Why are people bidding up so high on this item?

And what's up with this:
"If you are new to ebay and have zero feedback, please contact us before bidding on any item over $100.00 to verify your interest."
If they are so arrogant as to dictate terms to me, the customer, well...I'd buy an Amananananatag from the 90's and enjoy its musical charms before I'd give them a penny.

The washer looks like it was squeezed by a fork lift a tad too tight. i would certainly think twice about buying it. I think the only thing it might be good for is parts. Plus I agree with La Laundress...they are nuts!

Because from what I've heard here on the site, Miele is the #1 washer brand in the UK. I've never seen one here in the US but I have heard they are sold here.

Read the whole listing again, Funsy, and then see if you think the bidding is a little outrageous...the machine is damaged, (bent and twisted from the frame) and they don't know if it even works. Would you pay $600 for that? I sure as hell wouldn't. A Miele washer is notoriously expensive to repair, and no warranty will cover that damage. You've got to thoroughly research before you buy, and read and ask questions. Considering you have to pay another $300 - $400 for shipping, you'd really be stuck if the machine didn't work when it arrived. Maybe good for parts, but who knows.

I bought a Roper/Whirlpool direct-drive washer at Lowes once that had a badly damaged cabinet & frame for $77. The motor was worth more than what I paid for the whole machine and I harvested many parts to use in rebuilding used machines for resale.

I'll bet someone is buying this Miele for the parts and selling them for full retail to customers needing their Miele washer repaired - or lots of customers.... Ethical? Maybe not, but it sure would be a fine example of shrewd business sense.

In the case of gansky1's entry it would be better to buy the machine to salvage the parts from it than have the whole thing go to the crusher!At least some parts could be used in other machines or build up a parts stock for spares.