eBay scammers target iPhone fans

People, people, people. The phone's not shipping yet. It's not out yet. It's not even approved by the FCC! So why -- why on earth -- would anyone with the slightest degree of common sense bid almost one thousand dollars on eBay just for the privilege of getting ripped off? Wow.

Three auctions for iPhones from the same single seller... shame on you, rgonzales23455; no wonder you've got no feedback. "Please note: I have 6 of these phones available for immediate shipping.. I accept Paypal only for this auction.. Free shipping via USPS Priority Mail with Delivery Confirmation.. Will ship immediately after payment clears Monday - Friday." Uh-huh, sure you will. These auctions close soon, folks, get your bids in now -- NOT.

Thanks to reader David Miller, who took time off from his Mac mini car integration project to give us the heads-up on the sad state of iPhone auctions over eBay way. As the expression goes here in Brooklyn: "Oy."

Update 9am EDT: The original auction has closed, with a winning bid of $1125... *sigh*.

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Source: http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Apple-Iphone-BNIB-Ready-to-Ship_W0QQ…

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People, people, people. The phone's not shipping yet. It's not out yet. It's not even approved by the FCC! So why -- why on earth -- would...

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Tom Robinson

My friend has an iPhone... for real.

March 22 2007 at 7:27 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

tom

"http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLE-iPHONE-4GB-BNIB-THIS-IS-NOT-A-PREORDER-AUCTION_W0QQitemZ170093231449QQcategoryZ102333QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Do you like the fake box and instructions the guy went to the bother of making..!?!!!"

The best part is that in the last photo, you can see the scissors he used to make his fake lid in the upper left corner.

March 21 2007 at 11:53 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

ThreeDee912

Someone tell that bidder he's just been scammed

March 21 2007 at 7:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

GadgetGav

The one that I reported, the guy is now claiming that he's been told he can't sell them until they get FCC clearance...
Yeah, like people selling unreleased hardware on ebay really care about what the FCC says...

March 21 2007 at 1:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

kaps

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-APPLE-IPHONE-8-GB_W0QQitemZ180098963510QQcategoryZ31693QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pictures from every angle taped on a box. haha

March 21 2007 at 11:29 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mark

Ok, auction 180098963510 is a riot.

A cardboard box with an iPhone sticker on it.

March 21 2007 at 9:44 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mark

Some of the iPhone auctions are absolutely pitiful - blatant ripoffs aside, some of the "hot new iPhone domain addresses!!!!" and "hot rare GET IT NOW!!!" iPhone related email addresses up for auction are a joke.

Anyone stupid enough to fall for the iPhone auctions is a few french fries short of a happy meal.

March 21 2007 at 9:41 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

GadgetGav

I reported this one to ebay which has now been ended early because of "an error in the listing"

http://cgi.ebay.com/APPLE-iPHONE-4GB-BNIB-THIS-IS-NOT-A-PREORDER-AUCTION_W0QQitemZ170093231449QQcategoryZ102333QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Do you like the fake box and instructions the guy went to the bother of making..!?!!!

I tend to agree that it's really buyer beware on ebay. If you buy something that is not available from someone with zero feedback that costs hundreds of dollars, you probably need a full time nanny to protect you from the big bad world. That said, the good ebay users should report these scams, but they'll never go away.

March 21 2007 at 9:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

justflie

I reported those listings for the iPhone as fraudulent also. That's so ridiculous!

March 21 2007 at 9:16 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Sam

Michael, as a born-and-rasied, Brooklynite, I applaud your use of Yiddish; however, a more appropriate phrase might be "oy, gevalt!"

Though based on the accompanying picture, "rubble rubble" could also work.

March 21 2007 at 8:48 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply