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URGENT! A purchase from overseas, i really need advise!

S

Star Destroyer

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 15, 2006
376
4
Hello,
My situation is a little weird, but its extremely exciting for me, until proven a scam..

Well, i was went through some classifieds local ads today and i found a macbook (2.2GHZ C2D, 2GB Ram, 250GB HDD, brand new with box and reciept and a drop in copy of leopard) selling around 500$ (yeah i was ***** shocked...but i gave them an email, and they said it was truth)

So after a few emails (yes it was to a real person) they mention they are in England, they had gone away for training for a job promotion and will not return for six months... but ask if i want to do the deal anyway. I said 'sure' thinking they would have me deal through a friend
..Turns out...

She has the macbook and everything in england and wants to proceed with the deal through TNT (i have never heard of it, but the website makes it seem like Europes Canadapost, Yes i am IN CANADA she is in ENGLAND) she then sent me this email:

It is explained step by step below:


"A. First I will need your shipping information (i.e. name and address).
1. With this info, I will go to a TNT Location send the item to your name and address provided.
2. TNT will inspect the package and all the legal papers.
B. As soon as the item is in TNT custody, you will receive a notification from them.
1. After that, you will make the payment for the item, and send the payment information to TNT for verification.
2. TNT will verify the payment information, and if everything is in order, they will deliver the product to your door step, and you will verify that everything is as supposed.
3. You will inform TNT that everything is in order, and they will release the payment to me.
C. If by any reason, you will not be satisfied with the package, you will return the product to TNT with no expense.


I will be waiting for your email."


Now, is that really how TNT works? cause it does seem safe,
Has anyone used this before, or knows how i can verify with TNT that this is REAL and not just a scam? (like calling them and checking before i send TNT my money)

HELP! i could really use this macbook, and well.. its borderline scammish..but then again.. TNT seems real, and that situation about TNT not releasing my money unless i verify seems good..
 
TNT is a real company, not sure about how they do stuff though. Most of my Apple Online Store products are delivered through them.
 
TNT is a normal courier service - I have never heard of any courier offering the service you describe. Seems like a scam IMO.

Update: The service described is that of an Escrow company. Again I don't believe that TNT Europe offer this service.
 
This sounds very scamish, If I was to sell my macbook for 500 bucks, I could stand up in my office this very second, announce my price outloud and have a minimum of 5 takers, so I would never need to post any ad online. If it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is. = .02
 
I encountered an extremely similar classified ad on Craigslist local to me. I emailed to see if the Macbook was still available, and got a response from a guy in England. At no point in the listing did it mention the fact that he's from overseas, and would have to ship the item. Then I did the math.

  1. A significantly lower price than I would expect to pay for this item ($500 and same specs as yours).
  2. The fact that selling it locally would be more profitable for the seller.
  3. Why advertise in a Midwestern state in USA to sell a laptop for only $500?
  4. The exchange rate, and possible issues with customs make it even less appealing for the seller.
I didn't respond after I realized it was too likely a scam. If you can afford to lose the $500, and are willing to risk it on actually getting the laptop, then it's an informed gamble. If losing $500 and spending countless hours trying to report it and recover your funds seems too risky, then I would avoid this scenario. Pursuing a con man from another state is hard enough. When it's another nation, good luck.

My gut instinct says this is a new scam that is spreading. Buyers beware.
 
All she's going to do is send you a fake email saying TNT HAS YOUR PACKAGE, YOUR SALESPERSON IS AWAITING PAYMENT

then you will send the payment
and be 1 macbook short of a great time =[

believe me, it's a scam.
 
steveza said:
It's all lies - pictures don't prove anything.

Here are pictures of the 7 million macbooks I have for sale ;)

http://images.google.co.uk/images?q...F-8&rlz=1B3GGGL_enGB245GB245&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi
Click to expand...


One of your macbooks has blood on it, i suggest a mr clean magic eraser..


I seee what everyone is saying, now i am just playing with the person..
I asked for a pic of the reciept they claimed to have, they said they didnt have a camera, so i told them to use the camera on the macbook to take, store and send the picture since i dont mind if she uses the laptop one last time :D

Thanks everyone, you saved me 490$ good thing i only gave her what she can find in a phone book!

Cheers
 
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