# Is this a scam on eBay? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 11, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511 "2003-03-11T07:32:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shakey\_Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Shakey\_Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakey_Jake)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/1 "2003-03-11T07:32:31Z")
[Look at this](http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2916674441&category=318) I’ve seen many auctions similar to this one. What’s the deal? Has anyone tried buying this information before? Are they stolen goods, or is this just BS? (longtime lurker, first post) ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/2 "2003-03-11T07:42:15Z")
I don’t know about the hardware, like TVs, but I recently bought a CD from someone on eBay claiming to have secrets to low-cost air travel, and I found it to be useful and well worth the small expense. But getting a free plasma TV does sound a bit unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/3 "2003-03-11T08:01:37Z")
Oh, that just sings scam to me. Sings it. That guy is hitting all the notes: [ul] [li] **Pandering to greed** : Something for nothing is the main thrust of his offer. You can get all of these fabulous prizes just by asking! Only pay shipping! He might as well throw in three wishes and seventy-two virgins, because his offer is supernaturally good.[/li][li] **Secret knowledge** : He has `insider knowledge they don't want you to know.' Just like everyone with a system for the stock market or the horse races. The cachet of having an `in’ on secret information is often enough to lure someone in even without the greed factor. Just look at all of the semi-secret fraternal organizations.[/li][li] **Flashy, misleading advertisement** : He isn’t selling _anything_ he has images of. He’s selling a system. A method. An untested trick for getting something out of the system. In the text he mentions that numerous times, but those images tell a much different story.[/li][/ul]That’s all I can list right now. The glib, slick design is harder to pin down and isolate, but it’s there, too. I bet most, if not all, of his positive ratings are really him and/or his associates, getting and trading off eBay identities like so many sock puppets. I suppose my main point is to learn to watch for these things. Once you can pick up on the main features, it’s easy to identify the hard sells and scams. ---
**Author:** ![Shakey\_Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@Shakey\_Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakey_Jake)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/4 "2003-03-11T08:12:55Z")
It does seem to reek of “scam,” Derleth. But if all similar auctions on eBay are fraudulent as well, you’d think something would be done about it. There are many of these; I’ve seen it several times before, and I don’t search eBay very often. ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/5 "2003-03-11T08:38:15Z")
Not to mention the fact that this guy doesn’t sell these great items he claims to be able to get for free. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/6 "2003-03-11T09:12:06Z")
I strongly suspect that this consists of “contact the manufacturer and ask for a review sample, promising to publish a formal review of the product on your website” or something along those lines. Surely _someone_ amongst the teeming millions has plumped for this, or are we all too savvy? ---
**Author:** ![Baraqiyal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@Baraqiyal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baraqiyal)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/7 "2003-03-11T09:18:11Z")
Okay, I did some research and [here’s](http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&selm=Vl8R9.64118%24eq2.15880881%40twister.nyroc.rr.com) what I came up with. Basically, it’s asking manufacturers for samples, as Mangetout said. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/8 "2003-03-11T12:50:27Z")
**Jake** , I suppose eBay can’t be expected to police all of its auctions all the time. Just like here on the SDMB, a severely bad post (one about the construction of a bong, for example) may be in existence for a few hours, depending on how busy the mods are and if anyone clicks the `Report this post to a moderator’ link. Is there a way to formally submit an eBay auction to the eBay’s management? We might be able to clear this up right quick. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/9 "2003-03-11T13:19:43Z")
There is a way; if you navigate the eBay help system there is a way of reporting items that infringe eBay’s listing criteria - I’m not sure whether this case actually _does_ though - in a fit of public-spiritedness a while back, I reported an item consisting of a program to crack the security on WinXP and they weren’t interested, apparently because the product was not a tangible one. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/10 "2003-03-11T13:25:58Z")
It has to be a scam. If he were honest, the title would be “Method for making money” and not “Sony Plasma TV Screen.” It’s a blatant attempt to attract people who are interested in one thing (A Sony TV screen) and try to sell them something else. Why does he have to mislead people like that if he’s an honest person? ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/11 "2003-03-11T13:31:56Z")
[hijack] I especially like this part: > [@](#): > > The same Digital Camera only costs the company about $20-$30 to manufacture. The entire markup is from the research and other technologies that have gone into the Digital Camera.The same Digital Camera only costs the company about $20-$30 to manufacture. The entire markup is from the research and other technologies that have gone into the Digital Camera. It’s the same for higher (as well as lower) priced items as well. So as you can see it is no big loss for the company to give away a sample of the Digital Camera that is only worth $20-$30 to them. So we paid 10 people for 2 years of work to do the research and design necessary to create the product, but THAT cost isn’t important. The product is _really_ only worth what it costs to manufacture. By this mentality, ALL software should be sold for at most a dollar or so, since CDs are cheap. Forget the fact that it took 30 people 2 years to write the damn product! [/end hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/12 "2003-03-11T13:41:45Z")
Agreed **Athena** ; ridiculous to suggest that R&D somehow isn’t a real cost. ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/13 "2003-03-11T14:53:11Z")
I’d check & see if he’s using copyrighted pics. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/14 "2003-03-11T14:57:47Z")
**Mangetout** , I might be interested in a program to crack WinXP if I were running an XP box myself and wanted to check for a specific hole. Just FYI, those programs do have a valid use. Anyway, how would you check to see if his images are protected by copyright? Can’t people take their own pictures anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/15 "2003-03-11T15:59:54Z")
I should clarify; the security in particular that the offered program was purporting to crack was the installation/licensing/activation aspects. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/16 "2003-03-11T16:10:07Z")
> [@](#): > > The same Digital Camera only costs the company about $20-$30 to manufacture. The entire markup is from the research and other technologies that have gone into the Digital Camera.The same Digital Camera only costs the company about $20-$30 to manufacture. The entire markup is from the research and other technologies that have gone into the Digital Camera. It’s the same for higher (as well as lower) priced items as well. So as you can see it is no big loss for the company to give away a sample of the Digital Camera that is only worth $20-$30 to them. I have not seen the particular Camera they are talking about but unless it is a really cheap one I doubt that the parts for the camera are $20 to $30. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/17 "2003-03-11T16:43:30Z")
[vikings]Scam scam scam scam. Lovely scam! Wonderful scam! Scam sca-a-a-a-a-am scam sca-a-a-a-a-am scam. Lovely scam! Lovely scam! Lovely scam! Lovely scam! Lovely scam! Scam scam scam scam![/vikings] ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/18 "2003-03-11T17:12:06Z")
> [@](#): > > I might be interested in a program to crack WinXP if I were running an XP box myself and wanted to check for a specific hole. Just FYI, those programs do have a valid use. Absolutely. There’s a diference between trying to crack Microsoft’s DRM (Digital Rights Management in their eyes, Damned Retrictive Methods in pretty much everyone else’s) to be able to set up multiple machines from one licensed copy, and trying to crack XP’s security to discover vulnerabilities. We run various cracks on our servers pretty often to sniff out security leaks and bad passwords such as “boss” or “password” on root or administrator accounts. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/19 "2003-03-11T21:31:08Z")
Whatever! - anti-circumvention products are against the letter of the eBay listing criteria; reporting them was the correct thing to do. > [@](#): > > Do not list any hardware and software that would enable users to “rip” or otherwise make unauthorised copies of copy-protected video games, software programmes, CD-ROMs, DVDs, or CDs. > > eBay Guideline: > Encouraging the use of devices or software designed to defeat copy-protection measures is also not allowed on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Brilharma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Brilharma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brilharma)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511/20 "2003-03-11T22:47:26Z")
I’m not very familiar with Ebay, but down near the bottom it says: “**[There is no shipping fee because this product will be sent via email.]**” Man, I can’t remember the last time I got a plasma televison through my e-mail. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam-on-ebay/160511.md?page=2)