gems returned but

"What if something goes wrong?
Valve won't be liable for bids or transactions that are late, misdirected, garbled, or otherwise invalid. Attempts to transact or bid by automated means may be blocked or otherwise rejected. If the Holiday Auction is disrupted for any reason, Valve may, in its sole discretion, reverse invalid transactions or provide an alternative for game auctions and/or other Steam Gem transactions."

Maybe they are now discussing how they will treat those exploits.

auctions are a joke atm

The event is a joke.