Forums · Ebay\Xbox 360 MADNESS
Thought I'd share this with you guys.
I'm a member on ebay and I randomly bid on things for ridiculous prices. Cause I'm an odd guy.
Anyway, I saw an xbox 360 for sale for like 1 cent, but with a reserve price. I later found out this reserve was $500 US. I decided to test the limits of the reserve and bid a whopping $20.51 US. Sadly, I did not meet the reserve and I didn't really follow up on the item.
A few days later, I receive an e-mail from ebay. It was a second chance offer for an xbox 360 I must have bid on a few days earlier. It seems the winning bidder refused to pay and the auction was passed on to me. I clicked on it so I could read it before deleting it and noticed that the 'buy it now' price for the xbox 360 core system was... $20.51.
My heart stopped. $20.51? This is too good to be true. Now, I have vowed to many, even on this site, that I will never to buy a 360 for moral reasons, but in the heat of the moment I actually clicked buy it now and the ebay contractial obligation for me to own an xbox 360 for the price of $20.51 was set up.
I sent an e-mail off to the seller letting him know where I lived and asking how much he wanted for shipping. I mean, this man sent me the offer so he's either crazy or doesn't know what he's doing. I was counting on crazy.
I get an e-mail back saying this:
"The item had a minimum of $500 plus $35 shipping, you did not meet the minimum bid.
If you want the 360 the payment can be made through paypal or money order to my address at ****************** GA"
It was then that I realized I would not be receiving an xbox 360 core system for a mere $20.51, BUT the seller was under legal obligations to sell me the xbox for $20.51. So... I decided to have some fun.
I sent out this e-mail:
"I'm aware I did not meet the minimum bid, but you sent me an offer for $20.51. Am I to assume that you are defaulting on the auction? Signed *whatever thadduis' real name is*"
I promptly received this in return:
"The price is $500 for the system and $35 shipping.
That is final. If you do not want the system for this price that is fine."
So i sent one back:
"You're right. It is final. Ebay is telling me I owe you $20.51 for an xbox 360 core system, and I'd just like to know how much to pay you in shipping. I live in Canada."
Again, a response:
"NO!
The price is $500 minimum plus $35 shipping. If you are not interested then sorry.
I would never sell a system like that for $20.
If you do not want the 360 do not reply any further."
I sent this back:
"I do want the system. But this auction here is bugging me.
Maybe you don't have the link cause i guess you're new at this,
*link to auction where it plainly states that the auction was bought, by me, for $20.51*
Check the price.
You say you'd never sell for $20, but YOU sent ME the offer. Not the other way around. And as you can clearly see, it's for $20.51.
Again, are you defaulting on the auction? If you do not reply to this message, or reply with an answer of 'it's $500' I'll take that as a yes, unless you do of crouse, reply with a 'no'.
So if you ARE defauting on the auction, you will be hearing from ebay and my feedback to you will reflect your actions. If you aren't, well... I live in Canada and need to know how much you want for shipping. If you suddenly decide that you do not deal with Canada, I do have another adress within the States you can send it to.
Thanks for your time. I look forward to your response.
-*thaddius*"
This really pissed the guy off, as you can imagine. He realized he was stuck. He HAD to sell me this system or suffer the wrath of ebay. So he did what many sellers do on ebay who want more money for the item; he sent me a bill for $500 shipping. This however can be contested by the buyer, and I imagine he realized that so it was promptly cancelled.
I fancy the idea that he was screaming loudly at him computer screen because of some punk kid (22 year old kid) in Canada was trying to hoodwink him.
I wouldn't have been so hard on him if he hadn't been asking $500 for a CORE SYSTEM, which sells for about $399. That's called exploitation ladies and gentlemen, and I can't have that. So ironically he was almost exploited in the process.
I finally let up, and I sent him an e-mail explaining that I didn't want his xbox. I told him that if he first, thought about what he was doing next time, he might not be in a situation where he's selling a $400 piece of equiment for $20, second, leave me positive feedback saying the situation was resolved, and third, maybe put the reserve price at something FAIR next time, I'd leave him positive feedback in return and not contact ebay.
At first I thought he had blocked me or was ignoring my e-mails cause it's been two days since our e-mail converstaion, but, alas, today my feedback went up by one. And, being a man true to his word, unless an xbox 360 presents itself for $20, I left him positive feedback in return.
Be wary scam artists! For thaddius, your local mod, is prowling ebay!
I'm a member on ebay and I randomly bid on things for ridiculous prices. Cause I'm an odd guy.
Anyway, I saw an xbox 360 for sale for like 1 cent, but with a reserve price. I later found out this reserve was $500 US. I decided to test the limits of the reserve and bid a whopping $20.51 US. Sadly, I did not meet the reserve and I didn't really follow up on the item.
A few days later, I receive an e-mail from ebay. It was a second chance offer for an xbox 360 I must have bid on a few days earlier. It seems the winning bidder refused to pay and the auction was passed on to me. I clicked on it so I could read it before deleting it and noticed that the 'buy it now' price for the xbox 360 core system was... $20.51.
My heart stopped. $20.51? This is too good to be true. Now, I have vowed to many, even on this site, that I will never to buy a 360 for moral reasons, but in the heat of the moment I actually clicked buy it now and the ebay contractial obligation for me to own an xbox 360 for the price of $20.51 was set up.
I sent an e-mail off to the seller letting him know where I lived and asking how much he wanted for shipping. I mean, this man sent me the offer so he's either crazy or doesn't know what he's doing. I was counting on crazy.
I get an e-mail back saying this:
"The item had a minimum of $500 plus $35 shipping, you did not meet the minimum bid.
If you want the 360 the payment can be made through paypal or money order to my address at ****************** GA"
It was then that I realized I would not be receiving an xbox 360 core system for a mere $20.51, BUT the seller was under legal obligations to sell me the xbox for $20.51. So... I decided to have some fun.
I sent out this e-mail:
"I'm aware I did not meet the minimum bid, but you sent me an offer for $20.51. Am I to assume that you are defaulting on the auction? Signed *whatever thadduis' real name is*"
I promptly received this in return:
"The price is $500 for the system and $35 shipping.
That is final. If you do not want the system for this price that is fine."
So i sent one back:
"You're right. It is final. Ebay is telling me I owe you $20.51 for an xbox 360 core system, and I'd just like to know how much to pay you in shipping. I live in Canada."
Again, a response:
"NO!
The price is $500 minimum plus $35 shipping. If you are not interested then sorry.
I would never sell a system like that for $20.
If you do not want the 360 do not reply any further."
I sent this back:
"I do want the system. But this auction here is bugging me.
Maybe you don't have the link cause i guess you're new at this,
*link to auction where it plainly states that the auction was bought, by me, for $20.51*
Check the price.
You say you'd never sell for $20, but YOU sent ME the offer. Not the other way around. And as you can clearly see, it's for $20.51.
Again, are you defaulting on the auction? If you do not reply to this message, or reply with an answer of 'it's $500' I'll take that as a yes, unless you do of crouse, reply with a 'no'.
So if you ARE defauting on the auction, you will be hearing from ebay and my feedback to you will reflect your actions. If you aren't, well... I live in Canada and need to know how much you want for shipping. If you suddenly decide that you do not deal with Canada, I do have another adress within the States you can send it to.
Thanks for your time. I look forward to your response.
-*thaddius*"
This really pissed the guy off, as you can imagine. He realized he was stuck. He HAD to sell me this system or suffer the wrath of ebay. So he did what many sellers do on ebay who want more money for the item; he sent me a bill for $500 shipping. This however can be contested by the buyer, and I imagine he realized that so it was promptly cancelled.
I fancy the idea that he was screaming loudly at him computer screen because of some punk kid (22 year old kid) in Canada was trying to hoodwink him.
I wouldn't have been so hard on him if he hadn't been asking $500 for a CORE SYSTEM, which sells for about $399. That's called exploitation ladies and gentlemen, and I can't have that. So ironically he was almost exploited in the process.
I finally let up, and I sent him an e-mail explaining that I didn't want his xbox. I told him that if he first, thought about what he was doing next time, he might not be in a situation where he's selling a $400 piece of equiment for $20, second, leave me positive feedback saying the situation was resolved, and third, maybe put the reserve price at something FAIR next time, I'd leave him positive feedback in return and not contact ebay.
At first I thought he had blocked me or was ignoring my e-mails cause it's been two days since our e-mail converstaion, but, alas, today my feedback went up by one. And, being a man true to his word, unless an xbox 360 presents itself for $20, I left him positive feedback in return.
Be wary scam artists! For thaddius, your local mod, is prowling ebay!
[quote author=Lazydude link=topic=21586.msg118907#msg118907 date=1134667319]
LMAO, nice work thaddius, even though you didn't get the Xbox. But look at what happened to this fellow.
[/quote]
If you'll notice, I did my share to stop some of those guys as well.
LMAO, nice work thaddius, even though you didn't get the Xbox. But look at what happened to this fellow.
[/quote]
If you'll notice, I did my share to stop some of those guys as well.
I would've likede to have bought it, but something tells me I wouldn't have received it. The guy was quite clear that he didn't want to sell it to me for that much.
I don't think he'd mind being kicked off of ebay if the alternative is losing $400 on the transaction.
I don't think he'd mind being kicked off of ebay if the alternative is losing $400 on the transaction.