eBay mis-spelling bargains

angelcake

I haven't read any of this thread yet so sorry if I am repeating!

I think everyone is onto this Fatfingers thing! I always check it to find the items have loadsa bids anyway! sometimes it even benefits to add the spelling error into the end of your title to attract these people who think that noone will have noticed!!

Pottymouth_2

Phonix wrote:

I'll contact these bidders they're about to get scammed.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3716&item=6768584624&rd=1

Phonix,

Could you expand on why the bidders are going to get scammed? I would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

Potty

criminal_smile

Pottymouth wrote:

Phonix,

Could you expand on why the bidders are going to get scammed? I would appreciate the benefit of your experience.

Potty

Would you pay £670 for information on where to buy a refurbished laptop, rather than an actual laptop? The only saving grace with this one is that the highest bidder has 0 feedback, so hopefully someone with a throwaway account who was scamming the scamster.

Apologies Pottymouth, on reading this post, I realised it may sound a bit patronising. Not my intention

welf_man

I must admit I thought of it as helping both buyer and seller - we can get bargains, and the seller gets bids they might otherwise have missed out on.

If someone thinks they may be disappointed if the item doesn't reach a reasonable amount, they set a reserve, surely? I always do when I sell on eBay.

Mel.

Pottymouth_2

criminal_smile wrote:

Would you pay £670 for information on where to buy a refurbished laptop, rather than an actual laptop? The only saving grace with this one is that the highest bidder has 0 feedback, so hopefully someone with a throwaway account who was scamming the scamster.

Apologies Pottymouth, on reading this post, I realised it may sound a bit patronising. Not my intention

Ah ha! I got you. I did not realise the bid was for "information on where to..." rather than the actual laptop!

I hate it when people do this!

Thanks for clarification.

Potty.

soolin

Pottymouth wrote:

Ah ha! I got you. I did not realise the bid was for "information on where to..." rather than the actual laptop!

I hate it when people do this!

Thanks for clarification.

Potty.

I was going to respond before the last few posters did but wondered if I have too simplistic a view on these 'scams' where buyers get caught out by not bothering to read auctions.

Maybe I am just naturally suspicious but I wouldn't even buy a 99p geegaw unless I read everything on the auction twice and made sure I was happy that I knew what I was getting.

In this instance the buyer is quite upfront and says :

"Please note. This auction is NOT for the actual laptop, but is for a document which contains very valuable information on how to obtain this laptop for up to 90% less than the high street retail price. If you believe this is a scam (which we assure is not) then please do NOT bid for this document. No refunds will be given under ANY circumstances and you are eligable for all responsibility."

I think on reflection I would prefer priority given to catching the real hard core scammers, the hijacked accounts, the malicious bidders, the postal scammers and the people who know how to manipulate paypal to their advantage and con innoccent sellers who have done everything by the book.

Having decided all that I then worry again that I am being too harsh when a user on here who I suspect is very intelligent, does not see the scam.

Soo

criminal_smile

soolin wrote:

I think on reflection I would prefer priority given to catching the real hard core scammers, the hijacked accounts, the malicious bidders, the postal scammers and the people who know how to manipulate paypal to their advantage and con innoccent sellers who have done everything by the book.

Having decided all that I then worry again that I am being too harsh when a user on here who I suspect is very intelligent, does not see the scam.

Soo

Have to agree with that sentiment. I do feel sorry for those who are genuinely caught out by the professional scammer, but in this case, the info is all available. 'You gets what you pays for'. Guy makes no promises, so no comeback when you start trying to claim you were 'misled'. Caveat Emptor all the way!

Pottymouth_2

soolin wrote:

I was going to respond before the last few posters did but wondered if I have too simplistic a view on these 'scams' where buyers get caught out by not bothering to read auctions.

Maybe I am just naturally suspicious but I wouldn't even buy a 99p geegaw unless I read everything on the auction twice and made sure I was happy that I knew what I was getting.

In this instance the buyer is quite upfront and says :

"Please note. This auction is NOT for the actual laptop, but is for a document which contains very valuable information on how to obtain this laptop for up to 90% less than the high street retail price. If you believe this is a scam (which we assure is not) then please do NOT bid for this document. No refunds will be given under ANY circumstances and you are eligable for all responsibility."

I think on reflection I would prefer priority given to catching the real hard core scammers, the hijacked accounts, the malicious bidders, the postal scammers and the people who know how to manipulate paypal to their advantage and con innoccent sellers who have done everything by the book.

Having decided all that I then worry again that I am being too harsh when a user on here who I suspect is very intelligent, does not see the scam.

Soo

Hi there Soo,

I re-visited the ebay post on reading your email and I saw where it said "please note. the auction is not.....etc..."

This is stated at the bottom of the sale in much much smaller font than the font describing the "virtual" laptop. I do not think this seller and others like him / her are being ethical in what they do. No-one in their right minds would pay £670 for a link on where to buy a laptop - The bidder must think he/she is bidding for the actual laptop.

As for hard core scammers - I bet the person who has bid £670 might have a different view of this and consider this seller pretty hardcore.

Correct - if the link takes you to somewhere that sells the laptop for £10 - then maybe worth it, but I have my doubts that this is the case.

I do not see the grey area here - notes about "you are buying a link..." should be at least as prominent as the advert describing the goods and clear to all bidders - I hope all would agree that it's a pretty important piece of information.

£670 for a link - I'd be mad as hell!

Poor Kenny080.

Rgds to all - Potty.

Tojo_Ralph

soolin wrote:

In this instance the buyer is quite upfront.Soo

Are you being serious? :mad:

Listing under Computing > Laptops > Sony when infact what is for sale is information is upfront?

Including a picture of a Sony Laptop when infact what is for sale is information is upfront?

Detailing every nut, bolt and washer of a Sony Laptop in LARGE Bold text when in fact what is for sale is information is upfront?

Listing as NEW with a picture of a refurbished laptop box when in fact what is for sale is information is upfront?

Including at the very end of an auction microscopic font advising non of the above is actually for sale is upfront?

PLEASE tell me you have been out in the sun too long Soo?

This listing is DESIGNED to deceive, DESIGNED to mislead, and DESIGNED to rip buyers off, if that is what passes as UPFRONT these days, heaven help us. :mad:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3716&item=6768584624&rd=1

soolin

Yes it is designed to deceive and yes as I said in my first post it should be reported to ebay as it violates more than one listing condition. However, would you honestly pay £670 and not read the small print of anything? If the buyer is genuine, and I suspect he is not, he doesn't even have details on how it will be posted out to him, surely that would have been enough to have triggered a 'ask seller a question' moment?

Out of interest I asked my 14 year old son if he thought that the auction looked good, he loved the laptop (he is really into computers) but his first question was 'why does the man say you have to read the whole auction before bidding?' When he did read the auction he saw the statement about it being a link only.

I can teach my son not to be caught by silly scammers like this, I cannnot protect him against scammers that leave no clues or hijack account when they do it properly and don't get greedy and give themselves away.

In an ideal world we would all be protected against anything that can hurt us regardless of how much care we actually take. In the real world we have to take some responsibility for our own financial safety.

Soo