[redneck2]

I was looking thru e-bay last nite. Did a search for Swarovski scopes. Pulled up a 1-day listing for a 2.5x10-44 for $400 on a "Buy-it-Now". Wow. Super deal. Scope should go for over $1,000. Seller feedback is over 600 and 100%..

Little voice says...."too good to be true"

there's a bunch listed the same way this morning. Beware.

[Dave P]

Like th leupold knock-offs??

[feedthehogs]

Daughters boyfriend has bought numerous high end scopes off ebay for less than half of what they should have sold for.

All new in boxes with papers and covers, and zero'd fine and all held zero thru firing. I was thinking they were possible seconds but were not.

I'm thinking they were more of a fell off the back of a truck deal.

I suspect lots of non serialized merchandise that is hot, goes thru EBay quite often.

[redneck2]

No, this guy has a "buy it now" listed in the description and wants you to contact them via e-mail. Funny, there were two different sellers in two different states, but they had the same e-mail address.

For people here that don't know....this usually happens with fairly high end stuff like expensive scopes, equipment (Kubota, John Deere), boats, etc. Almost always a 1 day listing, and they have a cheap "Buy It Now"

Just forward your credit card info......

If you e-bay, you need to read their section about scams. Just hope I can save someone here some misery.

I'm thinking they were more of a fell off the back of a truck deal.

Once in a while you can get screaming deals. I look for scopes all the time. There is a LOT of mark-up on optics. Problem with this is that there are about 20 of these scopes listed right now from the same seller starting at $20. The chances of one guy having 20 Swarovski's at $20 are about the same as me being the next astronaut.

[joebogey]

The chances of one guy having 20 Swarovski's at $20 are about the same as me being the next astronaut

Just remember my friend, in America you can be anything you want to be. Just keep dreamin a little dream. :D

[CannibalCrowley]

As long as you use PayPal you're generally pretty safe. It's when you start giving out your credit card number or sending a cash, money orders, or wiring money that you can get yourself in taken for a ride.

I suspect lots of non serialized merchandise that is hot, goes thru EBay quite often.

That's what I've always figured. If not, then the markup for retail must be more than we think.

[redneck2]

Well, I had my PayPal account hacked, so I'm not so sure about that. I'd like to do it if I thought it was any better than anything else. Dunno.

Just remember my friend, in America you can be anything you want to be. Just keep dreamin a little dream.

Let's see...56 Y.O., three heart surgeries, high blood pressure, and a bad back. Other than that it's all good. Sign me up.

[rbernie]

Let's see...56 Y.O., three heart surgeries, high blood pressure, and a bad back. Other than that it's all good. Sign me up.Don't forget that you have to pass NASA's rigorous psychological screening...
;)

[offthepaper]

Yeah, need to pass the new poop test too. :neener:

[joebogey]

Let's see...56 Y.O., three heart surgeries, high blood pressure, and a bad back. Other than that it's all good. Sign me up.

Don't forget that you have to pass NASA's rigorous psychological screening...


See what I mean, as long as you don't get involved in a love triangle and drive half way across the US to whack someone, you should be good to go. :evil:

Oh, and don't forget to post pics when you get back. LMAO

[answerguy]

Did you notice the category they are listed under? Books > Antiquarian & Collectible

[hotpig]

If you pay with Pay pal and the other person empties their account you are screwed. My brother used to get screwed buying dvd collections on Ebay. Some times you find a deal other times you get ripped.

The big scam right now is people doing the buy now with Pay pal. That waite about 24 hours than cancel. My brother has a Ebay store and has between 1 and 2000 listings going at all times.

He was sitting at the station with me a couple of weeks ago using our wireless internet because it is faster than his satellite. In a two or three hour time he lost 1200.00 worth of dvd's because he had shipped them the day the pay pal was received.

Most customers that buy dvd have unverified Pay pal accounts. Many are Collage students what have a different billing than shipping address. Some people are just to lazy to get verified. Some people will never be verified because they get free stuff from us with the help of pay pal and ebay.

[princewally]

Did you notice the category they are listed under? Books > Antiquarian & Collectible

This is one of the best tip-offs that it's a scam.

[answerguy]

This is one of the best tip-offs that it's a scam.

How does that work to the seller's benefit?

[answerguy]

I just got a notice from Ebay that all items have been removed from sale.

[bogie]

Heh... There's all kinds of stuff out there... Bought a DVD, and they sent a bootleg (Firebase Gloria, sob....).

Bought another one from another outfit, and they sent a different one. I replied, and the guy said he'd fire me $2 to cover the postage, and to send it back and I'd get the real one. Didn't get the $2. Didn't get the other disk. If I neg him, he'll neg me back. Argh.

For DVDs, if you can manage the hookup, get dvddecrypt or something like that, and netflix or blockbuster's mail service, copy 'em to your hard drive, watch 'em when you wanna watch 'em, and then nuke 'em when you're done.

[moredes]

What he said about PayPal "security". There is no such thing. If you attempt to get a refund transacted by PayPal, and one party empties their bank account before PayPal gets there, you're screwed. PayPal will send you a notification--

"seller's bank account lacks sufficient funds--we have seized $2.17, all that remained in the account, and credited your PayPal account for $2.17. We consider the matter closed."

Does anyone believe I got a full refund? :rolleyes:

All PayPal/Ebay want is their cut. Your security is not their concern.

[jeffkirchner]

SUE PAYPAL (http://www.aboutpaypal.org/taking_paypal_to_court)

As a service has been performed at the county where you have your bank account, you can take PayPal to a Small Claims Court in the county where you reside, or, at least, where you have your bank account. This gives you a substantial advantage. If PayPal as defendant want to contest your case, they will have to send somebody.

[Ala Dan]

I agree, as I sell "high dollar" scopes everyday; and this deal don't seem
squeaky clean too me~! :uhoh: :scrutiny: :eek:

[dfaugh]

Arrrgh!

NOPaypal

My account was recently hacked as well (hadn'tused it in almost 2 years)...And as mentioned, there are numerous eBay/Paypal scams under way. SOMEONE, SOMEWHEREwill figure out how to beat you, evnetually

[princewally]

How does that work to the seller's benefit?

It applies more to electronics, because they are frequently scammed.

Buyers doing a search are less likely to notice the category of the item. Ebay and other watchdogs are less likely to do a search, they review items by category for "scam-like" conditions.

The short version: If it looks out of place, there's probably a reason.

[redneck2]

So, there's lot of Leupolds on e-bay all the time. How do you tell a real one???

I talked to my local gun dealer today. He says the knock-offs look pretty good and it's hard to tell.

This is one of the best tip-offs that it's a scam.

That, and the fact that it's a $1,600 scope for $400 Pay Now, and that it's a 1-day listing.

[redneck2]

This is weird. I just checked my e-mail. There's a message about someone adding another e-mail address to my PayPal account (which was supposed to be closed two years ago)

[CannibalCrowley]

This is weird. I just checked my e-mail. There's a message about someone adding another e-mail address to my PayPal account (which was supposed to be closed two years ago)

Whatever you do, don't click the link in the email. Most people who claim to have had their account "hacked" actually fell for a phishing scam.

[redneck2]

I guess I knew enough not to do that. I went to the real, live PayPal site and notified them.

thanks

[feedthehogs]

Standard retail markup is any where from 60% on down depending on volume that you purchase at.
Most manufacturers have a MSRP but most retail operations aren't required to stick to that or manufacturers have a set discount rate which is why sometimes an online retailer can't publish those prices if discounted below that percentage.

A favorite ploy is to up the MSRP and tell the public they are getting 40% off.
Well if you up the MSRP 30%, your only getting a true 10% off MSRP.

With the net its very easy to find out what the factory MSRP price is.
Its also pretty easy to get a hold of a gun store distributor catalog which shows what they pay from the distributor.

The gun store guy I dealt with for 15 years used to show me the catalog and the price he paid for the stuff and added his 15% plus shipping to the cost.
15% ain't a hell of a lot to keep a brick and mortor store open, but he did and after 15 years he had had it trying to keep the store open and sold it.

Now you get 10% off list on guns. Retail on accessories.

I've bought 2 or 3 hundred items off ebay over the years and have not been taken. Some items were less than they were described, but I expect that with every purchase.

The stuff I've sold went well also. I require postal money orders only as payment and cash them before merchandise is shipped.

While my daughters boyfriend got a great deal, I don't think I'd spring for a high end scope off ebay. There are enough online discount places to buy and know that you have a recourse if there is a problem.

[akman47]

It's funny to watch eBay devolve. I used to have a fairly good hobby selling gun parts on there until they went nazi and banned almost everything firearms related from sale. They cancelled an auction for some M16 mag pouches claiming it was related to illegal machine gun parts. What d***s!

Anyway, it's good to see the community safe from FAL scope mounts while scams, ripoffs, counterfeit goods, and child porn thrives on eBay. Do a search for Baikal sometime. I did and the search came back with one buttplate and 7 Russian videos of little boys lifting weights in tights. The damn perverts are taking over this country.