T43 2668-6ZU pricing wonders...

Still regarding the T43 auciton I won few days ago on Ebay.
The particular T43 is 2668-6ZU model and the particular seller apparently sold several of similar units on Ebay (according to his feedbacks history) - all for either 1050$ (as in my case) or 1100$.
The item is advertised as brand new, factory sealed with full warranty and contacting the buyers of the units he sold in the past I was confirmed by thri satisfaction and that the laptops are up to their expectations.
The link to my auction is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:11&Item=6881709551

Now, I checked the same model 2668-6ZU sold new in retail online shops, specifically in eculidcomputers.com - it costs over 1700$ ! configured the same as the one I bought for 1050$.
Furthermore, there are lots of other T43 similarily configured and even higher that are priced considerably lower (starting 1300$ to 1600$) which makes me kinda wondering what can drive the 2668-6zu price so high comparative even to his better configured "brothers" ? (all carry same, 3 years internatioal warranty)

Any hints ?

 

If you haven't paid as of yet, I would suggest paying with a credit card through paypal as it will offer more protection should a problem arise. The price doesn't seem out of line as you can get the T60 new for a few hundred more here. You can always look up the warranty once you get it.

 

Yes, thanks, I understand that.
In fact, I'm asking the seller to got through Escrow, will see..so far he sounds to be fair and trustworthy..(according to what his other buyers).
The auction price doesn't sounds unfair to me indeed, what I'm wondering about is the reason why this specific model is much more expensive in the shops then similar T43 machines, even those configured better (larger HDD, fingerprint reader, Bluetooth, ...) and carrying similar 3 years internaitonal warranty, don't understand that...

 

I don't think the price is that wild. I know I put a heavy discount on the Pentium-M models.

Pay through PayPal. Don't be surprised if he doesn't take escrow because there are so many escrow scams....

 

Well, as I said, 1050$ for T43 douesn't indeed sounds out of line bearing lots of T60 deals for 2-3 hundreds more...but what does make me wondering is the fact that 2668-6ZU costs around 1700$ in online shops (such as euclidcomputers.com or similar) while other T43 models, even those that are better configured cost considerably less (1300-1400$).
The warranty is also the same - 3 years international.
What makes 2668-6ZU (modestly configured - 14.1" 1024x768, 40 GB HDD, 512 MB RAM, no Bluetooth, no Fingerprint Reader) to be more expensive then other T43 machines (even those with Bluetooth, larger HDD, 1400x1050 TFT...) ?

 

i click the link u provided in your post.
something seems horriblely wrong to me.


Item Specifics - PC Laptops
Brand:
IBM
Hard Drive Capacity:
40 GB

Processor Type:
Intel Pentium 4
Screen Size:
14 inches

Processor Model:
--
Operating System:
Windows XP

Processor Speed:
1.8 GHz
Primary Drive:
CD-RW/DVD Combo

Memory (RAM):
512 MB
Condition:
New, Sealed in Box


there is no T43 that i know uses P4 process. they all use Centrino.

other than that, a T43 in similar configuration cost 1200 max directly from lenovo website (during sells period the price could be even lower).

 

It is told there Intel Mobile Pentium 4 processor at 1.86 Ghz (sometimes probaly emntioned Pentium M), Pentium 4 seems to be a typo or just a common misinterpretation. Centrino is apparently a chipset, not the CPU name itself.
Here is the link to euclidcomputers.com selling this 2668-6zu:
http://www.euclidcomputers.com/frameset.cgi?globalsearch+laptop
pcconnection.com:
http://www.pcconnection.com/ProductDetail?Sku=5995588

You see the prices....can get the point, what makes this modestly configured machine to be priced considerably higher then other T43's ?

 

A seller with only 42 reviews from buyers, selling multiple new notebooks? That's such a no-no...

 

thinkpad pricing can be bizarre. someobdy posted 2 links a few months ago from CDW for 2 T60s, the cheaper one was better configured.

 

He has 71 feedbacks, not 42.

 

Yes, but only 42 are from buyers.

Anyway, 42 or 71: same thing. Sorry, eBay sellers, but I am a strong believer in the fact that you first build an excellent reputation selling 1000 cheap items, and only then I'll think about handing you hundreds of dollars over the Web. I am too poor to gamble.

One could register multiple aliases and "sell" things among them. Even expensive laptops. Consider it an "investment". Then, suddenly, one starts "selling" a lot of laptops and runs with all the money.

There is also the not so rare possibility that some stupid honest eBayer has a keylogger on her PC, from some porn site, and a third-world scammer uses her relatively good name (and probably her PayPal password, too).

PayPal is not the solution for me. One could send a laptop-shaped brick or even a worthless laptop by UPS, I would sign for it and it would be my word against the seller's word.

Even worse: stolen notebooks. One could find it out months later, when having a warranty problem, and the seller is already gone with the money and tons of good reputation from happy buyers.

I am probably too preposterous, but I prefer considering myself extra-stupid and the scammers extra-smart, than the other way round. If I have any doubts, I always skip that auction.

 

Well, Ebay always involves certain risk, this is the price you pey for supposdely better deals you can find there over regular shops.
What I would be surprized is revealing the seller sellling expensive gear (notebooks, cameras...) when his feedback almost entirely consits of 2$ socks, 15$ bra or say, parfumes and then he suddenly comes up with a single 2k$ hi-tech item...
I contacted 4-5 his previous customers who bought from him notebooks in the past (mostly thinkpads) - all are satisfied by the deals. Of course, one may suspect of faked feedback party identities, well, there are hundreds of ways to scam, you just try to keep the risk low enough...
Yesterday I finally made through paying him by my CC through Paypal, the shipment shall be out supposedly today by UPS Ground.
I went by much adored www.shopthestates.com - one the package will arrive to them, they will inspect the content and report right away whether everything is OK inside. In any case I'm glad I didn't go by wire transfer as I was initially considering.