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Too good to be true...
- Thread starter fatzmack
- Start date
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Snippet from the bottom of the second link:
"*NOTICE*: You will not recieve the_Apple G5_computer system from me. I will not ship out the item to you. If you agree to bid on this auction, please remember, you are bidding on the information that I will mail to you that offers the_Apple G5_computer system for $440.00. This is 100% legal and works well. This is not a scam in any way. Do not bid if you are uncertain about what you are bidding on. By bidding, you have read and agree to all terms and conditions stated in this auction"
Bidding on INFORMATION on how to get a G5 for 440? Oh my God what kind of idiot would do that?
The first link is just a blatant scam.
"*NOTICE*: You will not recieve the_Apple G5_computer system from me. I will not ship out the item to you. If you agree to bid on this auction, please remember, you are bidding on the information that I will mail to you that offers the_Apple G5_computer system for $440.00. This is 100% legal and works well. This is not a scam in any way. Do not bid if you are uncertain about what you are bidding on. By bidding, you have read and agree to all terms and conditions stated in this auction"
Bidding on INFORMATION on how to get a G5 for 440? Oh my God what kind of idiot would do that?
The first link is just a blatant scam.
It even comes with free shipping! 
I wonder if I could post an auction regarding a PowerMac G5 and 23" Cinema Display and then put a little notice saying, "Notice: You are not bidding on a PowerMac G5 for *you* but rather bidding on how much money you are willing to give me to purchase a PowerMac G5. I will however send you a picture of my new computer once I get it."
I wonder if I could post an auction regarding a PowerMac G5 and 23" Cinema Display and then put a little notice saying, "Notice: You are not bidding on a PowerMac G5 for *you* but rather bidding on how much money you are willing to give me to purchase a PowerMac G5. I will however send you a picture of my new computer once I get it."
Those "INFORMATION ONLY" auctions are all over the place and are completely legal, I haven't seen to many shutdown by eBay. Can't believe someone would bid $220 though.
I'm curious if anyone has every won an "information" auction and tried whatever the seller sent.
Im guessing, he'll send you a package that tells you to setup an "INFO ONLY" auction on ebay 1500 times and use the proceeds + $440 to buy a new powermac
I'm curious if anyone has every won an "information" auction and tried whatever the seller sent.
Im guessing, he'll send you a package that tells you to setup an "INFO ONLY" auction on ebay 1500 times and use the proceeds + $440 to buy a new powermac
As I understand it, most of those information auctions tell you how to set up shaky credentials to qualify as a journalistic reviewer. I do not know if the ones for Apple hardware are the same idea or not, but there have been articles in legitimate press about how much tougher it is to get review units since this practice has been commonplace. Fewer and fewer companies are giving the option to the reviewer to purchase review units, also.Originally posted by kingjr3
Those "INFORMATION ONLY" auctions are all over the place and are completely legal, I haven't seen to many shutdown by eBay. Can't believe someone would bid $220 though.
I'm curious if anyone has every won an "information" auction and tried whatever the seller sent.
Im guessing, he'll send you a package that tells you to setup an "INFO ONLY" auction on ebay 1500 times and use the proceeds + $440 to buy a new powermac
Again, I have no idea if this is the same angle that the current auction is taking.
What timing--I just read an article about these "information auctions."
Some are basically pyramid schemes: You pay to sign up with a site claiming to tell you how to get some expensive something for free and/or cheap, but before you can get it you have to sign up some number of people, and they have to sign up people, and so on...but when your name tops the list, you get your free/cheap <whatever>!
Some are informational things that tell you how to find loopholes or buy at wholesale prices or what have you; these methods are generally more difficult and less productive than the hype would lead you to believe.
Bottom line: No such thing as a free lunch, and if it looks too good to be true, IT IS. No "probably" about it.
Some are basically pyramid schemes: You pay to sign up with a site claiming to tell you how to get some expensive something for free and/or cheap, but before you can get it you have to sign up some number of people, and they have to sign up people, and so on...but when your name tops the list, you get your free/cheap <whatever>!
Some are informational things that tell you how to find loopholes or buy at wholesale prices or what have you; these methods are generally more difficult and less productive than the hype would lead you to believe.
Bottom line: No such thing as a free lunch, and if it looks too good to be true, IT IS. No "probably" about it.
This seems to imply a G5 for $440.00, but what its saying (I think), is information to buy a G5. so the information sells for $440.00.
He probably sends the following information "goto www.apple.com"
eBay is going to be killed by scams like this. They are seriously stupid to let this crap go on.
When you tell people you eBay, most tell you some scary urban legend about being ripped off. These myths are perpetuated by stuff like this.
There are a lot of trusting people out there. We pay fees so that they are protected from scams, that way they can buy from reputable sellers like me. If those folks get scared away, there goes a big market, and any justification for paying eBay fees.
When you tell people you eBay, most tell you some scary urban legend about being ripped off. These myths are perpetuated by stuff like this.
There are a lot of trusting people out there. We pay fees so that they are protected from scams, that way they can buy from reputable sellers like me. If those folks get scared away, there goes a big market, and any justification for paying eBay fees.
Originally posted by kingjr3
Those "INFORMATION ONLY" auctions are all over the place and are completely legal, I haven't seen to many shutdown by eBay. Can't believe someone would bid $220 though.
I'm curious if anyone has every won an "information" auction and tried whatever the seller sent.
Im guessing, he'll send you a package that tells you to setup an "INFO ONLY" auction on ebay 1500 times and use the proceeds + $440 to buy a new powermac
I gave it a shot one time when it was information for like $15 to see if it was really legit. Guy sent me info on how to use a one time student hardware discount by signing up for a student developer account. It was technically the info he promised, too bad it was free elsewhere. How the heck he can find a $440 G5 is beyond me.
it's not a $440 G5 - it's a pyramid scheme which takes a long time. Selling the info makes more sense initially...
Apple is going to cut out the developer program for students if this keeps up.
Apple is going to cut out the developer program for students if this keeps up.
Ripped off on Ebay
If you think the "information scam" is terrible, one of my employees was ripped off for over £800 on ebay this summer.
A student who I took on to help out over our busy summer period, an honest hard working lad who gave 100% effort. His goal was to earn enough money over the summer to buy a new computer for the start of term. It goes without saying that I talked him in to a Mac, so at the end of the summer he set about to buy a 15" imac with his earnings. I tried to talk him in to buying one through the Apple education store, but he was sure he could get a better deal on ebay. Anyhow he won an auction for a "brand new, unwanted gift" imac from a vendor with good feedback at about £800 ish (a 15" imac on the uk Apple ed store is £936) the description and picture had been cut and pasted from the Apple store.
All ok so far, but heres the scam: The rouge vendor had hijacked someone else's ebay account, changing the email address to his own. He emailed my lad to say that he must pay the funds via bank transfer as he was about to go on a long holiday and would not have time to cash a cheque and did not want to cough up for Pay Pal charges. He promised to mail the computer buy courier the minute the money arrived in his account. As he seemed to have good feedback at 100% the money was transfered. That was the last anyone ever heard from the crook. The account turned out to be an untouchable foreign account. Ebay didn't want to know about it, pointing out there maximum liability of £100 and the first police contact had not even heard of ebay! The poor unsuspecting owner of the genuine ebay account that had been hijacked probably had a hard time explaining that he was innocent to the police? My summer boy who worked hard all summer only to have all his hard won earnings stolen. He has since been suffering fits of depression and is having to see a psychiatrist. He has dropped out of university. This is NOT urban myth this happened.
If you think the "information scam" is terrible, one of my employees was ripped off for over £800 on ebay this summer.
A student who I took on to help out over our busy summer period, an honest hard working lad who gave 100% effort. His goal was to earn enough money over the summer to buy a new computer for the start of term. It goes without saying that I talked him in to a Mac, so at the end of the summer he set about to buy a 15" imac with his earnings. I tried to talk him in to buying one through the Apple education store, but he was sure he could get a better deal on ebay. Anyhow he won an auction for a "brand new, unwanted gift" imac from a vendor with good feedback at about £800 ish (a 15" imac on the uk Apple ed store is £936) the description and picture had been cut and pasted from the Apple store.
All ok so far, but heres the scam: The rouge vendor had hijacked someone else's ebay account, changing the email address to his own. He emailed my lad to say that he must pay the funds via bank transfer as he was about to go on a long holiday and would not have time to cash a cheque and did not want to cough up for Pay Pal charges. He promised to mail the computer buy courier the minute the money arrived in his account. As he seemed to have good feedback at 100% the money was transfered. That was the last anyone ever heard from the crook. The account turned out to be an untouchable foreign account. Ebay didn't want to know about it, pointing out there maximum liability of £100 and the first police contact had not even heard of ebay! The poor unsuspecting owner of the genuine ebay account that had been hijacked probably had a hard time explaining that he was innocent to the police? My summer boy who worked hard all summer only to have all his hard won earnings stolen. He has since been suffering fits of depression and is having to see a psychiatrist. He has dropped out of university. This is NOT urban myth this happened.