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Does this seem insane to anyone else?

Yeah this def. sounds a little sketchy to me. If its brand new why would they be selling it for only 1300 dollars. They would lose a fortune. It doesn't make any sense.
 
NillaWafer89 said:
Yeah this def. sounds a little sketchy to me. If its brand new why would they be selling it for only 1300 dollars. They would lose a fortune. It doesn't make any sense.
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Fencing stolen goods on the internet is big business.
 
Definitely sounds like a scam to me.

craigslist is an excellent place to buy stuff (including computer equipment), but there are always a few ads hanging around (like this one) that are too suspicious to be real.

A real, honest seller will just post a simple description of the item for sale. When I see stuff in all-caps, without a city or specific location listed, I smell a scam in the air.

One thing you can do is ask to see the seller's receipt for the item. This will usually distinguish an honest seller from a dishonest one. A proof of receipt can really help.... this usually does the trick immediately.

I don't always save my own receipts, but I can always get an Apple order number for a Mac I've bought. That is something to try.

In this case, I bet that you don't get any response from the seller, if you ask for a receipt. Then you are certain of a scam!
 
If they come back at you and say they don't have the receipt, you could still take it one step further and try to get the serial number from them. There are some sites I've heard of that keep a dBase of stolen Mac serial numbers, so if that serial is on that site, it's definitely stolen.
 
cptpower said:
If they come back at you and say they don't have the receipt, you could still take it one step further and try to get the serial number from them. There are some sites I've heard of that keep a dBase of stolen Mac serial numbers, so if that serial is on that site, it's definitely stolen.
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That's a good idea too. In my experience, folks with stolen equipment will immediately back away from a buyer who asks any of these questions.
 
mward333 said:
That's a good idea too. In my experience, folks with stolen equipment will immediately back away from a buyer who asks any of these questions.
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For sure; they're looking for the quick & easy sale. People who ask questions are way too much of a hassle for them, and could potentially lead them (deservingly) straight to jail, so they tend to stay clear.
 
cptpower said:
For sure; they're looking for the quick & easy sale. People who ask questions are way too much of a hassle for them, and could potentially lead them (deservingly) straight to jail, so they tend to stay clear.
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I learned my lesson about this the hard way, several years ago (2004?). I should have asked more questions about a sale I made to a fraudulent buyer. Ugh. Bad memories there. I learned my lesson once-and-for-all!! Someone scammed me bad.....

Anyway, yes, ask lots and lots of questions. An honest seller won't mind answering almost anything you want to know. A dishonest seller will vanish quickly.

Don't hesitate to check out a large purchase before you make the jump.
 
Email them, odds are they will come back saying they just moved and would like to complete the transaction through some third party pay site.

Happens most of the time when I am browsing Craigslist and come across a deal. Although sometimes they are real as people assume macs drop in value as quick as a pc.

However they all are too good to be true and usually impossible. Saw one ad for a brand new 12" powerbook with a 3 year warranty for 450. Emailed and the person wanted to set up an account to process the money.
 
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Don't fall into the trap of the scams.
 
Hahaha... yeah, that was my initial reaction too. I emailed... still no response. And if it really is on Seattle's craigslist too, then pretty much sure of a scam... although I was pretty sure right off the bat.
 
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