15" powerbook on ebay

[Freakz]

hey guys, ive just seen a 15" powerbook on ebay, G4, the latest model.. superdrive, 512mb etc. its brand new, unopened, full warentee etc..

the thing is, the guy is in the UK and he only wants $2100 AUD for it.. in Aus its like $3900 from an apple store.. so why is he selling it so cheap..

i really want it, but equally i really dont wanna get burned..

oh and he has a 450+ positive rating... eeek!

[Garry]

Why are you asking us?

Send the link and I'll see what I can find out.

[Freakz]

i thought you guys would be able to shed some light on why he is selling it so cheaply.. and whether or not to go for it.

unfortunately he has taken the link down now because he wants to negotiate a private sale..

ill put the email he sent me in here though in a sec

[Xer34]

Be extremely careful when buying expensive things on ebay. Powerbooks especially. There are so many scams going on for those things, so just watch youself. Check his feedback, email him, do whatever. Be careful.

[Freakz]

Hello,

    Thank you for your interest!

    First you have to know the item is available on eBay, but the bidding/buying is restricted.The reason  is that I had too many problems with bidders in the past and since then I am carefully with my auctions.The auction is a buy it now one so, only one person can buy it.

    I am currently located in London, UK and the powerBook will be shipped from here. Shipping will take 2 days with FedEx or UPS. Also I will declare the PowerBook as a gift so you will pay NO CUSTOMS WHEN YOU WILL RECEIVE IT!

    The PowerBook is brand new, sealed in ORIGINAL box, never opend and in perfect condition.

    It comes with 1 year international transferable, blank warranty card.

    The buy now price would be $2100 AUD for the  Apple PowerBook G4 1.5GHz, 512mb, 80GB, CDRW/DVD-R (with all the shipping/handling and insurance charges included).

    Please let me know ASAP if you are interested and we can arrange a private deal to save time and money. I have preffered this special type of auction because of the multiple problems I've had in the past with non paying bidders.

I'll be waiting for your answer.

Thank you!

Klaus Tomek

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[Freakz]

his feed back was excellent.. like 99% with over 450 recommendations!

[Xer34]

Can you give me a link to the auction? So far he looks alright.

[Garry]

It's a scam.

I don't know why really - I just get a feeling - probably something to do with:

1. Price

2. FedEx or UPS? Yes they exist in the UK, but they're not the first two shipping companies that a UKer would choose (probably).

3. Declaring something as a gift doesn't mean you won't pay customs fees.

4. Doubtful a UK dealer would work in AUD.

5. Wants to arrange a private deal and lose the limited protection of eBay and Paypal.

6. Klaus Tomek is not a British name.

It might not be a scam but given the six points above all put together, I'd be very very careful.

[Xer34]

Thats why Id rather have a link to the auction. It sounds really weird.. and yeah, I have that feeling too :/

[Freakz]

Sorry for my late reply!

It seems that according to ebay I still have to pay some fees (taxes) for some old transactions. I didn't receive any emails from them to announce me about that, that's why I did not pay!

Therefore, they decided to stop my auction until I will complete the payment for the old debts. It is rather pitiful, but that's what happened!

I will fulfill my obligations and afterwards I will renew the auction if it will be necesary! Anyway, the product is still available for sale and I'm glad to answer your questions.

You have to know that the PowerBook is perfect compatible with Australian standards. It comes with an addaptor and can be used at 200-240 Volts. The keyboard is iluminated.

You will not pay any duty tax, as I will declare the unit as a gift for you.

The payment will be done through money transfer service and I provide a 100% secure method of doing this. The idea is that I don't require upfront payment, but only a payment proof. And all this will take up to 48h, a lot more faster than Paypal,COD or ESCROW,which will take up to 10 days.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Klaus

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[Freakz]

link has been taken down..

argh i cant remember his ebay name either.. any way to retrieve it from his email add??

[Freakz]

just emailed him.. asking more about the money transfer.. im not going to do it unless its got some sort of protection, like paypal etc

thanks for your input guys

[AcdShdw]

im selling my powerbook 15 inch-wide 1.5ghz 1gig ram dvd burner ya that whole jaz, should be on ebay by saturday, asking 2000 or 1800 USD no warrenty tho unfortunatly ive had it since july , dont really need it that much anymore since my video cam broke and i dont have access to the studio anymore

[Freakz]

found him

http://feedback.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.d...d=blueladysmith

[the_snitch]

uh...he has nothing for sale anymore :pinch:

[Freakz]

im selling my powerbook 15 inch-wide 1.5ghz 1gig ram dvd burner ya that whole jaz, should be on ebay by saturday, asking 2000 or 1800 USD  no warrenty tho unfortunatly ive had it since july , dont really need it that much anymore since my video cam broke and i dont have access to the studio anymore

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unfortunately im looking for a new one !

[Xer34]

Have you seen all the other stuff he sold? The most money he's dealt with is like.. $11. I say it sounds too risky. But it from Solarix if anything.

[NeoXY]

my question is why is the Power Book still in its original box and cover and unopened?.....you might not get burned but it might be stolen....so do becarful...

[Garry]

Don't do it.

As soon as someone says you *have* to use their method of payment, it's a scam.

[Freakz]

latest email... hmm strange.. sounds really genuine.. whats western union like?

Hello,

Please send me your invoice details and everything will be just fine.

So, the final price is 2100 AUD for the Apple PowerBook G4 1.5GHz, 512mb, 80GB, CDRW/DVD-R  including all shipping and insurance charges.

I accept only WESTERN UNION because is very fast.

If you pay me today, after I will check the transfer on www.westernunion.com and everything is OK, I will ship the product imediatelly in excelent condition with UPS 2 days and you will receive it in max.48 hours.

You will get the product with all the accessories that you need and be sure that it will be a fast and, of course, safe way to ship it . If any damage appears during the shipping I will support them all and if necessarry I will give you the money back or the same product new, too.

Regarding shippment and payment here are the details :

1. SHIPPMENT :

There are 3 options of delivery services that are very

fast :

- UPS 2 days air insured

- FedEx 2 days air insured

- DHL insured

Any of those services are good, but I personally

prefere UPS 2 days air, if you have other preference,

there is no problem.

2. PAYMENT :

For payment, the fastest way to send money worldwide is Western Union wire transfer. To arrange the transfer,  you must go in person to an POST OFFICE(Western Union) or MoneyGram agent (you can send money online to my country by phone, or please visit www.westernunion.com  to find the nearest agent and hours of operation).

From Western Union , you will receive a number (MTCN-Money Transfer Control Number), you must send me that number as soon as you have arranged the payment so I can go to www.westernunion.com  to see if the transaction is arranged.

As soon as I have verifyed the transaction, I will ship you the package with all the accesories with the delivery service selected by you.

For the reason that you will pay some money for the Western Union wire transfer fee, I will cover shipping and insurance.

3. INSURANCE

The package will be insured at the delivery service for the amount of 2100.

If somethig happens on the road , you will receive the insurance from the delivery service.

4. RETURN POLICY

As soon as the package arrives, you will test the product and if it does not matches 100% to your expectations, you will return it in max. 15 days sience the arrival date. In this case I will send you the full amount back and you will send me the product in the original box and you will pay the return shipping and insurance.

The shipping will be with UPS 2 days air or FedEx 2

days air and I will pay shipping and insurance charges.

Here is my name and full address for the transfer:

NAME : Klaus Tomek

Address:212a HIGH ROAD

ZIP:E113HU

City:London

United Kingdom

I'll be waiting for your reply in order to close this deal as soon as possible.

Regards.

Klaus

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[Freakz]

exactly what are the ramifications if its stolen?

[Starcom826]

DO NOT go western union. It's just wiring the money to him. Get a better payment method, or just don't go through with it. It's too much money to risk.

[supernova_00]

P-P-Powerbook

[Freakz]

what payment method should i suggest then?

paypal

or what about if i asked to pay a deposit then the rest on delevery?

[Starcom826]

Well paypal is much safer. A certain amount of your money is covered. Paying direct through credit card is best, because laws pertaining to credit card payment protect you from any fraud charged to your credit card. If he accepts an alternative paying method maybe. But from one of your emails, it seems he said WU only, which seems highly suspicious.

Edit: The credit card thing is U.S. law. If you don't live in the U.S., I'm not sure what the law might be in whatever country you live in. Australia?