Post by jamie on Jan 12, 2013 8:02:25 GMT -6
I thought I'd share my journal entry for today regarding a bogus E-bay listing.
Fun Researching E-Bay Saturday, January 12, 2013
My first cups of coffee in the morning are shared with my news blogs and E-bay searches. I turned up a “doozie” this morning. There are so many crooks trying to scam money, I thought I would show how to uncover such listings on E-Bay.
Here is a screen shot of the listing for an Edison Spring Motor Phonograph I reported to E-bay this morning.
An opening bid of .99¢ is always an attention grabber. This is a trick I use when I sell to annoy people. But, I always explain in my listing description the reason why I start all my auctions at that price.
This machine as pictured has so many rare features. I’ll go out on a limb and say this should have a value somewhere between $7,000. - $10,000.
The only description in the listing for this machine is: “Hi There bidders. I really Know very little about this item other than its a rare collectable, my great grandfather recently passed and this was left in his basement and my wife an I don't know what to do with it, bid accordingly.”
The seller stating this was “found in the basement” implies it has been untouched for a long time. This machine has been totally restored and bunched together with some of the rarest accessories to be found in the phonograph collecting field. I really doubt it was “left in a basement.”
This seller only has four feedbacks. This does not instill confidence for an extremely rare big ticket item.
The shipping is listed at $27.80. This machine weighs a LOT. The shipping should be at least four times that amount.
The pictures in this listing speak volumes showing off the motor and rare accessories. They look as if they were shot professionally.
Scammers are famous for pulling pictures from the internet. Doing a Google search for “Edison Spring Motor” under “images” pulled up the E-Bay listing pictures in this website in seconds:
www.earlytech.com/shop/view_item/1938944498
Bingo!! This was all the evidence needed to report to E-Bay this auction is bogus.
As an E-Bay buyer it always pays to do research. If I had time to spare I would string this crook along, but I need to get this house of mine cleaned up in preparation of the rowing club party to be held here on Friday.
Any serious collector who would be bidding on this auction should realize it is a scam….
Fun Researching E-Bay Saturday, January 12, 2013
My first cups of coffee in the morning are shared with my news blogs and E-bay searches. I turned up a “doozie” this morning. There are so many crooks trying to scam money, I thought I would show how to uncover such listings on E-Bay.
Here is a screen shot of the listing for an Edison Spring Motor Phonograph I reported to E-bay this morning.
An opening bid of .99¢ is always an attention grabber. This is a trick I use when I sell to annoy people. But, I always explain in my listing description the reason why I start all my auctions at that price.
This machine as pictured has so many rare features. I’ll go out on a limb and say this should have a value somewhere between $7,000. - $10,000.
The only description in the listing for this machine is: “Hi There bidders. I really Know very little about this item other than its a rare collectable, my great grandfather recently passed and this was left in his basement and my wife an I don't know what to do with it, bid accordingly.”
The seller stating this was “found in the basement” implies it has been untouched for a long time. This machine has been totally restored and bunched together with some of the rarest accessories to be found in the phonograph collecting field. I really doubt it was “left in a basement.”
This seller only has four feedbacks. This does not instill confidence for an extremely rare big ticket item.
The shipping is listed at $27.80. This machine weighs a LOT. The shipping should be at least four times that amount.
The pictures in this listing speak volumes showing off the motor and rare accessories. They look as if they were shot professionally.
Scammers are famous for pulling pictures from the internet. Doing a Google search for “Edison Spring Motor” under “images” pulled up the E-Bay listing pictures in this website in seconds:
www.earlytech.com/shop/view_item/1938944498
Bingo!! This was all the evidence needed to report to E-Bay this auction is bogus.
As an E-Bay buyer it always pays to do research. If I had time to spare I would string this crook along, but I need to get this house of mine cleaned up in preparation of the rowing club party to be held here on Friday.
Any serious collector who would be bidding on this auction should realize it is a scam….