Pelagius

Of course greed can cut both ways. But, how is paying $900 for what you think is a Playstation 3 "greedy"? It's not greedy in the "wanting to have more money sense" since you are paying above retail. You don't know why the buyer purchased what was meant to look like a PS3. They could easily have been trying to buy a terrific gift for a loved one. Would **that** be greedy?

I didn't think Consumerist was about blaming the victim.!

PS,
Apologies for the quasi double post. The comment system was hanging and I re-wrote my post after the system apparently ate it.

Skeptic

I understand how hard it is being a blogger and all what with racial epithets drawing the wrong kinds of attention. At least you have the good ol' genetic problem / fetal injury / metabolic disorder related brain problem fallback.

I haven't yet checked -- but was the elderly gentleman who bought the Jaguar called a "retard" in that blog entry? Or perhaps there was an Alzheimer's or "LOL Dementia suxxorz!" line in there somewhere?

BruinEric

Triteon

Well then, "Consumerist" isn't a very good name for the site.

"'I'm an idiot? In other words, while it isn't the customer's fault for failing to read the small print at some huge retailer, and while it isn't the customer's fault for trusting the huge retailer in the first place, it is the customer's fault if the transaction is between two individuals? That's absolutely ludicrous. "

I'd say you are absolutely right. Let's take a look at a similar post about a huge retailer: "CompUSA PS3 Bundle Turns Out to Be A Scam".
In this case CompUSA is late with 2 pre-orders. How is that consumer somehow more ripped off than the eBay purchaser?? Perhaps Consumerist should re-title the post "Dumbass PreOrders PS3 Bundle from CompUSA'? Or how about "Dumbass Leaves Rented Car in National Park--Won't Pay Up!" Or maybe "Dumbass Pays Sprint $80 For Calls He Never Made."

It is clear, in my opinion, that the seller meant to deceive and that the buyer was deceived. An honest, straightforward seller would not write:
"HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED..HAVE IN HAND...All are American Systems
THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!"

There is no reason to say an old Playstation 1 is "HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED" unless you are trying to get people to think you are selling a hot, new Playstation 3. Same goes for the $900 "Buy It Now" Price.

Skeptic

Really, then it sure is poorly named. Perhaps it should be called "WhoEverWeThinkIsRightist.com".

While my post may be merely a dissenting opinion, I don't really see the value in a post ridiculing an anonymous buyer for falling prey to a blatant scam.

In what world would paying $300 each for $40 Playstations be something a buyer would do knowingly? **Clearly** the buyer thought they were buying a Playstation 3.

In what world would an honest seller offering a Playstation 1 write:
"HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED..HAVE IN HAND...All are American Systems,,,
THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!"
--with a "Buy It Now" price of $900?

This is a very clear case of obfuscation if not outright fraud. The seller meant to deceive and the buyer was deceived. Why Consumerist would take the side of an eBay Scammer is beyond me. Perhaps they should change the name to eBayScammerist.com

Consumerist and its editors should be ashamed.

Skeptic

Sam Wilkinson

Triteon

homerjay- Smiling politely

Ditto.

I don't get the whole "fraud is bad, except when I think the scam is obvious, then it's good" mentality. It's like saying a car thief shouldn't go to jail because the victim forgot to lock their car doors. Last I checked, a crime is a crime regardless of how easy it is for the perp to take advantage of the victim.

And how the hell is this:

HOT ITEM! Not PRE-ORDERED...THERE IS NOWHERE TO FIND EVEN THE 20GB SYSTEMS THIS CHEAP....BUY THESE INSTEAD!

Rectilinear Propagation

Pelagius

crayonshinobi

I can't wait until you lot get older, a bit slower, a bit blinder, and you just want to buy your kids or grandkids a gift and one of these twats hits you because you aren't quite sure what its name is.

aestheticity

I agree that this site is supposed to help people from getting ripped off, but if you are that stupid.... sorry, no sympathy here.

Musician78

homerjay- Smiling politely

TinaT

ArmyofJuan

I thought the text was very clear. If you are mislead by obvious scams like that, then u need your head slammed into a car door until u wake up from your "perfect world where no one lies or steals."

But in my opinion, if this is a real buyer, it was most likely a clueless parent using ebay for the first time, and knows of the console as a "Playstation" and unaware of the numbers really.

Justcrim

Hitchcock

timmus

OnoSideboard

WTF??? I thought **Consumerist** was supposed to be pro consumer? Granted, consumers are not always right but this eBay sale seems to have been designed to confuse potential buyers. Normally, Consumerist headline would be "Arsewipe Ebayer Original Playstations For $900" rather than the other way around.

Fraud is bad. Making fun of the possible victims may be fun but it isn't what I thought this site was about. I'm rather disappointed in Consumerist and the gleeful "me too"ers who've posted in the comments.

Skeptic

You only have to pay immediately on auctions which require immediate payment. This is an option selected by the seller and it may not have been for this auction.

24fan24

Sam Wilkinson

This was certainly a setup. Description like this can be easily confused if you are not careful:

"You're bidding on Sony Playstations, 3 of them."

probargainhunter

2) the bidder has 0 feedback. he won't pay.

dcartist

SecureLocation

psychicfriend

MosH8ed

Magister

Just like the ebayer who bid $80 million and change for a PS3...

There are a lot of these people out there, who try to remove bad auctions becuase eBay won't...

Whether they are right or wrong, is not for me to decide (that's for corrupt judges/politicians), but persoanlly, I wish we had more of them.

crayonshinobi

TomHayden

dave the wet sprocket

Maybe the buyer should have been more careful but this is most certainly one of those times where the buyer would be perfectly within his rights to tell the seller to go f#ck himself.

bluegus32

Edgey

Zho

thrillhouse

bassbeast

While he's right, you probably won't be able to find the 20GB system that cheap (900$) on ebay, it sort of implies it's a Playstation 3. Of course, anybody who actually bothers to READ will know, that's not what it is.

The seller intentionally was trying to sucker in retards looking for Playstation 3. He did a good job though, and earns kudos from me.

amazinglarry

mikevsworld

Franklin Comes Alive!

Triteon

He's not totally stupid yet. Not until he actually sends the funds is he a total dumbass.

homerjay- Smiling politely

Ben Popken

adamondi

dave the wet sprocket

d1a2r3k

d1a2r3k