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buying stuff on craigslist: is it legit?
starlancerii
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I'm thinking of getting a Wii, and retail prices are slightly higher than I want to pay. So I look on craigslist, and I see postings selling "factory sealed" wiis at less than retail prices, some up to 20% off. So of course, I'm thinking, this is a good deal! But I'm also thinking, *how can be?*
I'd like my money to actually go to the makers without letting some nefarious criminal network or some credit card thief profit. Are these postings most likely benefiting a criminal, or would there be an actual valid reason for somebody to sell a brand new wii so cheaply?
I'd like my money to actually go to the makers without letting some nefarious criminal network or some credit card thief profit. Are these postings most likely benefiting a criminal, or would there be an actual valid reason for somebody to sell a brand new wii so cheaply?
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(And not that I'm advocating stealing, but I doubt Nintendo would really be stung AT ALL if you bought it on craigslist. How much money do they make off the Wii per year, anway?)
Can trade TF2 items or whatever else you're interested in. PM me.
But have it be lower than MSRP and so long after it launched, I would think it was stolen. Ask for a recepit to be sure.
A: A scam to sell you a shrink wrapped box with a brick inside.
B: Stolen.
There's certainly the possibility that it's neither, sometimes people come across cheap and/or free consoles but have no interest in actually using them. For me personally though that probability is too low.
QFT. There are cheaper ways to obtain bricks but you dont get the nice box. You could always use it as a paper weight I suppose.
But usually you see that sort of thing on eBay.
Craigslist is what it is... the jungle. Be extremely defensive, and verify the product works before money comes into play. Also, meet in a public place.
Basically you are putting up huge risk to save what, 20 bucks?
Just go mow a lawn or something.
we also talk about other random shit and clown upon each other
Highly unlikely, no liquidator is stupid enough to mark a Wii down when he could sell it above retail. He would ship them to an area where they would sell or pull them himself but he wouldn't sell them at any discount to the public.
Except that he'd be selling them for more than he bought them for and guess what: There's virtually no retail margin on video game consoles. Very, very thin margin at retail on those.
At best it's a scam to sell you a brick, or a stolen wii, or potentially a wii that died on the table during modding. At worst, you'll show up with the money and get jumped. Not really worth it, not actually a good or smart way to save money. With something in as much demand as a Wii, you're really best off to just pick one up at retail.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
You would think that, but the Circuit City near me going out of business, everything is at least 10% off, game systems included. Even the 5 5Ds they had.
DS's which are readily available everywhere rather easily. How many Wii's did you see?
By the way, it's rare, but that does happen. People will post on craigslist and then mug you at the meeting spot. I feel like I've only ever heard of it happening with video game consoles, too.
There's a good old fashioned phrase, 'Too good to be true."
like a meeting of gang heads to buy drugs or guns
Normally I wouldn't suggest this for CL, but for something that expensive you probably should. You wouldn't want to go to the guy's house and find out that he's just going to rob you of your money.
"Hey man. 'ju got the stuff?"
"...'ju got the money?"
I've sold a tower computer, laptop and ipod on craigslist/kijiji and this is how you should do it.
For selling, always cash, always meet up somewhere where you both want to go and don't go alone.
As a seller though, I did try to not totally rip people off. Sure I wanted a profit but if I got a deal on a Wii and didn't want it, I wouldn't want to totally rip you off. Though I may be a nicer person.
I didn't say DS, I said five 5D cameras. :-P http://www.adorama.com/ICA5D.html?sid=123535478117488 I counted those because 10% off a $2000 camera is a bigger deal to me than game console systems. There were a handful of each system I would say, but I can't give exact counts and I don't know if they had more in the back.
It seemed crazy to me that they wouldn't just ship them to another store...considering they are brand new cameras, but hey whatever.
My bad but 10% off of a $2,000 camera they have a higher mark-up on than a $250 console with a low mark-up. Especially on an item most stores can barely keep in stock.
A) stolen
C) a brick dressed up in a Wii box, or
D) only accepts Western Union or other difficult-to-trace-and-reclaim payment method.
Just suck it up and buy retail. You'll pay retail, but you'll have a legitimately bought console that can't get you arrested for posession of stolen property.
I can has cheezburger, yes?
Yes but you're forgetting something REALLY, REALLY obvious:
Anyone going to that much trouble is NOT going to sell the system for less than the open market will support. They will put the price at $20 above retail and state OBO. Because because because: You can still sell a Wii above retail. Even used Wiis go for at least retail. No one is going to sell the Wii for less than it is worth, ESPECIALLY if they had to go through any kind of hassle in order to get it for less than it is worth in the first place. That takes time and time is worth money and that gets built into the price.
CUZ THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND IT'S GIVING ME A RASH
Buyers on Craigslist are annoying to deal with at the best of times, and selling at $20 above retail does not pre-select for trouble-free buyers. The standard flipper probably spent less than $130 for the Wii, all things considered, so selling at $230 isn't that big of a deal.