This is NOT a sales pitch, instead, I want to share something with you that I just found on eBay that at first just made me laugh at it and then it made me sit here shaking my head in shear disbelief.
What I am about to open your eyes to, I need you to know that I am NOT associated with this eBay item in any way.
In fact, i wouldn’t touch this with a 10 foot stick!!
Seriously, what I am about to share with you highlights how you should treat things with caution, when shopping online, especially on eBay or other similar sites.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna put eBay down here although I do think they should pull one of the auctions I am about to tell you about.
Ok, remember, this is for educational purposes only. I am NOT recommending these items to you and I hope that you have the intelligence to see what I saw….
I found all of this by accident when I Googled the search term “make £1000 a week” using Google.co.uk (so the results mat differ if you use Google in a different country).
The number one spot was an item on eBay.co.uk and to be honest the caution lights started to flash but hey, this is educational research so I had a look 
First up, the auction title says:
“Make £1000 per Week , check my feed, GREAT INCOME“
and the the sub title says
“GOLD VERSION BEST ON EBAY THIS REALLY WORKS!”
The gallery image is of a UK £50 note, the highest bank note that we have here in the UK.
The price of the item is £4.99 (around $10 US).
After reading what this was all about I have to say that although I doubted the product/system actually worked or at least worked anything like the seller was claiming, I did wanted to actually see what this was all about.
Curiosity, it may have killed the cat but I think it also made a lot of people poor along the way too
Anyway, as I got to the end of the items description I saw another item from the same seller…….
Title:
“HELP ME GET A MORGAGE, I BEG YOU, ITS TOO HARD NOW DAYS“
Sub title:
“JUST DONATE £1 SO I CAN PUT DEPOSIT DOWN AND WORKHARD“
Price £1 ($2 US)
Now this is the auction that eBay should pull as there isn’t anything for sale. In fact, this guy is just asking people for a £1 donation to help him raise money for a deposit so he can buy a house!!!!
Side Note: In the UK, begging on the street is illegal - I wonder if the same law applies online?
But, getting back to the story line……
Do I hear you asking….
“Michael, isn’t this the very same person who in another of his auction listings claims he can show you how to make £1,000 a day” ?!!!
And that’s the part in which I hope you would be saying to yourself.
So the other item is just a load of crap and bull because if this person actually knew how to, or was, making £1,000 a day, what they heck is he having to BEG people to GIVE him a pound?!!!!!
This has left me shaking my head and has reassured me that eBay is not such a safe place to shop. You will need an air of caution as you browse around on eBay and to be really honest with you, if someone is about to sell you a money making plan worth £1,000 a day in earnings, would they really sell you it for just £5????
If YOU had a system that made you £1,000 a day or $2,000 a day, would you sell it to every man and his dog for £5/$10???
Oh and do you know what the real shocking part of this is?…..
The seller is actually an eBay PowerSeller!!!! The so called ‘pillars of eBay seller’, the top of the pack, the trusted sellers.
Personally, I think what this guy is doing would shame every other PowerSeller out there who would very much agree that what this guy is doing is definately NOT what is expected of a PowerSeller.
Ok, now that I have warned you in advance about this, if you want to go and take a look for yourself at these items then please make sure you have read all of this post first.
Remember, I am pointing this all out to you to educate you, to keep you better informed. I am definitely NOT telling you to go there and buy the item or give this person £1.
Ok, here is the link for the ‘So Called’ Make a £1,000 a day item
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110117798900
And here is the other item from the same seller asking you to GIVE him a pound because he is poor and has no money
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110118194774
If you find the items are no longer for sale then don’t be too surprised, eBay will probably have pulled the begging one, or at least they ‘should‘ have.
As always, please post your thoughts, comments, feedback below. Were you tempted by the money making offer? Would you trust this seller?
Regards,
Michael
Posted by michael on Friday, April 27th, 2007 at 2:10 am.
thanks for the heads up.
propably bought it from some one else and resaling it like the i’m leaving ebay cds that was common five years ago.
Left by steve kosanda on April 27th, 2007
Hi Michael,
Thanks for pointing this one out to us. And, NO, I didn’t give him any money or buy his “1,000 pounds a week” product.
I asked him a question: “If this works, why are you begging for one pound donations in another of your listings so you can buy a house? Why don’t you just use your own program to make the money you need?”
I’ll let you know if he responds.
John R. Cumbow
http://www.Misspelled-Bargains.com
Find the misspelled eBay auction bargains
that other bidders miss.
Left by John Cumbow on April 27th, 2007
Hi John,
Good question - Why is he begging? and is this how a PowerSeller should conduct their business on eBay?
I await your reply that he sends you. Keep us informed John.
Michael
Left by michael on April 27th, 2007
Hi Michael,
Kind of boggles the mind doesn’t it? Hey maybe his system for making the money on the one auction is by begging on the other auction. :p Thanks for the reminder to do our due diligence when making or considering any purchase online
Becky
Left by Becky Rhone-Nowlan on April 27th, 2007
Hi Michael,
Yes, that’s a great one! The seller has now ended the begging for £1 listing 5 days early (but it’s still showing up in his sales). Do you think he was tipped off?
The other interesting fact is that it was a featured listing which costs an extra £10!
Regards,
Sarah.
Left by Sarah on April 27th, 2007
Hi Becky,
It kinda reminds me of the old pyramid sales scam thing. Buy my report and I’ll show you how to make money selling the report to everyone else…
……Hang on a minute, isn’t that similar to resell rights products?
Err… How thin is that line?
Michael
Left by michael on April 27th, 2007
Hi Sarah,
I’d love to know what caused him to end the begging one but let’s be honest here, it shouldn’t even have been on eBay to start with.
Maybe eBay pulled it? Maybe he was tipped off?
Which ever is the case, I am sure that other PowerSellers will be glad to see that type of item not being sold by a fellow PowerSeller.
Michael
Left by michael on April 27th, 2007
Thanks for the info Michael.
The offer is indeed very tempting.
One should be very cautious though.
Doesn’t ebay run any quality check on the products being sold on its website?
Ken
Webmaster - Translations
http://freetranslationblog.blogspot.com
Left by Tatoo Translations on April 27th, 2007
I bought the item and WOW I made £20,000,000 in the first ten minutes, then I decided to give him his pound, well it is for a good cause.
A great £19,999,999 profit, highly recommended product.
Ken Theliar.
Left by Ken Griffiths on April 27th, 2007
Michael,
While I can understand your concern, I fail to understand your surprise. I see stuff like that in my inbox most every day … from info-product purveyors.
Hey, snake-oil still exists, and there will always be folk out there to peddle it, and suckers to buy it. Nowadays it’s mostly work-from-home stuff, or real estate … three or four decades ago it was Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, et. al. - not the products themselves, of course, but the ‘opportunity’, donchano .
I don’t think this condition is genetic, but it _is_ pandemic, and certainly endemic to our field of endeavour .
*Caveat emptor*, again and again and again .
Left by barney on April 27th, 2007
Hi Ken,
Now that would be funny
Michael
Left by michael on April 27th, 2007
Hi Barney,
I guess I expected better than this from a PowerSeller plus eBay not pulling this kind of auction sooner ( if they pulled it at all).
I appreciate that there are dodgy ‘things’ for sale everywhere on the internet but if this was from an Internet marketer, it would be something like this…..
You get to read a real hyped up sales letter promising massive riches etc etc but instead of seeing pictures on the site of big houses and flash cars, there’d be a photo of a wooden shack set in the middle of a cattle field next to a major airport and freeway going over the top of it, with a bashed up, clapped out car parked outside (probably being used by the cattle as a toilet).
The caption underneath the images would say something along the lines of “With my system you too could have a lifestyle just like mine sooner and easier than you thought” (and if you parted with your money on enough occasions for crap like this, you really could end up with a lifestyle similar to this one)
Well, that’s my warped view on it
Michael
Left by michael on April 27th, 2007
Hi, Michael! I have been buying and selling on ebay since 2004.
I have been deluged by “spoof” emails and all kinds of frauds and
scammers. This auction is outrageous! Why doesn’t someone notify eBay?
I have found many frauds that originate in the Far East. They are selling fake cheap knock-offs. Some of these are very dangerous.
They are: fake flea and tick remedys, stolen DVDs, stolen Books, fake watches, jewelry and so-called “designer” handbags and more.
With the recent poisioning of America’s cat and dog food, I would warn all people NOT to buy pet food from eBay. There are auctions that must be reported and banned by eBay because they could KILL or hurt someone. I am in touch with the U.S. Manufacturers of many products and I help get the “dirty” products removed from eBay. Thanks for the “heads up”! Best wishes! You did everyone a good service for bringing this to our attention. Sara Howard
Left by Sara Howard on April 27th, 2007