Someone messaged me on YouTube about selling a MacBook Pro. It's an early 2011, 15 inch model. I offered him $500, and he said he'd take it. I just find this unfathomable. He wants me to pay him with a Best Buy gift card, because he doesn't have a PayPal, and my money's in cash. Is this legit? Should I trust this guy and buy the MacBook? He's going to send me some pictures of the MacBook with a piece of paper that has his username on it, so I can see if it's the real deal.
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Advice: Buying MacBook Pro
- Thread starter TheLWatson
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He just sent the pictures with the username on a piece of paper. Looks legit to me. He also said he needed the money for something, and people will do almost anything for money.
Yeah, and I was saving up for a new MacBook, and if this is a scam, I'll have to wait an awful long time until I get the right amount.
Chances are its a scam. Ask him to set up a Buy It Now on eBay to sell it to you. This way you are covered if it is.
He's saying he's trying to buy a 512GB SSD, that's why he wants the Best Buy card, so he can buy it online.
Here's a very specific approach, if you follow it exactly as I describe, in the order listed, I promise you will not risk, or lose your $500.
Steps
1) This procedure must be done from home.
2) You must have your $500 cash in hand.
3) Securely tuck the $500 in your wallet.
4) Go into your bathroom
5) Retrieve the $500 & quickly throw it in the toilet.
6) Walk out of the bathroom & notice how you feel.
7) Go back into the bathroom & look at your drowned $500.
8) Dare yourself to flush the toilet & watch the money disappear.
If you can't flush it away, then you've saved yourself $500 and this procedure was much faster & easier than arranging to let this person con you out of your Money
See ... I just saved you $500 and you didn't even have to leave home.
All kidding aside?
If it sounds to good to be true...go to the bathroom.
You'd have to be incredibly naive to fall for such a thing. I think you're just trolling.
Maybe I am naive, but I'm not trolling. He sounds really sincere from his messages.
He also requests that I do an unboxing video of it. If it was fake, than he wouldn't request such a thing.
So buy it, already. What are you asking us for? It's clear you've made up your mind, so go ahead and buy it.
Okay perhaps I was wrong. Let me explain then. Scams have to sound sincere. Otherwise their success rate will be much lower. With something like Paypal and a verified account on their end, you have some method of recourse. With the Best Buy gift card, good luck. Beyond this, if the guy is strapped for cash, a 512GB SSD is an unlikely purchase. Even things like pictures are not hard to obtain. He could take pictures of one he doesn't intend to ship. He could harvest them from ebay or craigslist. You should never make a purchase like this without some method of recourse. It's tempting you because it looks like it could be a good price, but that is how scammers work, and you have no way to protect yourself here.
If someone is going to scam you, they want to come across as sincere as possible. In this case, I don't even feel they presented a plausible story. I could do better
. Strapped for cash and require a 512GB ssd do not generally go together. If it's an application performance issue, it's much cheaper to add ram. Beyond that, the guy messaged you on youtube offering a deal on a computer. How is that a valid sales channel?The odds are against you on this one no matter how sincere someone sounds. Even if they gave me a tracking number, I wouldn't trust it. A brick can be shipped with the same weight.
Sometimes you have to do what your heart says, despite what people tell you. I don't have any bad feelings, so I'm going for it.
Ok man, let me break this down for you. If the story didn't sound sketchy enough as is. He is selling you a 2011 MacBook for $500.. to buy a 512GB SSD from Best Buy online? bgdrjhbgdjhbgdthgdr.... Who in the hell buys SSD's from Best Buy online? If you are buying online, why not use TigerDirect or Newegg like any logical person and save a TON of money. Scam.
Look at it this way, you could take a chance with $500 and possibly get scammed or you could get a used laptop with no warranty/almost expired warranty. That could of had any kind of damage done to it.
Then be out $500 with no working MacBook. And have to spend more money to get another one.
Or you could head over to Apple's refurbished store.
Pick this up http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD318LL/A
And know you are getting a laptop in great condition, with a 1 year warranty, no damage, and you can even get AppleCare for it.