YAET: Buying a laptop

[jiwq]

Bidded and won a laptop on ebay.

Seller's feedback is 6 and all dated back to just a few days ago. One of them is from a person who sold him the same laptop earlier.

It seemed nice and all, but as soon as I won, he listed 2 more of the same laptop. Seems a bit suspicious, but in his auctions are pics of the laptop with his name written on it. He also offered local pickup. All his auctions have the same pictures of the laptop, though.

I've contacted him, but can't seem to get him to give me his phone number.

Any suggestions for a safe transaction?

 

[Amplifier]

buy from bluehippo

e: Thank me later

e2: check out these stats

256 Megs of SDRAM
1.6 Gigahertz Intel® Celeron Mobile processor
40 Gig Ultra ATA hard drive
CD Burner
DVD Drive
15" XGA TFT Active Matrix screen
6 cell lithium ion battery with AC pack
Integrated 56k modem and Intel® Ethernet adaptor
Microsoft® Windows XP
$700 worth of software

only 52 payments of $49.99 and a $100 activation fee!

 

[BigJ]

I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

 

[Baked]

Take a viagra, vanish, and ambush it from behind.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

 

[IHAVEAQUESTION]

Pick it up yourself just to be on the safe side. He doesn't have to give you his phone number, although he should give you method of contact so you are not left out dry.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

Not a bad deal at all.

He probably got in on the E1705 Dell deal that was going on a few weeks ago. I'd say he couldn't be making more than $100 off the deal.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: IHAVEAQUESTION
Pick it up yourself just to be on the safe side. He doesn't have to give you his phone number, although he should give you method of contact so you are not left out dry.

I'd love to pick it up, but he lives about 2500 miles from me

 

[Sentinel]

Well, how are you going to get the laptop? You have his name, address? Look up his ph# if need-be?

Seems like there is info. missing.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

Not a bad deal at all.

He probably got in on the E1705 Dell deal that was going on a few weeks ago. I'd say he couldn't be making more than $100 off the deal.

I dunno, his feedback history says that he bought that same laptop from a reputable vendor for almost $400 more than what I won the auction for.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: Sentinel
Well, how are you going to get the laptop? You have his name, address? Look up his ph# if need-be?

Seems like there is info. missing.

Let's see if i can find his number...

I just want to pay him paypal and have him ship it over, but things seem fishy.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

Not a bad deal at all.

He probably got in on the E1705 Dell deal that was going on a few weeks ago. I'd say he couldn't be making more than $100 off the deal.

I dunno, his feedback history says that he bought that same laptop from a reputable vendor for almost $400 more than what I won the auction for.

That I would be wary about.

Unless you really need a laptop, I would wait around until Dell had another deal.

Go to forums.slickdeals.net. You can see the older laptop deals that Dell has had over the past few weeks using their search.

 

[Sentinel]

Or...could see if this clown ships you what you purchased.

 

[dquan97]

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

How long is the warranty? Sounds like a pretty good price.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

Not a bad deal at all.

He probably got in on the E1705 Dell deal that was going on a few weeks ago. I'd say he couldn't be making more than $100 off the deal.

I dunno, his feedback history says that he bought that same laptop from a reputable vendor for almost $400 more than what I won the auction for.

That I would be wary about.

Unless you really need a laptop, I would wait around until Dell had another deal.

Go to forums.slickdeals.net. You can see the older laptop deals that Dell has had over the past few weeks using their search.

I checked their deals, but there hasn't been any coupon-stacking-rebate-EPP frenzies as of late.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: jiwq

I checked their deals, but there hasn't been any coupon-stacking-rebate-EPP frenzies as of late.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=0&t=290250&highlight=e1705

That is probably the deal that got the laptop the seller is posting.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: dquan97

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

How long is the warranty? Sounds like a pretty good price.

Warranty says 1 year from July 20th, and is transferrable.

 

[EagleKeeper]

See if you can find a AT person that you might trust to at least get a visual on the unit.

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
See if you can find a AT person that you might trust to at least get a visual on the unit.

Good idea. Anybody live in Jacksonville, FL want to be my escrow? I'll paypal you some cash

 

[j00fek]

dont buy a dell/apple lappy theyll blowup!! OMGZ

 

[zixxer]

ugh dude... dell has awesome deals on laptops. check gottadeal.com

or I think best buy had a slow but small laptop for like $400 no rebates.

 

[compnovice]

Originally posted by: Amplifier
buy from bluehippo

e: Thank me later

e2: check out these stats

256 Megs of SDRAM
1.6 Gigahertz Intel® Celeron Mobile processor
40 Gig Ultra ATA hard drive
CD Burner
DVD Drive
15" XGA TFT Active Matrix screen
6 cell lithium ion battery with AC pack
Integrated 56k modem and Intel® Ethernet adaptor
Microsoft® Windows XP
$700 worth of software

only 52 payments of $49.99 and a $100 activation fee!

OMG!! $2700 for that POS...

 

[jiwq]

Originally posted by: zixxer
ugh dude... dell has awesome deals on laptops. check gottadeal.com

or I think best buy had a slow but small laptop for like $400 no rebates.

there hasn't been anything from dell on the level of desktop replacements in a long time...

 

[maximus maximus]

Originally posted by: Amplifier
buy from bluehippo

e: Thank me later

e2: check out these stats

256 Megs of SDRAM
1.6 Gigahertz Intel® Celeron Mobile processor
40 Gig Ultra ATA hard drive
CD Burner
DVD Drive
15" XGA TFT Active Matrix screen
6 cell lithium ion battery with AC pack
Integrated 56k modem and Intel® Ethernet adaptor
Microsoft® Windows XP
$700 worth of software

only 52 payments of $49.99 and a $100 activation fee!

:Q

 

[phantom309]

Originally posted by: jiwq

Originally posted by: BigJ
I definitely wouldn't do it. Especially with all the deals Dell has lately been having on laptops.

It was $1475 shipped for a 2.0ghz core duo/2gb ram/7900gs/17" wuxga truelife/120gb 5400rpm/audigy

is that an ok price?

It might be the greatest deal in the world, but it's an awful lot of money to gamble on a guy with 6 feedbacks. Sometimes a scammer will open a new account, buy/sell a bunch of cheap crap (cheap cologne, figurines, dollar-store stuff) to generate some positive feedbacks quickly, and THEN start listing big-ticket items he'll never ship.

My advice is to find someone else he's sold to - and make it a >$500 item, not an imitation ceramic Thomas Kincaid soapdish or whatever - and find out if that person actually got it BEFORE you send the seller any money. If you can't find one, blow off the auction and take the neg. There are probably more crooks selling laptops than in any other area of eBay. Just doesn't seem worth the risk to me.