on my soul, to be honest,'' Burtle said, adding he didn't intend for the ad to be taken seriously.

``I was just bored, and I'm a geek,'' Burtle said. ``So anytime I'm bored, I go back to my Internet.''