Is This A Scam?
343_guilty_spark
Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17462Members
Join Date: 2003-06-18 Member: 17462Members
I came across a decent computer on Ebay for £1700 it also was including 5.1 surrond sound, printer and 30 inch monitor so i decided to contact the seller.
She replied:
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Ayre [mailto:susan_ayre@earthlink.net]
Sent: 13 September 2004 00:48
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.co.uk
Subject: Re: Alienware Area-51 ALX Desktop + 30" TFT DISPLAY- Ebay
Hello there,
I am currently on a business trip in Prague, The Czech Republic, where me and my partner supplied capital for the purchase of the stock of a bankrupt store. All the merchandise we acquired is top quality and we are able to sell it for what I think are unbeatable prices.
Our items are brand new, still in their original factory sealed package. They ship with all the accessories provided by their manufacturer. They have a 1 year Limited Warranty provided by their manufacturer, which is covered internationally by every authorized service center. The package contains all the extras listed in the auction and the units ship in the exact configuration advertised on eBay. Here are all the items we are currently selling:
Alienware Area-51 ALX Desktop + 30" TFT DISPLAY - 1700 GBP
The shipping and insurance costs are included in the price. The package will be sent through UPS express delivery, will be insured and will arrive in 2-3 working days. All the packages are sent having written on them "display unit, no commercial value" or as a gift to avoid paying any additional taxes at pickup. (VAT included) You will find enclosed in the package, along with all the original documentation, the blank warranty card and a detailed list of the goods shipped with an account of all costs and the receipt for the goods delivered. At the moment, payment can be done only through a wire transfer, because of the local legislation.
That's about it. Thank you for your interest and please let me know if you would be interested in a purchase.
Sincerely,
Susan
The minute i read 'wire transfer' and 'Czech republic' it started to look like a scam, anyway to find out if its not a scam or not.
I'll try and find the auction but the seller had a 100% posotive rating and has sold 700 items.
She replied:
-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Ayre [mailto:susan_ayre@earthlink.net]
Sent: 13 September 2004 00:48
To: xxxxxxxxx@xxxx.co.uk
Subject: Re: Alienware Area-51 ALX Desktop + 30" TFT DISPLAY- Ebay
Hello there,
I am currently on a business trip in Prague, The Czech Republic, where me and my partner supplied capital for the purchase of the stock of a bankrupt store. All the merchandise we acquired is top quality and we are able to sell it for what I think are unbeatable prices.
Our items are brand new, still in their original factory sealed package. They ship with all the accessories provided by their manufacturer. They have a 1 year Limited Warranty provided by their manufacturer, which is covered internationally by every authorized service center. The package contains all the extras listed in the auction and the units ship in the exact configuration advertised on eBay. Here are all the items we are currently selling:
Alienware Area-51 ALX Desktop + 30" TFT DISPLAY - 1700 GBP
The shipping and insurance costs are included in the price. The package will be sent through UPS express delivery, will be insured and will arrive in 2-3 working days. All the packages are sent having written on them "display unit, no commercial value" or as a gift to avoid paying any additional taxes at pickup. (VAT included) You will find enclosed in the package, along with all the original documentation, the blank warranty card and a detailed list of the goods shipped with an account of all costs and the receipt for the goods delivered. At the moment, payment can be done only through a wire transfer, because of the local legislation.
That's about it. Thank you for your interest and please let me know if you would be interested in a purchase.
Sincerely,
Susan
The minute i read 'wire transfer' and 'Czech republic' it started to look like a scam, anyway to find out if its not a scam or not.
I'll try and find the auction but the seller had a 100% posotive rating and has sold 700 items.
Comments
My scam radar is definately freeking... how many past transactions does the seller have and how many high value items are we talking about?
EBay offers an escrow service for high-price items.. mail them back offering to use that as an intermediary. If they agree, then do it. If they disagree, step up your 'scammer alert' a little moreso.
Personally, I'd check out how much a new Alienware would cost before springing for a possibly-damaged auction surplus piece. It sounds like a mid-end one would run you about that much.
Obviously, you could build your own for less... but meh.
Which, personally, is still way too expensive considering the cost of the parts. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Build a nice system for 1/3 of the money and you're fine.
<a href='http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14294&item=5121153054&rd=1' target='_blank'>However</a> i found this computer on ebay and thought i could win it then go and buy all the parts i want like AMD instead of Intel and maybe go buy a nice monitor and speakers.
Any comments?
I'm ordering the majority of my new computer from overclockers.co.uk, it's not the cheapest, but it's cheaper than most.
I'm just ordering the case, monitor and PSU from some dutch websites(mainly for the plugs, and because the case wasn't on overclockers)
I only ordered it on saturday evening though, so it hasn't arrived yet.
ATI x800 graphics card
around 100GB hard drive
1GB of memory
All i have to do is go and buy a better proccessor and thats cheaper than building one from scratch and going through all the hassle aswell.
First, see if there are any computer faires near you (read: anywhere within a 100-150 mile radius). These tend to be the best place to pick up gear, as you can haggle with the owners to get a better price, especially if you're going for a package deal. Stay away from young asian women, as they tend to be bait for the shops that can't get by on their prices alone.
Next, check pricewatch.com and look through online retailers... a number do ship to the UK, or are UK-based.
Third, walk down to your local superstore-conglomeration and check prices. I can't recommend any on the island, as most of my personal best prices are local stores.
Short version. You'll need to do some work if you want to see a good deal.
Remember, salesmen are NEVER nice!
And NEVER check just 1 store.
The PC is something you will have for several years (probably) so you should take some time to choose the right things.
You can tell us what you can spend and we will try to tell you what is the best for your money.
ill just stick with useing 50 escourts. nothing lives agains its shotgun like shots...