# X Box Scam??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159 "2003-03-18T00:44:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shai\_tan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Shai\_tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shai_tan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/1 "2003-03-18T00:44:19Z")
While shopping on ebay, I came across several auctioneers that were selling “links” to websites where you can supposedly buy an X-box for 15 dollars, a 42" plasma TV for 50 dollars, and so forth. They claim it can take a week to three months to be able to purchase it at that price but that it actually works. What’s the deal? Is it a scam, is there fine print, what? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/2 "2003-03-18T00:48:48Z")
If it is too good to be true… This has been discussed before. You pretend you are a wholesaler, and you try to get the companies to sell you a “sample” for cheap. Once upon a time, this sometimes used to work, if you had cool letterheads, a business address etc. However, now there are all theses dickheads on ebay pushing this idea. Won’t work, save your cash. ---
**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 18, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/3 "2003-03-18T00:52:49Z")
It is probably a scam, after all if they guy knows where to buy stuff dirt cheap, why isn’t he selling the _stuff_? In any case, it is against ebay rules to sell a link; > [@](#): > > _From eBay’s help system: > [Topics \> eBay Policies \> Prohibited and Restricted Items \> Catalog and URL Sales](http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/catalogs.html)_ > Listings of URLs that offer buyers the opportunity to purchase items outside of eBay are prohibited. report it. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/4 "2003-03-18T15:43:51Z")
It’s just a scam-ish sort of way to make money & it just refers usually to [globalmarketing.com](http://globalmarketing.com) . It’s nothing special, take a look at it if you want. Does it work? One guy told me it does but all he got was a small controller & don’t you think after getting 100,000 requests for free stuff some Manf won’t pay attention anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Luongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chris\_Luongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Luongo)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/5 "2003-03-19T03:30:47Z")
Yes, it’s a scam—they usually just give you a link to [globalsources.com](http://globalsources.com). I’ve seen these a lot on eBay. If you do a search for any high-end car audio brand, one or two of these auctions always seem to come up. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2003, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-box-scam/162159/6 "2003-03-19T04:29:48Z")
This came up a week ago. See [Is this a scam on eBay?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=168732). It’s a scam.