1. Welcome! Please take a few seconds to create your free account to post threads, make some friends, remove a few ads while surfing and much more. ClutchFans has been bringing fans together to talk Houston Sports since 1996. Join us!

Is there a downside to buying a laptop on the street for 200 bucks?

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Mr. Brightside, Aug 24, 2008.

  1. Mr. Brightside

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    Messages:
    18,964
    Likes Received:
    2,147
    Today I was in the Chinatown area here in NYC, and a guy asked me if I wanted to buy a laptop. I naturally said sure, and we went to a corner and he pulled out this official looking Best Buy box which was in bubble tape, and it showed the laptop sticker price as 999.99 and the model was a Dell 5343. The guy was asking 300 bucks, and then when I told him I only had 200 bucks cash he said that was fine.

    I called my buddy who knows alot more about computers than me, and he said he hadn't heard of this Dell 5343 laptop model. (I think that was the model number but not 100% sure right now, but it started with 53XX though)

    Next, I told him I wanted to look inside the box to make sure there was an actual laptop inside, but he was somewhat hesitant. He said if he opens the box I HAVE TO buy the laptop from him. I balked at this, and said I wasn't interested.

    My question is to those with "street knowledge" is whether it is possible to make a fake Dell laptop? Reason I ask is, 3 other people earlier in the day approached me about buying an Ipod and and Iphone for about 50 bucks apiece. When I looked at them the, Ipod and Iphones were obviously fake.

    Do people make fake laptops these days?
     
  2. Kam

    Kam Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2002
    Messages:
    30,476
    Likes Received:
    1,322
    where do these fake items usually come from?



    where were you in NYC.



    this class...



    DISMISSED.


    i quickly googled dell 5300, and all i got was printer toner.
     
  3. rcoleman15

    rcoleman15 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2005
    Messages:
    1,012
    Likes Received:
    82
    Since your in NYC take some advice from a former now retired officer that used to work your neck of the woods. Pass on this.... 90% of the time it is a scam and generally the other 10% of the time the items are hot.

    You wouldn't believe how reckless stores are on their deliveries of items the use to stock their shelves. I wrote up countless reports for angry stores owners who lost merchandise because people merely walked up into their trucks and right back out with what they could carry all the while going unnoticed.

    Use your common sense here it's already telling you something is wrong here otherwise you wouldn't be posting this question here. Be wise and just say no to this.
     
  4. Uprising

    Uprising Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2000
    Messages:
    43,074
    Likes Received:
    6,599
    Be careful, I was thinking maybe it was a stolen item....then thinking about it more......You said you were in china town. Most likely it's a fake.

    I saw some of those fake Ipods before, look real from a distance, but up close you can tell it's fake.

    Also, be careful when dealing with people on the street. Don't tell them how much money you have on you. That's a GREAT way to get mugged.
     
  5. AGBee

    AGBee Member

    Joined:
    Jun 21, 2002
    Messages:
    5,875
    Likes Received:
    29
    $200 hollow laptop, what could go wrong?
     
  6. Mr. Brightside

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    Messages:
    18,964
    Likes Received:
    2,147
    Thanks for the info. Can a buyer get arrested for unknowingly buying stolen merchandise?
     
  7. rcoleman15

    rcoleman15 Member

    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2005
    Messages:
    1,012
    Likes Received:
    82
    Legally yes especially if you know it is stolen in the first place and proceed with the purchase.

    Nine time out of 10 though most people are to naive to realize what is going on (though it is most obvious) and usually just hand over the merchandise with no charges at all. Unfortunately though most of the time you are out of the money you spent on the item if the seller isn't caught.

    Again just use your better sense and pass on this.
     
  8. Mango

    Mango Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 1999
    Messages:
    10,174
    Likes Received:
    5,626
    If it was a legit item from Best Buy, then the seller would have taken it back for some type of exchange rather than take a significant loss by selling it at a discounted price on the street for cash.
     
  9. wreck

    wreck Member

    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2006
    Messages:
    3,551
    Likes Received:
    47
    One time my uncle ran into a guy who looked really winded and was carrying a new tv in its box. the guy told my uncle that he had recently stolen it and was trying to get rid of it asap. i think it was about 100 dollars he was asking. he was obviously in a hurry since he had just stolen so my uncle went ahead and bought it.

    he then gets home and opens it up and realizes that he just paid 100 dollars for a box full of bricks.

    if it sounds too good to be true....well you know the rest
     
  10. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

    Joined:
    Jun 12, 2002
    Messages:
    26,978
    Likes Received:
    2,360
    Sounds like your uncle got what he deserved. Do people just have no morals these days?
     
  11. Ziggy

    Ziggy QUEEN ANON

    Joined:
    Jun 11, 1999
    Messages:
    37,272
    Likes Received:
    13,735
    Hot=good
    Fake=not
     
  12. krnxsnoopy

    krnxsnoopy Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2005
    Messages:
    10,870
    Likes Received:
    1,549
    Karma.. :)
     
  13. IROC it

    IROC it Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 1999
    Messages:
    12,629
    Likes Received:
    89
  14. chow_yun_fat

    chow_yun_fat Member

    Joined:
    May 19, 2002
    Messages:
    4,115
    Likes Received:
    47
    i'm posting from my $200 china town laptop from ny as we speak.
     
  15. Xenochimera

    Xenochimera Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2005
    Messages:
    1,929
    Likes Received:
    25
    lol if you go to star bucks near any college, CUNY or IVY and everything in between, there will always be people offering stolen laptops. i remember one guy was trying to unload a dell xps, 15 inch model i think, for $400...good times.
     
  16. supafrumpy

    supafrumpy Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2003
    Messages:
    432
    Likes Received:
    2
    is it hot jerry?
     
  17. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2001
    Messages:
    18,100
    Likes Received:
    447
    For the longest time I had no idea that was the singer from the New York Dolls. Though, I had never heard of the New York Dolls when I was a kid and that Hot Hot Hot song was always played at parties.
     

Share This Page