Another suspicious eBay sale

[geordie85]

Yet another potential eBay scam with a starting price of £99 but in the description claims a buy it now only price of £1000 and all bids will be canceled. 

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Like-New-Open-Box-Takahashi-FS-102-Flourite-Apochromat-Telescope-Only/332587213555?hash=item4d6fbe22f3:g:cCgAAOSwfghaqslC

[Redscouse]

I hope some poor soul doesn't fall for that. 

I was particularly impressed with the "you must contact me before bidding" part.

[geordie85]

Infact this seller has the top 13 newly listed telescopes all with the same MO. Bidding starts at £99, 2days 23 hours left, £1000 buy it now only with bids being removed.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telescope-Meade-LX200-GPS-SMT-UHTC-8-F10-Tripod-Equatorial-Wedge-JMI-Case-PLUS/332587214051?hash=item4d6fbe24e3:g:6voAAOSwwq1aqslk

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Telescope-Carl-Zeiss-Jena/332587214021?hash=item4d6fbe24c5:g:IboAAOSwMxdaqsll

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swarovski-ATX-85mm-Angled-Spotting-scope-25-60x-Zoom/332587213731?hash=item4d6fbe23a3:g:NcYAAOSwdbxaqslL

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swarovski-ATX-25-60x85-Modular-Angled-Scope/332587213684?hash=item4d6fbe2374:g:hpMAAOSwKp1aqslJ

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Cinema-Model-Questar-3-5-circa-1970s/332587213654?hash=item4d6fbe2356:g:fpMAAOSwYutaqslH

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-Quantum-6-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Telescope/332587213522?hash=item4d6fbe22d2:g:x5gAAOSw9CpaqslB

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meade-LX200-12-Classic-SCT-with-Audiostar/332587213298?hash=item4d6fbe21f2:g:s6sAAOSwn3Vaqsk6

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-5-Questar-Maksutov-Cassegrain-Teleskop-Pyrex-BK7-MgFl2-Coating/332587213227?hash=item4d6fbe21ab:g:rVQAAOSwL3Jaqsk3

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Celestron-CPC-1100-11-SCT-telescope-with-tripod-and-extra-lenses/332587212896?hash=item4d6fbe2060:g:gWsAAOSwsTVaqskq

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Celestron-CGEM-Mount-With-9-25-Optical-Tube/332587212815?hash=item4d6fbe200f:g:sIYAAOSw3fpaqskq

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/LX200-GPS-12-inch-telescope/332587212692?hash=item4d6fbe1f94:g:DmcAAOSwyTdaqskj

All have been reported

[Cornelius Varley]

I suspect all the 1914 listings are scams.

[DirkSteele]

Funny, in the TAK FS-102 listing it claims he knows nothing about telescopes and got this in payment of a bad debt.  Yet if you click on the Questar listing it states one of the most beautiful telescopes ever made (which it is) which would seem to indicate a good level of knowledge of telescopes.... If you know Questar you also definitely know Takahashi.

[geordie85]

26 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

I suspect all the 1914 listings are scams.

True, but I don't have that much free time on my hands

[Cornelius Varley]

10 minutes ago, DirkSteele said:

Funny, in the TAK FS-102 listing it claims he knows nothing about telescopes and got this in payment of a bad debt.  Yet if you click on the Questar listing it states one of the most beautiful telescopes ever made (which it is) which would seem to indicate a good level of knowledge of telescopes.... If you know Questar you also definitely know Takahashi.

The text part of the listing and photos comes from an old listing and the "email me before bidding" part is a jpg inserted into the listing.

[triton1]

To me it seems he has quite a good knowledge of scopes and mounts Malik-rafi mmmm.

[Olli]

I always find it misleading when on the listing it says he’s based in Dundee but his profile says United States. 

[Stu]

I’ve been reporting plenty of these recently, that’s all you can do really.

[Ama Noody]

I'm sure that I saw that Tak some weeks ago. I'm assuming that the account owner lost access to their account.

What is odder, is one of their other listings has been bid up to £36k ... for a bicycle!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thorn-Nomad-MK2-S-S-Rohloff-Touring-Expedition-Bike-Cycle-Matt-Black-565M/332587213979?hash=item4d6fbe249b:g:6YwAAOSwXj5aqsld

[Cornelius Varley]

2 minutes ago, Ama Noody said:

I'm sure that I saw that Tak some weeks ago. I'm assuming that the account owner lost access to their account.

What is odder, is one of their other listings has been bid up to £36k ... for a bicycle!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Thorn-Nomad-MK2-S-S-Rohloff-Touring-Expedition-Bike-Cycle-Matt-Black-565M/332587213979?hash=item4d6fbe249b:g:6YwAAOSwXj5aqsld

Some people play games with these fake listings . 

[Ama Noody]

8 minutes ago, Cornelius Varley said:

Some people play games with these fake listings . 

I have to admit, when it was £99, I didn't think much of it, though at £36,000 it has become much more attractive!

[Craney]

They now seem to have gone...  hopefully nobody on this side of the eyepiece weakened....  

[Ama Noody]

Though not before I bought the bike.

[HEXZ0R]

i really hope noone fall for this scam....this is so sad some people actually do it.

[oobydooby]

I reported it 2 days ago, either someone beat me to it or e bay worked really fast on this scammer.