# Is this a scam? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 8, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356 "2004-06-08T23:09:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mic84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mic84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mic84)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/1 "2004-06-08T23:09:22Z")
Here’s the deal: A couple of days ago, I saw an ad on campus to the effect that a nearly new laptop is for sale for CAD$600 (around US$400, one-fourth the price of a new one). Now, this is pretty cheap, so I emailed the guy(no phone number provided). He replied that he already agreed to meet with someone else to show the laptop, that he’s busy, and leaving for Germany in 2 days. We exchanged a couple more emails(he wrote that he didn’t yet meet with the other potential buyer yet, so I should wait and see, yadda-yadda) Now, today I get an email from him that says that he didn’t sell the laptop, and took it to Germany with him, but is still willing to mail it to me. He asks that I send $150 to him, then he’ll mail the laptop(on him; I figure that’d be about EUR100), and when I get the laptop I can send the other $450. He (as any reasonable person would, of course) rejected my offer to first get the laptop and then send the money. So, what do you think? Is this a scam? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/2 "2004-06-08T23:13:52Z")
I wouldn’t bother personally. That he was selling it so cheaply to begin with yet still didn’t manage to sell it sounds like a discerning person said no thanks or there was no meeting with another person. That you have to post $150 to someone you don’t know would be a no-no to me. Even if your communications were offered as some sort of proof of purchase I’ve no idea how that would stand in court anywhere if he did a runner with your money :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/3 "2004-06-08T23:14:41Z")
I would say yes. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/4 "2004-06-08T23:15:29Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > a discerning person said no thanks or there was no meeting with another person. Sorry, I meant you’ve no way of knowing what went on or if there was a meeting at all. ---
**Author:** ![mic84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mic84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mic84)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/5 "2004-06-08T23:21:02Z")
Yeah, well, there’s no question that if he is a scammer he’d get away with it. For one thing, he says he’s in Germany, while I’m in Canada. For another, I very much doubt $150 is worth going to court for, contract or not. Too bad you all think he’s a scammer. I still kinda hoped that it’s only me, and I actually have a good deal on my hands ☹ ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/6 "2004-06-08T23:25:32Z")
It smells like you’re being played. I’ve sold a bunch of notebooks in my day. Think about it from a typical sellers’s point of view. Why is he willing to sell it to you for 25-30% of market value, and ship it overseas, when he could throw it on the German Ebay, and probably get at least 75% (or more for a new unit) of the market value of the unit. When things don’t make sense there’s often a scam involved. Look up the model # of the unit, and see what he could sell it for on the German and US eBays under completed sales. That should tell you whether his proposed deal with you makes any sense or not. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/7 "2004-06-08T23:25:50Z")
If it sounds too good to be true…it is. ---
**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:** [June 8, 2004, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/8 "2004-06-08T23:27:26Z")
It’s impossible to tell whether it is a scam, which is what rings alarm bells for me; I’d only go ahead with the deal if he agrees to use an escrow service (something I’ve never actually used though). ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/9 "2004-06-08T23:31:24Z")
Perhaps it’s the scammer who got scammed with the [p-p-p-pwerbook](http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/), and he’s trying to get rid of that. ---
**Author:** ![mic84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mic84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mic84)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/10 "2004-06-08T23:35:38Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It’s impossible to tell whether it is a scam, which is what rings alarm bells for me; I’d only go ahead with the deal if he agrees to use an escrow service (something I’ve never actually used though). Hmm… I didn’t know those existed for this kind of amounts. Thanks! **astro** : Yeah, the price really is good for me and doesn’t make any sense for him. Then again, that’s why I became interested in the first place… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2004, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/11 "2004-06-08T23:37:11Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > Perhaps it’s the scammer who got scammed with the [p-p-p-pwerbook](http://www.p-p-p-powerbook.com/), and he’s trying to get rid of that. Whatever happened with that? ---
**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/12 "2004-06-09T01:20:04Z")
I wouldn’t do it. If you really need a laptop, try [Dell](http://dell.ca), [Future Shop](http://futureshop.ca), or [Best Buy](http://bestbuycanada.ca). Sure, it will cost more, but they generally sell laptops at reasonable prices, and at least there will be a number to call in case you run into problems with your computer in the future. You can’t get that kind of security buying the PowerBook from that other guy you don’t even know. I mean, you don’t really know where that computer has been. Maybe if this was eBay and he had excellent feedback ratings, but that’s not the case here. ---
**Author:** ![mic84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@mic84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mic84)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-scam/249356/13 "2004-06-09T01:25:05Z")
Thanks; I know, of course. I don’t actually _need_ a laptop, though, just thought that was a good deal.