Report or bid?

Panasonic Toughbook CF-31 - 2.40GHz Core i5 - Touchscreen 1 month old | eBay

Only a member for 2 months, this ebay seller's feedback score of 25 represents sales totalling less than £1... sim cards mostly at £0.01.

Could be completely genuine in which case I'd feel bad for reporting - but if I keep quiet and an innocent is cheated....
Do you folks report your suspicions when you have them and would you in this case?

 

Ask him for actual pictures of serial sticker and whole unit. Call Heartlands and ask for a serial number check. They will tell you if it's valid or stolen. Then you can report him if it's necessary.

 

I know I ought to but today I just feel way too lazy...

 

I see stuff like this all the time and really there is nothing that ebay can do about it unless someone is getting ripped off

 

A couple of years ago I reported a case of suspected shill bidding after receiving a second chance offer....some of these small time crooks really do think the rest of the world is as dumb as they are....much to my surprise, it turns out that some of the auction site administration staff are as dumb as the crooks think....the reply in-keeping with: "there is no evidence to suggest any wrong doing" ....about a week later a second communication from the auction site advised that the seller was being investigated by the fraud team & would I contact them if I had any concerns.

So....No, I wouldn't bother wasting my own time reporting my suspicions again....read the listing & check the sellers ID & feedback....smells like a Rat....often turns out to be a Rat.

 

I have much more problems with the less than $10.00 items. The big items have usually gone well.
Lately I have had an issue buying a chrome mirror for my truck. It seems like quite a few sellers drop ship from their suppliers without actually having the item in their own possession. The supplier did not have the item and the sellers never checked until after I bought it. 1 week later they email me and say "Sorry Charlie".. 3 sellers did this to me and the 4th sent me a black mirror..........The mirror is a $27.00 item........

PS.
NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER buy a used platter style hard drive on fleabay....

 

Thanks "Charlie"....those type of stories are not uncommom....but it's different from the "set out to purposely defraud stories".

Oh man....you should have posted that on Friday.

 

On the subject of "second chance offers" - I've had a few.
If I've bid strongly on an item the value of which I know well... and I'm the underbidder... and the bid below mine is a long way below... then I'm already half-expecting a second chance offer.
When it's made I explain to the seller that a fair price would be that lower bid plus the minimum bid increment... that being the amount I would have won the item for without the involvement of the "non-payer."
I also explain that if my offer is rejected I can only suspect that shill bidding may have taken place.
I'm curious to know how the rest of you deal with this?

 

Seller couldn't test it, Translates to "It's junk and I know it, but if you're stupid enough to buy it, I'll take your money"

 

The "non-payer" part is where things start to look & smell suspicious....I've had second chance offers on a number of occasions where the seller has multiples of the same item & had good deals....doing the "homework" & bidding accordingly is how "I" deal with it....suprisingly, some people are hell-bent on being the highest bidder regardless.

Sorry Shawn....I'm forced (against my will) to spell out the obvious....YOU SHOULD KNOW BETTER.

 

I do know better. After 3 used hard drives years ago...But some readers may not.
I did just win a CF 73 "untested" with good keyboard, uncracked screen, and includes a DVD drive. $24.00 with shipping on a Best Offer.
I will test it when I get it for the fun of it. I figure even as "untested" junk I will get $24.00 worth of parts. I wanted the DVD caddy and keyboard.
It's ok as long as a buyer realizes it's junk when they bid.

"One man's trash is another man's treasure"

 

Update:

Over 3 days (Nov. 28, 29, 30) this seller's items - including some lots of games, iphones, Krugerrands, a Honda generator and the Toughbook - realised a total of £5278.85.

Total sales prior to Nov.28 less than £1.00 - no items currently listed, not even a sim card.

As yet no feedback from delighted buyers but watch this space. If I'm proved wrong then I genuinely hope it was one of you guys won the almost-new CF-31.

No, really... ... gloat away!

 

update us. We are really interested was it scam or not

 

If it turns out to be anything other than a scam, I'll post a picture of the hat I'm going to eat. :thumbsup:

 

South Park Underpants Gnomes Profit Plan - YouTube

Makes about as much sense...


mnem
I'd buy that for a dollar!

 

hmmm....someone must have worked out by now that nothing is going to arrive....are they debating about the growing negative feedback?

 

Today's feedback:

Bought £300 gold sovereign - didn't pay, allegedly.
Sold job lot mobile phones £701 - didn't send them, allegedly.

I'm sure ebay have sophisticated systems and dedicated staff that can spot this kind of thing and they're just waiting for the right moment to pounce... :laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

we can only assume that it was fraudulent..

 

Speed-of-light action by ebay!
As of today the member 'Flewtek' who listed these items is "not a registered user."
Eight negative feedbacks in a month probably isn't even a record... good to know the lengths to which ebay will go to keep us all safe isn't it?