posted on January 7, 2001 01:16:08 PM
I am not bidding, but would like some honest opions:
8 brand new HP Omnibooks valued at $5000 each.
Reserve price $300 each
3 day auction
Seller has no feedback and is new
No warrenty or return policy
Only cashier's check or money order
Like I said, there is no way I would bid..but you would be amazed at the number of people that are doing so. would you bid?
posted on January 7, 2001 02:54:02 PM
I have had this debate over and over on various boards. When a seller puts up a high ticket item with low opening bid, no reserve, has few to no ratings and only accepts money orders, it should scream fraud. I have web pages where I post advice to avoid fraud. I get a few dozen emails a week from folks who were defrauded. Almost all of them contain the sentence, "I guess at that price I should have known it wasn't legit." Every con man uses one thing to perpetrate the fraud - the target's greed. The more the target tries to take advantage, the riper he is to be scammed. If it sounds too good to be true, then it is.
posted on January 7, 2001 04:05:12 PM
In all fairness to the seller, he did respond to my email questions with the following:
1) Well, I am quite new on ebay and wanted to try it out, sorry.
2) There is no warranty because I had purchased these from a supplier and I
can not cover any warranty.
3) I would really appreciate money orders/cashier's check because the other
payment methods do not accept my needs, sorry.
4) As I said, I got these from a supplier for a very very very good price of
$200.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to ask, Thanks!
However, he did not answer the one about refund/return...
I still am not bidding
posted on January 7, 2001 04:28:29 PM
I wonder what trunk that supplier deals out of? A local person was arrested recently because he was stealing brand new computers from his employer and selling them on the internet. His employer orders hundreds of new computers yearly.
He even had the nerve to have a yard sale last summer selling them. My hubby saw a local policeman buy one.
posted on January 7, 2001 04:35:38 PM
lWhat I don't understand is why anyone would bid on an auction like this? I love to spend money, I buy a lot and sell a little, but this seems like it is so obviously (spelling) not right!
posted on January 8, 2001 06:57:38 AM
I did get another reply from the seller and was told that the item could be returned if defective and he/she would replace it. How can a person do that if they sell all the items? Still I don't feel comfortable enough to bid.
I sent the seller a link to this thread and did invite them to join in.
I want to be fair to the seller, there is always the chance this could be ok, I am not going to take the chance though.
posted on January 8, 2001 07:30:46 AM
I cannot IMAGINE bidding on such an auction. I would say, "What are people thinking!?", but it is obvious they aren't!
yisgood is exactly right on this.
I have recently registered another ID on eBay to sell items other than books, keeping my original ID for books only. I am buying with the new ID to establish a little feedback before selling, and will initially offer only inexpensive items under the new ID. Common sense would indicate that if you have good feedback, you get more/higher bids.
This has made me wonder: would it be a good idea for eBay to require a certain amount of feedback from BUYING before allowing a person to sell? Seems to me it would benefit both buyers and sellers.
Another thing about the seller in question in this thread - the bids he gets are going to be, for the most part, from new and inexperienced eBayers. Even if he is honest, he is likely to run into some problems . . .
posted on January 8, 2001 04:18:05 PM
Kudzurose, you are right. I am keeping my eye on this just for fun and out of the 8 bidders thee is only one that has a feedback over 20. One half of them have no feedback at all. I did hear from seller again and he/she thanked me for giving them this thred
posted on January 10, 2001 08:59:19 AM
Well just as a follow up the auction is over. I did a little more checking, seller has had 17 similar auctions since Dec 22, only 4 buyers had a feedback of over 20 and thee still is no feedback for seller. I wish them luck. Aone bidder in the latest auction of 8 items had placed a bid on each item less than 1 min. apart..shill bidding?
That's all folks, I am finished with this topic
I would really appreciate money orders/cashier's check because the other payment methods do not accept my needs, sorry."
