Is $15.99 a good price for a Fluke 17B+?

[cjs]

Ok, actually I do know that $15.99 is at least a ridiculous and probably impossible price for a Fluke 17B+. Yet there it is on Ebay with 535 sold as of this writing. (I'm guessing none yet delivered, from the lack of feedback.)

So what's up with this?

[Black Phoenix]

The lowest I'm able to get the 15B+ is CH¥490 (and yes it was a Chinese citizen who asked for the price, not me, while I was not present) in the Huaqiangbei Electronics Market, so yes, that price is a error listing for the higher model.

[retiredcaps]

Likely SCAM.  Look at feedback.

[wasyoungonce]

here's your answer...https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=ningji-2&iid=-1&de=off&items=25&searchInterval=30&which=negative&interval=30&_trkparms=negative_30

Its an account that looks to be dormant for a few months then all of a sudden selling ultra cheap multimeters.  As you can see in the link....its a scam.

[cjs]

Its an account that looks to be dormant for a few months then all of a sudden selling ultra cheap multimeters.  As you can see in the link....its a scam.

Ok, that makes sense to this Ebay noob. So how does the scam work, and how dangerous is it? Other comments have noted that you can request a refund, but looking more closely at the auction I notice that it says it doesn't ship until it's confirmed that the seller has actually received the payment. So how does Ebay manage the refunds for this, or can you actually get one?

[Fungus]

how dangerous is it?

"Dangerous"? Not very.

But the chances of getting a Fluke 17B+ for $16 are zero so why even bother?

[Ed.Kloonk]

My understanding is that it is a ploy by the seller to favour the eBay algo to receive a higher search rank on (dare I say it) legit products that the seller has.


I wonder what would happen if you commit to buy and not pay, would they would make eBay chase you.

[LazyJack]

Since there isn't much risk, I ordered one just for kicks. It's supposedly already shipped. No tracking is provided. At worst I get a refund from eBay, at best I get an other Fluke.

[Fungus]

Since there isn't much risk, I ordered one just for kicks. It's supposedly already shipped. No tracking is provided. At worst I get a refund from eBay, at best I get an other Fluke.

I ordered one of his $19.99 outboard motors.  ($19.99 with free shipping from China!)

At worst I get a refund from eBay, at best I get my first outboard motor.

I think the sport of ordering things and praying they don't arrive is much more interesting. Maybe I should start a thread for that... 

[Ed.Kloonk]

Since there isn't much risk, I ordered one just for kicks. It's supposedly already shipped. No tracking is provided. At worst I get a refund from eBay, at best I get an other Fluke.

I ordered one of his $19.99 outboard motors.  ($19.99 with free shipping from China!)

At worst I get a refund from eBay, at best I get my first outboard motor.

I think the sport of ordering things and hoping they don't arrive is much more interesting. Maybe I should start a thread for that... 

Come to my place. With our postal system, things not arriving.. the novilty wears off before too long.

[LazyJack]

Well, eBay has already removed the item.

[msquared]

It's already been relisted, but the seller reviews over the last 30days are all saying it's a scam seller. Looks like a compromised account. Buyer beware!

Link

[floobydust]

eBay Canada has two sellers of the dirt cheap Fluke 17B+ kit, one listing is new and the US store offers a $23 MIG welder package...
I can't see how you can make money off these fake listings, unless you get the cash and leave eBay paying the refund bill?

[Fungus]

I can't see how you can make money off these fake listings

Receive money in a Paypal account. Use it to buy something before eBay comes after you. 

Since there isn't much risk, I ordered one just for kicks.

You just made a scammer very happy.

[LazyJack]

You just made a scammer very happy.

Probably. Unless the money is kept in escrow by eBay for some time. They do it, I don't know under what circumstances though.
But eBay buyer protection still applies. I will need to wait a week to get my money back, but if it hurts eBay then it will do something more effective against scammers. It's all about business.

[Gandalf_Sr]

Well my $6.47 Aneng AN8008 actually arrived although the tracking number originally issued by mootea310 was junk; when I queried that with the seller they sent me another one which immediately showed as shipped and arrived on Dec 23rd.  The paperwork that came with it didn't seem to have any invoice relating to eBay at all.

The scam that may be happening is called the triangular scam.  The seller has a stolen CC but they don't want to use it to have stuff shipped to their own address so they sell you a $16 Fluke 17B+ and use the stolen CC to order one that gets shipped to your address.  They pocket the 'clean' money and your address risks being associated with the fraud.

[LazyJack]

Well, just to put an end to the story, eBay just issued a refund. 

[Fungus]

Did anybody actually receive one?

[james_s]

Well my $6.47 Aneng AN8008 actually arrived although the tracking number originally issued by mootea310 was junk; when I queried that with the seller they sent me another one which immediately showed as shipped and arrived on Dec 23rd.  The paperwork that came with it didn't seem to have any invoice relating to eBay at all.

The scam that may be happening is called the triangular scam.  The seller has a stolen CC but they don't want to use it to have stuff shipped to their own address so they sell you a $16 Fluke 17B+ and use the stolen CC to order one that gets shipped to your address.  They pocket the 'clean' money and your address risks being associated with the fraud.

Seems like they'd be better off listing something at 50-80% of the normal online retail price, a great deal but not so ridiculously great that it's obviously fishy. They'd probably get as many bites, and a lot less people scrutinizing the situation to find out what's up.