I Went and Got Scammed
I guess it happens to us all sometimes. We see a deal that seems too good to be true and ignore the warning signs that we are dealing with a con artist.
For a long time I have been wanting to get a copy of a marketing course that originally sold for about a thousand dollars.
In recent months, with the release of a new version, the old course (which is still full of valuable information) has dropped in price on eBay. At first it sold for nearly retail price. Later, the price came down to around $600, and now it can be found for $300 and sometimes a bit less.
Well, I saw an auction for a copy and the listing showed a photograph of the complete product laid out on a table so you could see that everything was there. The listing said that the seller would sell it for $145 and to send an email if interested. When I contacted the seller I was asked for my PayPal email address so that they could bill me for the product plus shipping.
BIG WARNING SIGN NUMBER ONE – the seller wanted to complete the sale off of the eBay system. That’s a big against the eBay rules and is a classic scammer move.
I figured the seller just wanted to save some cash in fees and I went along with it. After I sent the money, I received a note inside eBay from the seller saying, “I just want to make sure that you will receive all material in digital format on a DVD. I’ll ship it tomorrow. ”
The course includes a DVD, 10 audio CDs, 9 CD-ROMs, and 2 printed workbooks. That was what was pictured in the listing. So, I wasn’t sure what to make of this remark and decided to wait until the package arrived to determine if I was scammed… but I had a bad feeling.
The package arrived today and it was – in fact – not the course pictured. I got one home made disc in a cardboard wrapper.
The moral of the story: if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. And, if the person trying to sell it to you asks you to follow them down a digital dark alley to complete the deal… RUN AWAY FAST.
The moral of the story if you are thinking about selling anything like this: the seller has been reported to PayPal as selling fraudulent and/or bootleg products (I have to inspect the disc to determine if the files on it are copies from the real course. Also, because the seller shipped the package to me across state lines using the US Postal Service, this transaction constitutes Interstate Mail Fraud.
Mail Fraud is a felony and carries a sentence of up to five years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000 in a case like this. I intend to bring the letter and its contents to the attention of the local post office as well as PayPal.
Hopefully I’ll get my foolishly spent money back and apply it toward purchasing a legitimate used copy of this course from a legitimate vendor. But, if I don’t, it will be an expensive reminder the next time I am tempted by a deal that seems too good to be true.
Have you ever bought something from a piece of spam? Was part of a Seth Godin recent post.
If you have not read the post do so. I for one have done every one.
dang. what a pain! i hope you get your money back.
Joseph,
I’ve never bought anything from a piece of spam. I’m on a bunch of marketing oriented mailing lists, though, and the shear volume of email can make it tough to spot the unsolicited stuff. I tend to only buy from a couple of people who I know and trust when it comes to email promos.
In this case, I started on an auction page, but let myself get seduced into taking the sale outside the auction site – very bad choice.
Auschick,
The good news is that the seller quickly refunded the full amount after I filed a PayPal complaint – no questions or dispute. I’d say that was a pretty good indication that the seller was very intentionally running a scam on me.
I’m relieved to get my money back, and I hope that filing complaints with the Postal Service and PayPal helps to shut down this scammer and keep anyone else from getting victimized.
The Go-To Guy!
I want to give a special thank you to John T. for ‘buying me a cup of coffee’ for this post.
Thanks, John! The coffee tastes great.
The Go-to Guy!
Well, you’re not alone.. for years I’ve been wanting Adobe Photoshop but at $699, I’ve never purchased it.. suddenly I came across a whole lot of sellers on ebay who are now selling nearly the latest version of PS for just $100.
What’s more, the seller had a good reputation from selling over 25+ PS and it was coming brand new, factory-sealed, in a box. I purchased one almost immediately but had a bad feeling…
So I started researching online and then found out how many of the PS on ebay were fake but look EXACTLY like the real thing and were even reprogrammed in such a way that you can even click the “Register This Software” button and it will pretend to register itself with Adobe – which is why none of the previous purchasers realised!
Fortunately, when I asked the seller to call Adobe and verify the serial number, she immediately refunded my payment and stated she was shocked to find that it was not a legit version.. unfortunately, after leaving neutral feedback, I find out now that she has started selling the same fake PS online – but there is nothing I can do now except spread the word.
So, even when the seller completes the transaction thru ebay and the software comes in a box with it’s manuals and labels etc. it’s not always guaranteed to be genuine.. but you will at least have a little protection from ebay/paypal.
Hope you get your money back!
Kristy,
Thanks for sharing that story. That is a really sneaky trick they’re pulling. I’m sure they are slipping in a little spyware – just for fun.
The Go-To Guy!
Hey Andrew,
You’re a genius and a scholar for creating that ‘sales page’ template for wordpress mate. Hey when I first got it some time ago it had a pdf in it showing how to use the ‘checkboxes’ subheads etc. It was fantastic. I have sonce had a ridiculous hard drive malfunction and even though I still have the theme, I no longer have the instructions on how to use it. I downloaded the most recent version, (from what I could find), and the theme, while complete, doesn’t seem to have that instructional pdf any longer.
I LOVE the ease of use of the theme, and highly recommend it to anyone.
Sorry to ask this question here on your blog, I just thought this might be an easy way to find you.
Glad you got your money back on ebay by the way. Hey was it a Dan Kennedy program? The pricing and your keenness to get it seems consistent with a Kennedy product. Just bought the consulting one, wow he’s good.
Glenn