I wish this weren't a scam, but how could it not be?

JeffD · Jun 28, 2006

contax 645 camera and lens for 100 dollars?

http://cgi.ebay.com/CONTAX-645-AF-C...263QQihZ002QQcategoryZ307QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

b1bmsgt · Jun 28, 2006

Well, that's just the starting bid, of course.

The guy has 935 feedbacks with only one negative. Should be legit...

Russ

reellis67 · Jun 28, 2006

Dont' get too excited yet, about 8 seconds before the end of the auction the price will skyrocket...

- Randy

david b · Jun 28, 2006

Well, anytime you see an email inside the auction, it most likely is a scam. Always email the the seller through the ebay system and always check their other auctions as well as past auctions.

My rule of thumb is if it's too good to be true...it probably is.

naturephoto1 · Jun 28, 2006

Jeff,

It could be legit. First the camera has been discontinued. The seller does not set a reserve, but I am sure that there is one. He indicates that he has 5 and that you can have one for $1000. He also indicates that the units are new. It is possible that these are gray market and do not have the US warranty. Additionally, though he says they are new, it is possible that they were a demo/refurbished? unit as through the manufacturer. Cameras as such have a limited warranty from the manufacturer and are sold for less money.

Rich

Sandeep · Jun 28, 2006

It's a scam - having to email them for some mysterious conditions and terms before being allowed to place your bid. Report such auctions to ebay.

Dave Parker · Jun 28, 2006

It does not sound like a scam, if you read the listing, the starting bid and the price he has in the body of the listing are different, and he has now ended the listing, it said $99 in the starting bid and it said in the body you can have one for a $1000, having your email in the listing is not a sign of a scam, heck I have done it hundreds of times, and I am not a scammer, he closed the listing and I would suspect he will list it again, you guys are so afraid of getting taken, that sometimes, you don't read.

R.

Helen B · Jun 28, 2006

I think that it is a hijacked account. Look at the difference between the listings for the figurines in the feedback from buyers and the recently listed $99 electronic and photo goods.

Best,
Helen

reellis67 · Jun 28, 2006

I think Rich is on the money actualy. eBay typicaly does not allow the option to sell an item outside the auction listing because this both prevents them from getting their cut and open bidders to scams which then could be linked the eBay in some way. I'm no expert on eBay though, so make your own decisions if he relists it.

- Randy

reellis67 · Jun 28, 2006

Helen B said:
I think that it is a hijacked account. Look at the difference between the listings for the figurines in the feedback from buyers and the recently listed $99 electronic and photo goods.

Best,
Helen

See, I wouldn't have even though about checking that.

- Randy

Greg_E · Jun 28, 2006

Lots of scams like this lately.

JeffD · Jun 28, 2006

I think I misread...

I saw the starting price at $99, then saw his offer to email him for a "buy it now" price of $1000

I misread that $1000 for $100.

But still. These usually go for 1600 or so, not including shipping...

Gay Larson · Jun 28, 2006

It's been pulled because of a mistake in the listing. So either it was hijacked or it was listed wrong. In either case it was too good to be true.

Dave Parker · Jun 28, 2006

JeffD said:
I think I misread...

I saw the starting price at $99, then saw his offer to email him for a "buy it now" price of $1000

I misread that $1000 for $100.

But still. These usually go for 1600 or so, not including shipping...

Jeff,

In this day an age, I don't see that it was a bad ad, just an ad with a mistake, I was in the locate pro lab today and could have bought a Contax AF with lens and ready to go for $895.00 the guy selling needed money because of his upgrade(or downgrade) depending on how you look at it...

Things are a changing folks.

R.

Greg_E · Jun 28, 2006

Here is a popular scam item
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140002726141
I've lost count of the number of times I've reported this same item.

And that other one is/was a scam.

c6h6o3 · Jun 28, 2006

You always have to check things out. I bought a 19" Goerz APO Red Dot Artar from Dagor77, who starts his always no reserve auctions at $0.77. Sometimes what looks too good to be true, isn't.

kb244 · Jun 28, 2006

As a General Rule, I never deal with any sellers that ask for contact outside of ebay (especially if the email is in the listing, and not something you do thru ebay) since its 99.99999% a scam (theres always a chance that the 0.000000001% is someone who cant use the ebay system).

But I wouldnt be surprised if certain items go for real cheap, half the time its because they did not put it in a well traveled category for the types of goods listed. Others could just be simply lack of keywords or not properly spelled. Sometimes you can get a good deal if you know what to look for. You usually gota be weary of the ones where there from people who playing dumb, like they say "yea, my dad gave me an RZ67, and I'm not sure if it works , but seems to be ok" where they claim ignorance, which half the time means theres something broken with it, and by claiming ignorance you cant scream as much if it come broken, or it also fuels those who think "man, this guy doesnt know what he has ,I think I can get a good deal on it".

Oh also if yer really bored, you check their recent sales and buys, its a big red flag when someone either.

1) has 40 sellings of 99 cent items.
2) many buyings of 99 cent items.
3) only feedbacks come from another account and only that account.

Then all the sudden a high dollar item.

Wigwam Jones · Jun 28, 2006

One hundred percent scam. I can't believe people keep falling for these hijacked accounts. I have always thought it was a mitzvah to let people know when one finds these things. However, some people become so hostile when advised that they're about to be fleeced, that now I just shrug and walk away. W.C. Fields allegedly said "It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money." He may have been on the right track.

kb244 · Jun 28, 2006

Wigwam Jones said:
One hundred percent scam. I can't believe people keep falling for these hijacked accounts. I have always thought it was a mitzvah to let people know when one finds these things. However, some people become so hostile when advised that they're about to be fleeced, that now I just shrug and walk away. W.C. Fields allegedly said "It is morally wrong to allow a sucker to keep his money." He may have been on the right track.

True because its like yer insulting their inteligence and they're embarrased. Its like that saying "No good deed goes unpunished" , the best thing you can do is just report the auction to ebay yourself, if it is a scam ebay themselves will likely kill the listing, and advise the buyers not to send anything, and if paid via paypal that transaction would be reverted, though most ask for other means of paying which ebay cannot control.

And Remeber folks
If seller ask for western union.... no exceptin ITS A SCAM, you WILL NOT see that money ever, and it is 100% un-secure doesnt matter what the WU cleark says.

Bob F. · Jun 28, 2006

Very strange listing: is selling several hi-tech items as well as the figurines etc - all "email me first" with different email addresses. Some are "The seller ended this listing early because of an error in the listing" - those have been put in the music - CD section.

Ah... that was interesting - the rogue listings were just deleted in front of my eyes! The original one is still there at the moment though...

Cheers, Bob.

paul ron · Jun 29, 2006

It's e-bay's house of junk. I see more cameras come into my shop, real junk, bought on e-bay. What seems like a great deal is more than likely a junker.

David H. Bebbington · Jun 29, 2006

kb244 said:
And Remeber folks
If seller ask for western union.... no exceptin ITS A SCAM, you WILL NOT see that money ever, and it is 100% un-secure doesnt matter what the WU cleark says.

I don't like Western Union because it is expensive and less secure than PayPal, but I have paid for items by this means where the seller will not take PayPal and the item concerned is very rare - have not experienced any problems.

Regards,

David

eclarke · Jun 29, 2006

Gay Larson said:
It's been pulled because of a mistake in the listing. So either it was hijacked or it was listed wrong. In either case it was too good to be true.

This is just a classic sucker trap..Scam,scam,scam...EC

I wish this weren't a scam, but how could it not be?

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency