eBay, what's the worst that could happen.

Everywhereasign

I was cruising eBay for cheap stuff with free shipping. (I'm bored) and I came across this.
Pen Spy Camera.

I'm totally aware that it will most likely be utter crap and won't work at all like it claims to. But it's really really cheap and I'm curious what I get.

So, is there any chance that this is some sort of horrible scam that will destroy my life because I was bored on eBay one day?

Sir Red of the Manti

Seems legit aside from a single case where they switched an item without notifying the customer (link for reference, fourth rating down).

Spam

I've actually tested out one of those pen cameras and they do work - video quality is on par with a cheap webcam/camera phone, audio pickup range is a coupla metres or so. Bit finicky to switch on and off too, but if you can get one cheap, by all means go for it.

PeregrineFalcon

I think the watch camera would be cooler, but they want $100 in shipping charges for a $1 watch.

Classy. :P

Elin

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

I think the watch camera would be cooler, but they want $100 in shipping charges for a $1 watch.

Classy. :P

Some sellers on Ebay do that to get around Ebay fees. It's not scamming the customer so much as scamming the company. That being said, there's aren't really that many scammers on Ebay, and the scams are really selling high ticket items and then not sending them after.

This video is amusing and, I hope, relevant. Read the whole item description and just be aware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJDK6ctRjqw

Sir Red of the Manti

Elin wrote: »

PeregrineFalcon wrote: »

I think the watch camera would be cooler, but they want $100 in shipping charges for a $1 watch.

Classy. :P

Some sellers on Ebay do that to get around Ebay fees. It's not scamming the customer so much as scamming the company. That being said, there's aren't really that many scammers on Ebay, and the scams are really selling high ticket items and then not sending them after.

This video is amusing and, I hope, relevant. Read the whole item description and just be aware.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJDK6ctRjqw

As a side note, Judge Judy is acting as an arbitrator to two parties who have agreed to binding arbitration rather than choosing to go to an actual courtroom. IANAL but had that been an actual courtroom setting, the seller may have gotten away with that depending on the judge and the specific terms of the auction. Bidding on auctions that you know are fraudulent with the expectation that you'll be awarded a large sum of cash for suing the scammer is wicked fictitious, and definitely not a good idea.

Elin

Oh, I wasn't advocating bidding on fraudulent auctions, but that is a good example of the tricky wording people do try to slip in to mess you up. Sometimes you have to read the wording pretty well. I've seen GBA auctions that were selling just the box, but at game prices, and only mentioned the box thing in passing, at the very bottom, after a glowing review of the game and a description of the cart.

Figgy

That's like the guy who was selling plasma TVs on ebay a few years ago and sending off oven doors.

I like that she was awarded $5000, instead of the $467 she was out, but the show pays for all judgments anyway. That scammer wasn't out any money. She might have been embarrassed on television, but it doesn't look like she has the common sense to care.