"New" Computers on Ebay
Posted by: ejl on 11 April 2004
I'm looking for a computer, and was browsing Ebay. Some makes (Dell especially), seem to have hundreds of listings for "brand new in box" computers. A look at the completed auctions shows that these are often selling for around 1/2 of the manufacturer's online price (itself already discounted).
What the heck is going on here? I generally regard massive Ebay discounts on brand new products with extreme caution -- frankly I assume fraud unless given reason to believe otherwise. But the sheer number of these gives me pause; right now there are over 500 "new" Dell desktops being auctioned. Either Ebay is allowing scamming far beyond what I had previously imagined, or at least some of these auctions are legitimate. But if they are legit, how are people picking up brand new computers at about half the lowest online price? And why do they bother buying and selling them at these prices on Ebay unless they are making some profit? (Looking at the seller feedback, most of these sellers are selling only computer products.)
Any ideas why these are so cheap and where they come from? And assuming they aren't fraudulent, what do you lose by buying one (warranty, perhaps)?
What the heck is going on here? I generally regard massive Ebay discounts on brand new products with extreme caution -- frankly I assume fraud unless given reason to believe otherwise. But the sheer number of these gives me pause; right now there are over 500 "new" Dell desktops being auctioned. Either Ebay is allowing scamming far beyond what I had previously imagined, or at least some of these auctions are legitimate. But if they are legit, how are people picking up brand new computers at about half the lowest online price? And why do they bother buying and selling them at these prices on Ebay unless they are making some profit? (Looking at the seller feedback, most of these sellers are selling only computer products.)
Any ideas why these are so cheap and where they come from? And assuming they aren't fraudulent, what do you lose by buying one (warranty, perhaps)?