What is Digg?Sponsored by HTC
87 Comments
- verticalmule, on 10/12/2007, -9/+45All criminals should be this nice, just because they bad doesn't mean they have to be rude
- Lumiras, on 10/12/2007, -4/+30Well, I don't condone stealing or scamming, but the lady buying the dress was a complete idiot. If she would read the dozens of messages eBay has about not doing anything outside of eBay, she would realize she was being scammed. Also, the wire transfer should have been a huge tip-off, as it is the only type of transaction (outside of cash) that cannot be taken back once it is sent. The girl who got scammed should get her money back, but she shouldn't be allowed to use eBay ever again
- Salmonax, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22I would most definitely prefer someone who scammed me own up to it (and even gloat) rather than disappearing into the night.
At least that's some sort of closure, however perverse. - RockTheWall, on 10/12/2007, -3/+22I'm a firm believer in natural selection. Stupidity should never be rewarded.
That said, I hate people exploiting systems with a dependence on an amount (however small) of virtue and goodwill. - unholy1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+16Honest or not, the scammer is still the scum that makes this world a worse place in which to live. Hopefully the police will be able to track him / her down, but I doubt they will.
- Misos, on 10/12/2007, -8/+21Exploitation is wrong, it doesn't matter how "courteous" the exploiter is after-the-fact.
Would you congratulate a rapist for leaving a "morning after pill" with his victim? The woman is down $2,400 - if the guy was courteous, he'd give it back!
I hope he gets his credit card stolen or something. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14All the good scam listings I've seen on ebay ALL have been accurate and truthful, like the guy selling an Xbox-360 BOX.
He said it was an empty box 8 times, but some stupid twit sill bid it up to more than 550 pounds despite the 8 refferences like "this is an empty box" and "does NOT contain an xbox 360 nor any of its accessories".
These were not hidden in the listing at all, but in plain black and white.
Some people will just never learn.
Thank god for that, I enjoy a good laugh :) - thewise1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Nothing I say here excuses the scammer, but seriously, people need to not be so stupid. The wife of the late Grand General Soahami of Nigeria is NOT going to pay you $20 million. That deal on ebay looks too good to be true, because it's a scam. Those guys want to have a 'business associate' pick up your item for sale, and have you wire back the balance of the overpayment they sent you? Yeah, it's a scam.
Basically, if any of the following applies, it's probably a scam. Move on.
1. Involves a wire transfer.
2. Involves a foreign country, and double so if it's nigeria, sierre leone, or other such african countries.
3. Involves a foreign government official who died and needs to launder some money (see #2).
4. Involves a cashier's check, especially if it's for more than the amount you're asking and they want a refund of the difference.
5. Involves someone who can't communicate in somewhat understandable english.
6. Involves some 'escrow service' that you've never heard of - littleidiot, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12nothing more romantic than buying your wedding dress off of ebay... :)
- kowgod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Damn tribune, it requires registration like 12 hours after being posted or something. Sorry.
Here is another link to the syndicated story, no registration required:
http://www.southbendtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060307/Lives06/603070493/-1/Lives/CAT=Lives06 - agnoster, on 10/12/2007, -13/+21Whoa, hold on there. You're comparing stealing money to rape. I do not feel bad for the people taken in by scams - there's a reason for the saying "a fool and his money are soon parted". It's natural, and it keeps the stupid people from having too much money which is probably a good thing.
Rape is a violent crime, quite possibly the worst I can imagine. Don't compare the two, it makes you look either inflammatory or ignorant to put the two in the same context. - jlbraun, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Doesn't surprise me that the Bridezilla(tm) syndrome is alive and well.
"Blakely Smith dreamed of getting married in a Monique Lhuillier wedding gown--the kind she'd always loved when she saw them on celebrities like Pink in People magazine."
Ack. Gag me. To her fiance, she's going to be like this the rest of her life. Demanding, greedy and gullible. Dump her now before she does this with YOUR money. - nymphetamine, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7They should really make it madatory for new ebay users to read some sort of thing on scams. I know that they have a page or something where they talk about this, but it would probably be best for people to be forced to read this, instead of finding out the hard way and then blaming ebay for it.
- senfo, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12Interesting. It's almost as if you justify taking over $2,400 from somebody because he/she was "nice". Personally, I see it as being honest, and nothing more. I simply cannot view this scam or the actions of the scammer as anything near nice, but that's just me. I hope (s)he's caught and forced to pay back every penny and then some.
By the, not jumping on you, just sharing my opinion ;-). - radda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7http://www.bugmenot.com
- Pottersquash, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8Yes there is, getting the engagement ring from a pawn shop.
- jimio, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5That's what I like to hear.^^
I have been trying to sell a Mobile Phone recently, and these Nigerian guys keep winning it and asking me to email "pay.pal.net" or "onlinepaypals.com" with my tracking number.
It's a disgrace and eBay should add more controls to stop it happening - mwebb1984, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4There is always a trade-off between risks and benefits. There are some items bought from some sellers on ebay that have less risk associated with them. However, many of the "best deals" to be found on ebay do involve a significant amount of risk-- but usually that risk discourages vigorous bidding and helps keep the price down, so that through multiple transactions there will be winners and losers but overall the benefit should still outweigh the loss. That being said, there are also many obvious scams on ebay....... most people will avoid them but there will always be those "intellectually challenged" that will fall for the most blatant scams.
- jk_baller23, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Kate needs a roundhouse kick by Chuck Norris. Kate should be afraid because no one can hide from Chuck Norris.
- Alex3917, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8isepic, is it fraud when my breakfast cereal doesn't come with the hot girl in the TV commercial?
- TheAttacks, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Good read, I use Ebay, but sometimes things happen, like i recently mislabeled a 128MB stick of RAM as 256, it was old, that's what the sticker said, what i didn't realize was the sticker labeled the entire "stock" system's memory.
- kowgod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That might work if they made it like agreeing to a terms of service. But instead of just being some page of tiny lawyer speak that no one actually reads, it should be accessible and easily understood, with clear examples of popular scams, but not optional. On a per user basis, not a per auction basis. Or something like that...
- TheoDork, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5There's nothing better than people selling pictures or boxes of an item, ie. selling a picture of a new laptop and receiving $1,000 for it.
- thewise1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4look about 2 inches below the login div, chief :D
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Might be the case when a tiny little "does not contain *****" is added right at the bottom of the listing, but when an item's description AND topic say that its just the box then people have nobody to blame but themselves when they waste huge sums of cash on the things.
The particular item listed it 8 times, both in the description and the topic in plain english, not disguised in system specs (he didn't list any) and stuff there is no one to blame but a greedy buyer who thought they were getting an unbelieable price. - deleteYourslf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Does anyone ever ACTUALLY read terms of services??? I don't think there's any practical way to force people to use common sense, if they haven't developed it by now they never will.
- TheOtherGuy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6eBay is becoming more and more a den of thieves. Very Disappointing
- iSEPIC, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5you see, this "empty box" really gets me, because they show a picture of not an empty box, but of a xbox system (most times) including all the accessories. Given this, that is (IMO) fraud. They should show a pic of what they are selling, if you're shown a pic of more than that, you should get more than that, even if there is a * at the bottom of the page saying that you only get the cardboard.
- converge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Oldest trick in the book! How do these morons still fall for this crap?
- ryan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Darwinism at work.
- SnakeO, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Can't they just see what IP address has been accessing that email account?
- sstidman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I hope eBay is listening to you. I don't completely avoid eBay, but I must say that I am so skeptical of scams that it certainly prevents me from using eBay nearly as much as I normally would. If eBay is unable to stop the increasing number of scams, or even the perception that scams are increasing, then eBay will eventually find itself with a soiled brand name and declining revenues as more and more people decide "eBay just isn't worth the risk".
- Yonson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4An A for honesty. And an F--- for being a douchebag.
- scotty1024, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Someone needs to take eBay and Paypal to the FTC and have them spanked.
They claim its unsafe to do a transaction "outside" eBay but so far every time I've been scammed in an "inside" transaction I've never been protected by eBay nor Paypal. The hard reality is that eBay and Paypal's bread is buttered by the sellers and thus they have always been easy on sellers and harsh on buyers. After all, if buyers don't pay the sellers, how does eBay get paid?
Viewed in this light their "policy" against outside transactions is revealed for what it really is, it isn't about protecting buyers: its about protecting eBay's profits. Every transaction closed outside of eBay is one they don't collect on. Their policy is similar to the movie theater policy on "No outside food or drink".
So long as the scammer cuts in eBay (pays the auction fee) the most eBay will do is slap them on the wrist. eBay is always quick to remind unhappy buyers that the transaction is between the seller and buyer. All eBay does it profit from the buyer being scammed, other than that, they have no involvement. Their sage advice: Please work it out amongst yourselves and have a nice day! - Dangerman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4don't forget 7. Overnight shipping
pronounced: stolen card - serra, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You're a guy, you don't understand. And just because you buy something that expensive for the most important day in your life, it doesn't mean that you can afford it.
- DoctorEvil, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3eBay would never do that. It's the right thing to do, however by promoting it so visibly they're only detracting from the safety/security of their "venue" that they try to promote in order to get large amounts of buyers using eBay. People don't understand that eBay will do very little to help when you've been defrauded, and they try to minimize this issue at every corner.
- Jaxor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4By show of hands, who HASN'T heard of some legal issue or someone getting scammed on ebay?
[cricket...cricket]
Not to be rude, but scams are nothing new: how does it keep happening?
Be careful out there... :S - RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2eBay is a major risk. I'm a "gold star" user there (yipee) and I've been scammed at least $400 along the way. Here are some myths about eBay security that I'll probably post to my blog later..
#1. If someone has high feedback they are safe to to business with - this is untrue for several reasons. First, they could buy a lot of little crap. Second, hardly anybody ever gives negative feedback unless they get seriously screwed - because they are afraid of getting a negative feedback in return. If they get seriously screwed, it's likely the guy who screwed them already had his account canceled by the time they try to leave the feedback anyway.
#2. If you buy things with a credit card using PayPal you are protected. This is false. When you try to dispute the charges, the credit card company will point out that the transacation between the CC and PayPal went fine - it's between PayPal and the seller that things went wonky and that's where your problem is. If you have ever tried to get money back from PayPal, you have had a glimpse of what it would be like to push a boulder up a hill for an eternity. You will never get anywhere.
There are other myths about eBay security... if anyone can think of any let me know. - MediaShipper, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Yeah, I mean the whole point of using eBay is so that it is safe. I could put crap online somewhere and tell people to send me money for it and I will send them the item, but you have no way of making sure I'm telling you any truths. At least on eBay you have some standards and safeguards. This idiot buyer just decided to ignore all the standards and safeguards, and give her money away.
- ezkiel, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3one word: proxy.
- helzerman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I almost got scammed when purchasing the PS2 when it was first released. The guy I sent money to gave me a line about not getting his "shipment." I found out where he lived and let him know I'd be collecting the money or the box "one way or the other" He sent the box the next day. Imagine if he knew I'm only 5'3" and 110 pounds w/ no sleazy "connections"? heehee I watch too much Sopranos. ;-)
- cartwheels, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2^ Nice.
I think it's hilarious that "Kate" flat out told her she'd been scammed. I think the scammer deserves a swift kick to the ovaries. - thewise1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Offtopic, but I agree. Have some imagination if you don't want to go traditional... copying celebrities is the epitome of lame.
- kowgod, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Umm. No. I wasn't. A sarcasm detector would come in handy here...
- RyeBrye, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1that's an expensive cable descrambler
- Zipp425, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3thats funny, it reminds me of the guy from My Name is Earl.... "Its nothing personal, I just cant help myself, its what i do..."
- MikeCampo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Haha that sucks for her. The best scams are the Xbox360 boxes that sell for a lot of $$$, even though it says what you're buying in the description :p
- iSEPIC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@ Alex3917 depends on what you think you're buying. If you think you're buying a hot girl, with a box of breakfast cereal, then yeah, it is fraud. For instance I sell "HOT GIRL!!"--Escort on ebay, you bid for it, and only get the box of cereal, yes that's fraud. If I post "Box of Cereal" w/o the escort (e.g. in this example, post in the title "container only" not "xbox" then below say "doesn't include xbox, even though pictured".. you see the difference? Probably not.
- selloutvixen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/
That's all I'm gonna say. -
Show 51 - 88 of 88 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is