Is this a scam on ebay?

[trumad]

check it out:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=80212&item=6745716809

[KitchenWitch]

1. looks scammy to me

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Looks like it to me. And it also looks like some idiot "won" and is now

out $401. :hi:

[physioex]

8. It's bad...

Because people just bid on it and didn't read the entire ad carefully. I suppose I could have made a mistake like that as well so I won't pass any judgement.

[sui generis]

3. of course. you can't fool your gut.

If something is too good to be true, it is ALWAYS, without exception, too good to be true.

[trumad]

5. Like my first marriage...

;-)

[arcane1]

4. looks like it

they charge you $5 to receive email spam, and then probably have to fwd those to your friends, etc


hmm... does that mean the person who posts it gets to keep the $400 that has been bid, too? :shrug:

[Kire]

6. looks like some kind of pyramid scheme, or something

so yes, most definitely a scam (probably legal, too, which makes it worse)

[merh]

7. IMHO, Yes it is and I can't believe some sucker paid $401 for the link

There are tons of companies that offer "free" products if you are willing to be the tester of the product to give them feed back. There are folks who have set up websites and post office boxes that will provide you with their secrets on how to get that big screen t.v. or the lap top.

[arcane1]

9. hell, in this scam, you don't even get the product!!

from the link:

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS

The winning bidder will receive a special link that will allow you to become a member of a company providing this exciting offer. Once you pay $5 (using paypal) you will start recieving emails in your account (usually you receive aprox. 1 email per day). At the bottom of each email is a link; when you click the link it puts 1 credit in your account. Once you have reached 210 credits, you recieve the laptop. You dont even pay shipping!!!


Other Features: 10/100 LAN Card, Carrying Case, Firewire, Modem, XP Operating System, USB, Wireless Network Card


Remember, you are not buying a laptop from me for $5.00 but are being referred to a website that will supply you with a Sony Vaio Laptop Computer once you earn enough credits from reading e-mails.

[physioex]

10. I wouldn't say sucker...

There are thousands of laptops for sale on ebay. And after reading soo many you many not have read this one carefully and just bid on this product.

[merh]

14. If you paid 401 for this, wouldn't you feel like you had been suckered?

:shrug:

[physioex]

16. Right....

But you are putting words in my mouth. Sucker is a noun, suckered is an adjective. The adjective is ok with me, but the noun seems a bit judgemental. :)

[merh]

18. If he/she paid $401 for the describe "item" then he/she was

suckered and that would make him/her a sucker.

[physioex]

19. Actually...

It's a case of newbieism, look at the people who placed a bid, they have never bought stuff on ebay in the past.

[AlCzervik]

11. any contest that requires you to pay a fee is a scam imo

[LynneSin]

12. Yep and I'll tell you how

They're pyramid websites!

They get people to join their website by promising folks really really nice prizes for cheap, like the Sony Laptop being offered in the link you posted. The catch is quite simple.

Say I join the website because I want a free website. The only way I'll get that website is to encourage other people to join that website too. Of course then you're also to solicit more folks to join the website which of course since I got you to join that would only boost my "worth". Eventually if I get enough folks joining this website I can win free prizes.

What's the website? Probably some spam email collection site which is using the lure of nifty prizes in order to get more folks to sign up to receive all sorts of great spam.

It's a scam and Ebay needs to put a stop to this crap! There is no product being sold - only an idea. Hell, I'd rather spend $5 and buy a ghost in a bottle,somebody's soul or Brittney Spear's old chewing gum.

[AllegroRondo]

17. You got it

the only way to get a laptop is to convince 210 other people to pay $5 to join the website.

[LynneSin]

20. I think you get some bonus credit if those folks get other people

to also join!

It is a scam and ebay needs to pull those!

[SaveElmer]

13. Scammage

Look at the guys feedback...only 2...he just started doing this...they will get yanked

[benburch]

15. Feel free to turn him in to Ebay nt

[WoodrowFan]

21. report it (I did)

you can report it on this page in Ebay./

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/mlm.html

[benburch]

22. Good Job!

I was too busy fighting server problems earlier to rat on this asshole.