- Let me ask you a question, uh,
how many of you have used Craigslist before?
[cheers and applause]
It's the number one site for selling your old garbage
to creepy strangers.
[laughter]
You can find so many things on Craigslist.
Uh, everything from, like, an apartment
to a toaster to a boyfriend.
But recently I found something else out on Craigs--Craigslist.
Uh, some of my audience members who were here
for our 12 Days of Giveaways decided to take the gifts
that I gave them--
[audience grumbles]
And sell them online for profit.
I mean, really, can you believe that?
Okay, so, I mean, I knew we had an Ellen shop,
but now there's an Ellen black market.
[laughter]
We found all kinds of things.
We found this Fender guitar,
and it says, uh, well, it says that they,
uh, can't use it, but we gave away lessons
because they said-- anyway, we, uh--
[laughter]
There're headphones, there's, uh, an Ellen bike,
and-- [audience scoffs]
I know.
Someone was even selling an ED by Ellen gift card.
How dare you.
So here's what we did.
We set up a little sting operation.
My writer Adam contacted these people anonymously
and set up a time to meet.
They thought they were meeting someone
who wanted to buy their stuff,
but really it was Adam and a camera crew
and, uh, it's very enjoyable.
[typewriter clicking]
[investigative music]
[jingling]
- All right, let's go.
Hi there, are you selling the Ellen bike?
- Yeah.
- So, uh, so your wife got this bike?
- My wife got it, yeah.
- See, Ellen gives these gifts away to people
and then we found out people are just selling them
trying to turn-- trying to turn a profit
on Craigslist. - Eh.
- Can we see the bike? - It's in a box.
- Can we open it up and take a look?
Let's see if we can get this thing together.
Uh, where your wife listed this online,
she said, "This is a quality bike
and even better for anyone who loves Ellen."
So does she not love Ellen?
- I mean, everybody's gotta love Ellen.
- Where's your wife at right now?
- She has a condo that she's selling.
- Oh, I see. Do you want to call her,
and let her know what's going on here?
- Uh, sure. Let me get my phone.
[laughter]
- Hi, babe, um, I got people from the Ellen Show here.
- You're not even funny. - No, I'm serious.
- Hi, uh, you were selling the Ellen bike on Craigslist?
- I didn't realize that was an issue.
- It's a small issue.
The cops are on their way right now.
- No, are you kidding me?
- No, I'm kidding. It's not illegal.
It's--it's just ungrateful.
Why don't you take this bike for a test drive?
Prancer's gonna spot you as you go.
There you go.
Take him around the cul-de-sac, Prancer.
You can't see this, but it's going really well.
Go Gary, go Prancer.
So you still want to get rid of the bike.
There might be, uh, bike paths in Las Vegas
at the new property.
- Yeah, if we move out there.
- So you guys have a condo, and this house,
and a property in Vegas, and you're selling a bike
for $400?
[typewriter clicking]
[investigative music]
- Hi there. - Hi.
- Are you Jessica? - I am.
- My name's Adam.
I'm with the Ellen DeGeneres Show.
- Oh. - Do you mind
if I talk to you for a little bit?
- Yeah. This is hilarious.
Someone's supposed to be picking up a guitar.
- Yeah, that's the guitar that Ellen gave you, isn't it?
- Yes, it is. - So was--
- Oh, no.
- So was Ellen's gift not good enough for you?
- Oh, no, it was amazing. I just don't play guitar.
- Do you think you would like to try to learn?
- I think I will now.
- Now, first thing, first thing.
You should learn what the strings are.
Do you know what the strings on the guitar are?
- Um, no. - Okay.
So it's E, A, D, G, B, E. - Okay.
- Do you know how you can remember that?
- Every good boy deserves fudge.
- Or you can do "Ellen always does good
"but everyone disrespects her
by selling her gifts on Craigslist."
- Okay. - That's a good way to, uh--
- It is a good way to remember.
- You'll always be able to remember that.
Here, let's try this power chord.
Put one finger-- put your forefinger here.
- Uh-huh. - And then put your pinky there.
On the second string.
[strums guitar chord]
- There you go, now sing.
[singing] - I'm so sorry
- Sing to the camera.
[singing] - And I feel guilty
I'll never betray Ellen again
[typewriter clicking] [investigative music]
- Is that guy holding something across the street there?
- Ben?
Hi, are you Ben with the headphones?
Come here.
So you're selling-- you're selling the headphones
that Ellen gave you as a gift?
- Yeah, I didn't go to the show.
- Oh, you didn't go to the show?
- My sister did. - Your sister did.
- With my mom, yeah.
- And she didn't want these headphones
that Ellen gave her? - We have two, so yeah.
- It's still a nice gift, though.
She could have kept it.
- Yeah, I mean, we already have a pair so--
- Uh-huh. - 'Cause I didn't post.
I said--just-- - Don't try to
get out of this now. - Yeah, no, I mean--
- It's too late. Prancer's here.
I'm here.
Ellen's watching. - I know, hi, Ellen.
- You want to come to the next house?
We found someone else who's also selling their stuff.
- Yeah, sure, can I--can I bring my sister?
- Yeah, go get-- where's your sister?
Go get-- - She's at home.
- I want to talk to your sister.
- They were, like, texting me
and then this bear came and like--
and I was like, "What is that?"
- Oh, really? Wait is it an actual guy?
- Yeah, he's, like, in a suit and everything like--
- So you were at one
of the 12 Days of Giveaways shows, right?
- Yes, I was. - You were?
- Hi, Prancer.
- So, uh, you said you had a pair
of these headphones already? - Yes, I have a pair.
- But there's two of you.
Maybe you could have kept both of them.
- Well, no, my mom was on the show with me
so we were selling two of them and--
- So you don't want either of them.
So kinda what you told me was a lie.
- I mean, kind of. - So Ben lied to me.
- So here's the offer I made-- - I'm so sorry, Prancer.
- So here's the offer I made to Ben.
Would you guys like to come with us
to the next--the next person? - Wow.
- Maybe they would want to trade you for your headphones.
- Sure.
[laughter]
[typewriter clicking] [investigative music]
- Hi there.
Are you selling the ED by Ellen gift cards?
- Uh, yeah.
- Hi, what's your name? - Travis.
- Travis, uh, I'm Adam.
I work for Ellen. - Okay.
- So, uh, you don't want these-- these wonderful gift cards
that Ellen gave you?
Do you remember Prancer? - I do remember Prancer.
- Well, the gift card was for women's shoes.
- Now would you be interested in trading with someone else,
perhaps, for their, uh, 12 Days gifts?
- Uh, yeah sure. - Uh, this is Emily and Ben.
- Hi, nice to meet you. - Hi.
- So, um, would you be interested in headphones
by any chance? - I would way use headphones.
- So, how would you like some ED by Ellen shoes?
- That would be awesome. - Sweet.
- I better not see this stuff back on Craigslist.
- Ellen, uh, everybody is happy with their gifts,
and we met someone who's almost as tall as Prancer.
So, uh, thank you Ellen. - Thank you, Ellen.
- Thanks, Ellen.
[cheers and applause]
- Thank you, Adam, and thank you, Prancer.
Ah, that was some great investigative reporting.
If you want Adam to investigate something, uh, for you,
please let me know. We'll be right back.