I was looking for Titan Quest online, and discovered that it seems copies can be found on Ebay pretty cheap.
I was aware that there are alot of scams and cases of fraud on ebay. So I checked out some of the listings. I looked to see whether a seller had a long history, whether they had almost all positive feedback, whether all that positive feedback came from many different people, made sure all the feedback didn’t come on the same day or small stretch of days.
I hypothesize that if a seller fits these criteria, then the seller is probably safe. Is that correct?
The thing is, if this is right, then based on the prices at which auctions for Titan Quest are ending, it seems like I can probably score a copy for $20-$30, including shipping. That makes the “too good to be true” light go off in my head–but given the other evidence, the light goes off only sort of faintly.
Another thing I notice is that most of these sellers are from overseas. Does that help explain the cheap price in some way? I can imagine either:
-That software gets sold for fewer dollars in other countries, so they can sell it cheap?, or
-That its alot easier to pirate software and sell it online in foreign countries, in which case I’m probably looking at pirated software.
I know little enough about eBay that I decline to speculate on whether or not those games are pirated. But it is absolutely, undeniably true that there are countries–India and China spring to mind-- where they simply do not have the same respect for copyright or intellectual property rights that we in the U.S. do. As a result, sometimes manufacturer sell copies at a lower price in that nation. (The it’s better to get $10 a copy for each of 1000 copies, than $90 a copy for 1 while someone else gets the money for less expensive copies).
Note: I am certain this happens with books, not as certain that it happens with software.
Dig a little deeper; what kind of items did they sell or buy to get that feedback? If it’s ebooks for a penny each (a common way of pumping feedback), then the seller is probably a shyster. Look at the feedback ratings and status of the people who left feedback for your seller; If they’re low, or ‘No Longer A Registered User’, this can be a warning sign.
Also beware of ‘imports’ (usually factory-produced pirate copies from China), and read the listing carefully to make sure there are no little clauses like:
-“you’re not actually buying the item, just the information on where you can buy it cheap”
-“If you don’t know why this is so cheap, don’t bid”
-“you’re not actually buying the item, just an empty box to put it in”
Oh, and check the shipping cost; many unscrupulous sellers shift items at knockdown prices with hugely inflated shipping, for a couple of reasons:
-They don’t pay ebay fees on the shipping element
-They don’t have to refund the shipping element if you need to return the item.
Can we assume you live in the US, Frylock? Because you don’t list a location in your SDMB profile, it’s difficult to judge what you mean by “overseas.”
Here in the United States, where I live, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom are all “overseas.” Canada is not. OTOH, if you live on Airstrip One, then EurAsia and EastAsia are all overseas to you, as would be the rest of Oceania!
Unless you are desperate, I would not even bid on DVD’s or software from locations in the Pacific Rim. Any seller out that way would be highly suspect; this is a well-known aspect (or at least commonly held belief) of eBay - so much so that many sellers in Hong Kong or Singapore will register with a United States location just so they are included in advanced searches that filter out foreign locations. The caveat is, of course, that in this day and age of digital technology, multiple releases, and limited availability, that may be the only reasonable way to assure yourself of a mint-condition copy of the soundtrack to Bubblegum Crisis - even if it is a Son-May knock-off.
In addition, what Mangetout says about shipping is absolutely true. eBay claims that they are cracking down on sellers who charge exhorbitant shipping, but they rely largely on people like us to report them for doing so in the first place.
