Looks like a scam but feedback looks genuine. Confused

[trash.talk]

I'm in the market for a 15" rMBP which is why I came across this. In the last two days I've seen 14 rMBP from hijacked accounts that are obviously fraudulent.

This one is different. I was watching it and it sold for more that I was prepared to pay. It looks genuine and the seller has sold other Apple products at high prices and has good feedback so it all looked OK, this was the auction 261224818819 the seller has the usual scam tactics of asking for contact outside ebay, but as I say looking at the feedback it looks genuine

However while perusing the auctions today, I see that the same seller has the same item as above listed again on a 3 day auction. This one has the same serial number listed. 

This could be because the other sale fell through, who knows. 

So from one point of view it looks like a scam but on the other it does not. I wrote to the seller asking for a price, and he replied immediately but then he has gone silent.

In the end I have decided this there are more scam signs than non scam signs, looks like someone who may have been a genuine seller once but is trying to squeeze out a couple of fake sales based on good past feedback.

I reported it anyway because I think it's worth checking out considering that it's a 3 day auction and the serial number is the same. 

What do you reckon. 

[scotty*75]

 I wrote to the seller asking for a price, and he replied immediately but then he has gone silent.

Thats quite normal for a seller to go quiet AFTER  they have answered your question 🙂

[putney32]

emailing someone you suspect may be a scammer is just adding to the information they hold about you.

[trash.talk]

putney, it all depends on the circumstances. Someone having one of my disposable email addresses is no biggy. On high value transactions I often initiate some form of contact to get a feel for the person. In this case the feel was decidedly dodgy. 

It now looks to me like a simple fraud which I have reported. Up until the second item was put in with the same serial number, the ad seemed genuine which is why I guess the first one went for over $2,500

Ebay is getting to be a very difficult place to buy from these days, for high value items.

[phorum_junkie*]

Looks like the seller is more likely to be scammed than to be scamming a buyer. They are giving the buyer the option to pay for regular post with no SOD so would have no Paypal seller protection. The quote for registered (no9 such thing anymore) probably includes insurance up to the full value and is much more realistic but no buyer is going to choose to pay fifty bucks more just to cover the seller's ass.

They are offering COD probably thinking they are offering cash on pick up.

They are probably relisting because the first buyer has either turned out to be a scammer or has chosen COD!

If I wanted a Mac and if it was at a price I was happy with and I was prepared to pay the cost of return fully trackable postage then nothing in the listing or the seller's selling history would put me off buying, as with any expensive purchase I would fund the Paypal payment with a credit card for double protection.

No they shouldn't have asked for contact to arrange a deal but a lot of sellers do not realise this is against the rules.

[trash.talk]

Hi phorum_junkie*, I'm convinced it's a scam. It's one of those scams where the seller does not care whether it sells or not he instead is just interested in keeping his contact details up and robbing people outside ebay. One ad was pulled by ebay but a new one popped up straight away. 261227564871

[davewil1964]

So why ask, if you already know the answer?

[trash.talk]

@ davewil1964 that answer to your question is that when I posted the thread I was not sure as per my original post, but by the time phorum junkie answered it was listed a second time. Right now it's been listed again as a one day auction 261227580822 so that pretty well nails it now.

The question remains though why eBay ignore it.

[the_great_she_elephant]

That's two lots of FVFs (if it sold the second time) and three lots of listing fees (if, as you say, he's now listed it a third time.)

I wonder if  Hino man has gone into the electronics business?:^O

[***super_nova***]

One ad was pulled by ebay but a new one popped up straight away. 261227564871

No it was not pulled, the message says:  This listing was ended by the seller because there was an error in the listing.

Not many scammers put in their listing: 

CALL ME AND WE CAN DISCUSS A BETTER DEAL

My name is Thanasi, you can text, call, Skype video, FaceTime, email me, whatever.

and put in their name, phone number & email, which is reportable.