I found a plasma television new in the box on Craigslist.com, listed for $350. I emailed thinking this was either gone over night, or too good to be true. The person got back to me stating her email was acting up, sorry for the delay and wrote the following.
It is tought to follow at first, but you will get it... Attached to the email wre several quality pictures of the TV. The person did not write in broken english like the other craigslist scams, and gave me a functional and legitimate worldwide shipping site attachment. Anyone can be fooled if I was.
"You emailed me about my Philips Plasma TV from craigslist. I've replied to your email but I don't know if you have received my email. My outlook express is acting crazy, I am so sorry about this. Anyway, here I go again. Below is the email I sent you. My email address is [email protected]
Hello
I still have the TV. The TV was set up for the US and it comes with 18 months of warranty.
I have attached some pics with the TV to this e-mail. I am now in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Since I can't meet you and make the exchange, I would like to use a service that will help us with that:
http://www.tnt.com/tnt.express.wolverhampton.depot.overseas.transactions/details.html
TNT is a worldwide delivery company (like Fedex, DHL or UPS). You can see from their procedure that you will be able to check the TV before I receive the payment. If you are in a hurry, I will use 2 day delivery (shipping is on me)."
Let me know what you think.
Best Regards,
Susan
(After I got this email, I asked questions, here is examples of how I got )(suckered. She had the excuse below when i asked her "may I ask why your )(selling a tv for such a low price? ")
"Hi
I am selling the TV because I can't use it here.
Did you read TNT's procedure on their website? It is explained there how their service works. Let me know after you read their procedure so I can be certain that we are on the same page: "
http://shipeutnt.com/tnt.express.wolverhampton.depot.overseas.transactions/details.html
Best
Susan
(When I was satisfied with her answers, I said, let's do it... and sent her an )(email that I was going forward. This was the response when I said that.)
"Hi
Sorry for the delay. I can send the TV tomorrow morning. Let me know which address should I use."
Best,
(Then I got this email within a day stating the following.)
"Hi
I went to TNT today. The guys from TNT told me that they will send the TV to their technical department for inspection and then they will notify you. They will also notify you with the instructions you need to complete your end of the deal. Please complete your end as soon as you can and keep me posted."
PS I used 2 day delivery. Best
Susan
(Then I got two emails from TNT stating that the product was there, they) (looked like the following. If these dont show up, trust me they looked like a )(UPS confirmation, they clearly hijacked the carbon copy of TNT's shipping )(confirmations that are legit.)
Please quote this Number
if you have an enquiry.
*570118361US*
Tracking Number: 570118361
Important TNT Payment Instructions/Shipment Details
Please read the Instructions carefully.
Click here to track your package: Tracking
Dear TNT Customer,
We have your package in our custody.
Description of goods: 1 x Philips 42PF9630A-37 Plasma TV
Sender of package (Seller ): Susan Harnell
Receiver of package (Buyer ):ME
Delivery Address:
(my address)
Delivery Type: TNT Express 2nd Day Delivery - After the Payment is received and verified by TNT
Amount to be paid by the Buyer: USD $350.00
Payment Instructions - Receiver of the Payment - Joseph Forbes
The payment must be made through Western Union Money Transfer to the Name of the TNT Agent who is in charge with this transaction - Joseph Forbes using the Money in Minutes Service from Western Union.
Important Note: The Payment must be made at one of Western Union's Agent Locations, in person by the Buyer. The payment must not be made using Western Union's Send Money Online Service due to the high Credit Card fraud risk. We will not confirm any payments made online.
You must go to a Western Union Agent Location and make a Money Transfer to the Name of the TNT Agent who is responsible with this transaction - Joseph Forbes.
In order to complete the Money Transfer using the Money in Minutes Service you will need the Payment Details of our TNT Agent:
Please make your Money Transfer payable to:
First Name: Joseph
Last Name: Forbes
Address: 214 Bowery Street
City: Wolverhampton
Zip (City Code): S22 1TF
Country: United Kingdom
In order to confirm your Payment we require a scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt. Please send us the scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt at: [email protected] Once we will receive the scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt we must validate the Western Union Money Transfer and then collect it. This process may take up to 12 hours depending on the time we will receive the scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt.
Important Note! Please read: we cannot collect the Western Union Money Transfer without a scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt. Please send us a scanned copy of the Western Union Receipt after you complete the Payment.
Please read our TNT Payment Privacy Policy to learn our payment release and payment refund conditions.
1.The Payment will be sent to the Seller by TNT only after you receive the package, check the merchandise and if you are completely satisfied with it. Only then you will instruct us to release the Payment to the Seller.
2.TNT acts as a third party holding at the same time the merchandise and the Payment.
3. After the merchandise is received by the Buyer, the Buyer will have up to 21 days depending on the nature of the merchandise to review the merchandise.
For transaction No.570118361 the inspection time is 5 (five) business days.
a) If the Buyer decides to keep the merchandise the Buyer will instruct TNT to release the funds to the Seller.
b) If for any reason the Buyer does not want to keep the merchandise, the Buyer will ask TNT for a refund.
The refund procedure is very simple, the Buyer will receive the money from TNT through Bank to Bank Wire Transfer, or by Check or by Western Union Money Transfer.
The refund method is at the Buyer's choice.
(The other email was just another confirming of some kind. The email had )(color trademark symbols, package pictures, links etc..you cannot see them )(here. I went to western union today to send the $350, and something told me, don't do it!!! A little thing in my head remembered Craigslist posts UK type warnings, then when i realized that I had to pay cash through western union, I began to think that I will have no recourse if this is not legit. A credit card will re-imburse you if it is a fraud. Another thought was, why would I be sending money to an agent at a very residential looking address? That didn't seem right. I guess I didnt notice until I was standing with cash at western union that I was sending money to an individual)
Her last email was her asking, "were you able to complete are deal? " When I realized that I had been duped, and I had not exposed that I knew, here was my email back to her... this is funny. Thought I would fool her.
Susan,
I went down to the local Western Union, and wire transfered the money to the TNT agent. We are so excited about the Plasma Television. It is going to go in the kids room as it's something nice we can do for them since we had run out of room in our home thanks to the triplets...!! Crazy huh. I appreciate your graciousness since we really could not afford a whole lot. I finally got a small bonus at work and my wife agreed to do it rather than put the money into the kids college fund.
I guess in the end it works out for both of us since you could not use the TV where you are at, we will proudly display it for the kids.
Thank you so much, we will let you know when it touches down, and I am sure TNT will get authorization from me within 24 hours of my receipt.
Sincerely,
ME
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