What's the Scam???

[kristenrice]

I am looking for a laptop for my DD's (ages 8 and 10) so that they will stop using mine. I have bought a lot of our household electronics (iPods, laptops, etc) as refurbished and I have been very pleased.

I looked on eBay, just to get an idea of prices and I was stunned. There are multiple listings for "New" laptops (from Toshiba, Lenovo and Dell) that are advertised as "refurbished in a factory-sealed box" with Buy it Now prices of $20-$30 with free shipping. One of them, a Toshiba, is listed for $22. I checked the identical one on Amazon where it is priced at $300+ (new) so I know it is still a current model.

So what is the scam? The seller has ZERO feedback (red flag #1) and multiple units available (red flag #2). I also noticed that there are three different sellers for the brands I looked at, all with similar ads, and each seller has either zero or 1 feedback and they are all in different locations.

Honestly, if I buy the computer that is advertised for the $22 and I receive a stuffed animal, I will consider myself duped and victim of buyer beware. What I am more concerned with is that I actually receive the computer and there is some sort of deeper scam that I am not aware of...identity theft, for example. I am willing to pay the $22 and consider it a loss if I don't get what I purchased. I am afraid of getting MORE than I bargain for.

What I am I missing?

 

[LMN]

if it sounds to good to be true (definitely the case here)....then it probably is!! I would steer clear of a $22 laptop!

 

[LockShockBarrel]

I would just assume the worst. There's no way someone is logically selling a laptop for that little without something being up.

 

[marlynnp]

You'd most likely received an "empty", but correctly weighted (with a rock, piece of wood, etc.) box.

 

[kristenrice]

Let me add a little...

My younger daughter has a birthday coming up and she really likes make-believe play. She would get just as much (if not more) use out of a non-functioning laptop as long as she could open and close it and type on the keyboard. That is one reason why I am not really concerned with how well the $22 laptop functions. My two biggest concerns are 1) buying a computer that is somehow "infected"; and 2) buying something that is stolen.

 

[pryncess527]

You'd most likely received an "empty", but correctly weighted (with a rock, piece of wood, etc.) box.

Ditto.

You could buy a broken laptop on Craigslist for 20. This eBay listing sounds like nothing but hassle

 

[kristenrice]

A new twist has rapidly developed...

I called DH at work and asked him what he thought. I went to eBay and found the listing. The list still shows the item with a $22.00 buy it now price, but when I click on it, it is now listed at $319.99 and the seller is now a top-rated seller with over 20,000 feedbacks. It is the SAME one I clicked on earlier (still highlighted purple) but now it is a different price and different seller.

Oh, eBay...I knew there was a reason I never buy anything there. I like to check it out to play "find the scam". I kind of figured this was a dirty deal, but I didn't know why...still don't, but it was a nice diversion.

 

[NYCDiane]

I remember several years ago a scam that was going on with ebay where people were advertising one of the hot new gaming systems for an incredibly low price (like $150 when they were going in the stores if you could find them for $300+).

Anyway, a ton of people bought these and guess what they got? A PICTURE of the gaming system. They didn't bother reading the TON of small print in the auction that clearly stated they weren't buying the system; they were buying a picture of the system.

 

[kristenrice]

I remember several years ago a scam that was going on with ebay where people were advertising one of the hot new gaming systems for an incredibly low price (like $150 when they were going in the stores if you could find them for $300+).

Anyway, a ton of people bought these and guess what they got? A PICTURE of the gaming system. They didn't bother reading the TON of small print in the auction that clearly stated they weren't buying the system; they were buying a picture of the system.

Nice. It is amazing what people are selling on eBay and how they advertise it. Like I said, it is sometimes a nice little diversion to play "what's the catch".

 

[Lewisc]

Occasionally a new seller, or an old seller with bad feedback with a new account, will have some "fake" auctions. The item will be bought by the seller, obviously under a different account, in order to leave good feedback. Low prices mean low ebay fees.

Could have been a mistake listing. The minimum initial bid was listed as the buy it now price.

 

[MineMail]

I was looking for a certain printer yesterday on Amazon. Saw a used one for $14 in the search results. "Can't be. What's the catch?" I thought. When I opened the item, it was just the power cable for the printer. Caveat emptor!