[Eug-lug] deal at Best Buy on Toshiba notebook $249

[dooger watts]

Ben Barrett wrote:

> Getting O/T, I know.  FWIW, the only time I'm happy to
> get what I pay for is after I've been ripped of, heh heh,
> it is all relative so to speak.

Speakin' of getting ripped off--and veering slightly back towards the 
original topic of an affordable laptop, just got involved with a dood at 
eBay who had a pretty sweet deal on a brand new HP.

Clicked on the listing and noticed immediately that he had his email 
address cut'n pasted into the page, with a note to communicate with him 
directly.

Hmm.

So, I send him an e-.  When I click back, trying to refresh the listing 
page at eBay, I get an error message, saying there has been a problem 
with the listing and it's been removed.

Hmm.

Meantime, in a few minutes, I get a response from the dood.  I say, OK, 
don't wanna do an end run around the eBay process, but how do you want 
to proceed.

I get an e- back from him, saying watch for an invoice from eBay.  Bear 
in mind, the item in question is no longer officially listed at eBay.

Hmm.

So, I get said invoice, from something called "eBay buyer help."  First 
thing I notice is the payment method.  Western Union.

Hmm.

Write him back and say "there are no WU offices open in my area," and 
that I'd really prefer PayPal.

He writes right back and says he has no PayPal account but that I'd 
better hurry, 'cause he's got lots of other folks interested.

So, I back and tell him that even WU recommends that we not use their 
service for online transactions--and to NEVER send money to anyone you 
don't know.  I even offer to pay his PayPal fee, if he'd like to open an 
account there.

That was that.

And no, he wasn't from Nigeria--but he must have taken lessons there. 
He was from Romania, and with a name like one of my aliases--only funnier.