posted on January 29, 2001 04:27:37 PM new
I've been watching these darn boxes and saw 1 user as high bidder on 3 of them until the listing either get cancelled or he retracted.
Not sure if this is the way to go, I agree that this has to stop! Every customer burnt is a potential customer of mine/ours lost.
There's a potential here of a legitimate seller getting hurt. And what would the public think, every PS2 being sold on ebay is a scam? Think of the poor guy who invested his life savings on PS2's and stood outside every K-mart within 100 miles to buy his inventory.
posted on January 29, 2001 04:46:36 PM new
I understand what you are saying, but I would like to think that an honest person selling these units will:
1) Reply to an e-mail asking if it is the Real thing, not only a box
2) Clearly word the auction so that the person, newbie or old salt, knows exactly what they are bidding on
None of the EMPTY box seller have done so. Pretty easy to spot the real ones from a fake.
posted on January 29, 2001 05:17:06 PM new
You're right napcruz, when I first started buying I would have been taken in by the scam. I've gotten a little more cynical in the last few years. It's a shame you have to ask someone if you are buying an item or the box it came in.
posted on January 29, 2001 05:25:56 PM new
Since when does trying to get a good deal on something make it YOUR FAULT when someone is clearly is misrepresenting the item?
posted on January 29, 2001 06:34:58 PM new
As mentioned to those of us who know what is going on it is now pretty easy to spot box sellers. I do not remember which auction is was but I think it was the first one from the thread "look at this auction". If you check the feedback, Someone sent $400 to this low life and got a PS box for his money.
If you do not think this hurts the every day small seller you are DEAD Wrong.
Most of the bidders in these auctions have been new to eBay, with little or no feedback, so they may believe all eBay sellers are rip-off artists. The fraud victim, I imagine, would never make another purchase on eBay, I sure wouldn't if someone did this to me.
This is not the sort of thing one keeps to themselves either. How many people who have had a problem with a business have told everyone who would listen? Example: you are ripped off by an unethical mechanical for the tune of 400.00. You want to tell friends and family what happened and which mechanic to stay far away from. When enough innocent people are victimized by these sellers everyone of us honestebay sellers are hurt.
I don't think people are going after the actual real PS sellers, they are going after those who make it pretty apparent they are box sellers. When I say, "apparent" I mean to those who know what to look for. These are the ones who will not clarify what it is they are actually selling, will not return emails, etc When a real ps seller realizes that their auctions may be confused with those dishonest box selling auctions they quickly reword their auctions so there is NO misunderstanding!
And what would the public think; every PS2 being sold on ebay is a scam? Think of the poor guy who invested his life savings on PS2's and stood outside every K-mart within 100 miles to buy his inventory.
These are the guys who should be screaming the loudest about these fraudulent auctions because the box sellers are hurting their auctions. Say you buy a box thinking it is a PS, would you really venture back onto eBay and bid on another one?
posted on January 29, 2001 10:23:20 PM new
Ummm...just askin here, but does ANYONE think that maybe the FIRST $400 dollar box was a "set-up" URBAN LEGEND???
I have seen this box auction posted in at LEAST 10 places that are NOT auction related?...Has anyone pulled the conact info on the buyer AND the seller and looked for any similarities?
Keith
I assume full responsibility for my actions, except
the ones that are someone else's fault.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:41:12 PM new
What do you mean by set up?
It was for real.
You might want to check the feedback of one person who actually bought the 400.00 box. I will try to find the link for you.
I have seen this box auction posted in at LEAST 10 places that are NOT auction related?...
I don't know if it is because it is late and I am just tired, but I do not understand what this means.
The box sellers seem to be putting their wares in Playstation/electronic related catagories. This might be because there are no Playstation box catagories.
posted on January 29, 2001 10:50:49 PM new
Good! Perhaps eBay is listening.
These kind of auctions, not only hurt, legitimate eBay sellers, but in the long run it will hurt eBay.
Frankly, (don't call me Frank) I am really suprised that there have not been any media publicity about this. I bet Sony would be a bit P.O.ed about all this. Surely, (don't call me Shirley) they are aware of all this hoopla.
Or, perhaps I am living in my own little eBay world.
posted on January 29, 2001 11:24:34 PM new
I hope I never see another PS2........I got 6 of them, sold 2 outside of ebay....Sold two to newbies........and that left two.....the first time I sold the last two, one did not meet reserve and the other one sold to a person who later claimed that someone had stolen their id......so I still had two left.........another newbie bought both of them.....and paid for them with a stolen paypal account........thankfully I was on my toes and realized something was up and did not mail them............so finally I have sold the last two, both to newbies and I made them both pay by money order.....[br]The PS2's have caused alot of people to sign up for ebay, and maybe, if their experience was good, they will be back, but as others have pointed out, many have been ripped off and we will all be hurt by that. I am just glad to be done with them and happy to be back selling clothes.....
posted on January 30, 2001 03:30:07 PM new
napcruz!
You are brilliant! That was a great thing to do!
I have been emailing sellers and asking them to clarify. I have been notifying Ebay at the same time for misleading listings. I have bid/retracted so that I could express my concern about ambiguity if the seller does not respond. Finally, I have encouraged others to email bidders to suggest that they re-read the listing, and contact the seller for clarification.
