lion said:
Hello everyone,
I've decided recently to switch from PC to Mac and since i can't wait anymore for the expected ibook/powerbook updates, i decided to buy a second hand powerbook from ebay.
I'm wondering if anyone has the experience of buying a powerbook/ibook from ebay before. Some offers seem too good to be true. Anything i need to worry about apart from the seller's reputation? I don't understand why anyone would sell a powerbook G4 1.5 MHz 15'' with superdrive for £750 (Almost half the price!!!).
You've answered your own question: too good to be true.
Nobody honest is going to sell a new or near new Powerbook for half price. The profit margin for Apple dealers on new product is approx. 3% - 5% - threre is no such thing as a discount or wholesale price.
Of course, JoeRipoff will happily sell it to you half price if he never intends to deliver it.
You can't go just by seller reputation, because Joe will have hijacked someone elses account who has a 100% feedback rating buying and selling cabbage patch dolls (you can look at the feedback history.. a prolonged gap in the history or a sudden change in the type and volume of products bought and sold is a tipoff.)
Do not under any circumstances bid on a Powerbook that is going to ship to you from a foreign country, that requires wire transfer, Western Union or money order payment only (non-recoverable), or that will ship to you in 2 - 8 weeks once the "wholesale discount order is placed".
Here is my fraud checklist any three of the below, probably you don't want to take the chance, 6 or more, call the cops:
Preapproved bidders only (so they can harvest emails and sell to multiple suckers off-ebay),
"New", high end product,
No reserve or "Buy it now" far below wholesale on high end product,
Non-recoverable payment methods only (wire, certified, money order),
Individual selling multiple "new" products,
No history of selling this type (hijacked acct),
Zero-feedback, cloaked or new account,
No personal info, Copy and paste graphics and text (as in the only details in the auction were copied from Apple's site),
Missing or absurd location,
Free shipping (typical of "offshore supplier/Western Union" type scams)
Country of product doesn't match account registration country of seller,
Selling product that is not shipping yet,
Selling new product only available from authorized dealers,
Short auction (to sell before EBay responds to complaints),
Solicits direct contact by email (anonymous, throwaway email account),
Says not to use the eBay "ask Seller a Question" link because of some problem (sure sign of a hijacked account),
Clone of another auction from a different seller (same text, graphics and/or offer)
