I almost included my response in my post to what I knew was coming. My short answer is, America is all about capitalism. It's what makes this country great. If someone tells a lie, or even a half truth, you could easily argue against them, but if someone offers a product at *any* price, then the laws of supply and demand will dictate what happens. It's not my fault that SonicBlue decided to screw the empeg guys and scrap the product. If it were up to me, the product would stay in active development and the price would have come down from the ethereal >$1k range to something closer to $300-$600. But, since it didn't happen that way, those of us in the US just happen to be able to buy these awesome boxes for a steal. It's also not my fault that there is no European source for these units at the same price we can get them for here. I could also point to the many beautiful cars in Europe with demand a healthy premium to import (Nissan Skyline is the first one that comes to mind).
I agree that ebay has been flooded with product; this is why I didn't put an auction for them. When the supply thins in a month or so, i think you'll see the prices go up. Here's my bottom line - after tax and shipping, I paid $450 each. A profit of, at most, $250, represents a markup of about 55%. I think that's pretty reasonable by most standards.
Anyway, i'll get off my soapbox. I respect your opinion and would be glad to listen to any other points you have.