Wondering if anyone here has any stories about these scammers.They are quite prevalent in Australia.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/...an-speaker-scam/2009/02/24/1235237629681.html
col.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/...an-speaker-scam/2009/02/24/1235237629681.html
col.
Yep ....about 3 years ago I got approached.
I had just parked my car when a white van pulled up (really was white) with 2 guys in it. One tells me that they have just finished clearing a warehouse for one of the local retail outlets to make room for new stock and that the owner was happy for this surplus but high quality hifi equipment to be sold.
I said I wasn't interested and I started to walk away. He starts going on about having the best brands etc.... so I asked him what brands he had. While he was guessing I kept walking away.
But the best one was;
Once I was sitting in a resturaunt with my girlfriend when a guy opens the front door and walks in. Has a look at the all the patrons and makes a bee-line for me to ask me if I want to buy a TV. Maybe I look the type!
I'm staggered to think that some people would even say yes.
Cheers
Quasi
I had just parked my car when a white van pulled up (really was white) with 2 guys in it. One tells me that they have just finished clearing a warehouse for one of the local retail outlets to make room for new stock and that the owner was happy for this surplus but high quality hifi equipment to be sold.
I said I wasn't interested and I started to walk away. He starts going on about having the best brands etc.... so I asked him what brands he had. While he was guessing I kept walking away.
But the best one was;
Once I was sitting in a resturaunt with my girlfriend when a guy opens the front door and walks in. Has a look at the all the patrons and makes a bee-line for me to ask me if I want to buy a TV. Maybe I look the type!
I'm staggered to think that some people would even say yes.
Cheers
Quasi
I have heard of this scam, was a bit suprised but then I guess a lot of the public know very little about speakers and could fall for it.
As a general rule though, you the customer will be making the descision as the what you want to buy and where from and having someone come up to you trying to generate a sale should ring alarm bells
As a general rule though, you the customer will be making the descision as the what you want to buy and where from and having someone come up to you trying to generate a sale should ring alarm bells
When you run into these people..call the local police.
In most western countries..ie Australia, UK, Germany, Canada, USA, etc..there are very specific laws about selling goods in vehicles on someone else's commercial space..which a parking lot is.
So take down the description of the vehicle, the license plate,and a few photos of the guys inside....and call the police.
Tell the police that you think they are selling 'stolen goods'. Which they are not, they are not stolen goods. They are merely a very bad purchase. However, the laws of the land with regards to insurance, and illegal use of commercial space without permits and coverage, etc, means that these people will definitely be charged with breaking the law.
Telling the police they are selling stolen goods means that they will actually respond - and catch these guys!
In most western countries..ie Australia, UK, Germany, Canada, USA, etc..there are very specific laws about selling goods in vehicles on someone else's commercial space..which a parking lot is.
So take down the description of the vehicle, the license plate,and a few photos of the guys inside....and call the police.
Tell the police that you think they are selling 'stolen goods'. Which they are not, they are not stolen goods. They are merely a very bad purchase. However, the laws of the land with regards to insurance, and illegal use of commercial space without permits and coverage, etc, means that these people will definitely be charged with breaking the law.
Telling the police they are selling stolen goods means that they will actually respond - and catch these guys!
It happens in the UK....
I owned a computer shop in Guildford for several years. I also repaired hifi and always had some for sale.
Several times I was approached in this fashion in the shop.
The goods were real and worked but were always the lowest quality - bigger is better stuff.
The price asked was always way beyond the real value.
I took the details of the van once and contacted trading standards but they said 'yes, we know about them but they are not selling stolen goods only low quality"
In the UK, these guys know the law and are quite careful with the sales pitch.
If the law is not broken, no prosecution can result. Any action has to be through the civil courts and is unlikely to succeed.
Andy
I owned a computer shop in Guildford for several years. I also repaired hifi and always had some for sale.
Several times I was approached in this fashion in the shop.
The goods were real and worked but were always the lowest quality - bigger is better stuff.
The price asked was always way beyond the real value.
I took the details of the van once and contacted trading standards but they said 'yes, we know about them but they are not selling stolen goods only low quality"
In the UK, these guys know the law and are quite careful with the sales pitch.
If the law is not broken, no prosecution can result. Any action has to be through the civil courts and is unlikely to succeed.
Andy
There are a few threads on this already. I get approached about once a year.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81956&highlight=
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30513&highlight=white+van
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22229&highlight=white+van
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21868&highlight=white+van
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=81956&highlight=
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30513&highlight=white+van
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22229&highlight=white+van
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21868&highlight=white+van
These speakers regularly turn up on UK Ebay too. It makes me feel a little bit sorry for the sellers (and the subsequent buyer) when they're trying to shift the low quality big speakers by quoting the same bull sales pitch that made them buy them in the first place.
It's so tempting to send them a link to the many sites discussing this con.
It's so tempting to send them a link to the many sites discussing this con.
Well you know me, I always dress in the finest of fashion and have that incredibly gullible look on my face. Either that or hang out in the wrong places like north Surrey where there's someone trying to sell you something every couple 'o' days. Speakers are the closest to legitimate I get asked to buy.
A friend of mine is driving along on a two lane road in rural minnesota. a van comes up fast and pulls into the left lane to pass, then doesn't. It paces him and the passenger rolls down the window. My friend does so, too, thinking they need directions. The passenger of the van says "do you want to buy some speakers?". My friend says no, and they rolled up their window, completed the pass and drove on.
These people sell overpriced legitimate merchandise with a pitch that makes you think you are getting a deal on something that may or may not be stolen. Last time I saw a white van speaker sale was in a mall parking lot in a seedy area of town....
These people sell overpriced legitimate merchandise with a pitch that makes you think you are getting a deal on something that may or may not be stolen. Last time I saw a white van speaker sale was in a mall parking lot in a seedy area of town....
Ron E said:
WTHeck next time make your eyes real big and say
OH HELL YEAH!!
as they pull over , keep driving ....
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=white+van&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
A friend of a friend bought this set up at the local mall. He called me to tell me about the incredible deal. Asked me if I had heard of Genesis speakers. Sure I said, what did you get? Home theatre in a box came the reply. I said um, ok, tell me exactly what the box says. Genesis Media Labs he said. The guy said they had ordered a duplicate set by mistake and if the boss found out he was going to get fired." Awesome deal man. Over 5 grand and I got it for $500!
All I could ask was if he got the license number.
They are still sitting in the box as far as I know.
http://www.genesismedialabs.com/hometheater611.html
All I could ask was if he got the license number.
They are still sitting in the box as far as I know.
http://www.genesismedialabs.com/hometheater611.html
Yeah,
We used to get them for repair a few times a year.
Yep, people bought 'em and blew 'em.
B b b b but, they take 500 watts?! All the details are the same, including the white van! You gotta love greed and the blindness it causes.
BTW, ever open one up? We did. A capacitor to the mid and tweeter, sum total of the crossover. No padding at all, and loose panels where the hot glue didn't get in there. The woofer? I'm guessing all of 10 watts truthfully.
The look on the faces of these customers ('cause they would never believe you) was priceless! Especially when you show them a real 30 watt woofer that's got bigger - everything.
We needed the laugh some times. You never get something for nuth'in guys!
-Chris
We used to get them for repair a few times a year.
Yep, people bought 'em and blew 'em.
B b b b but, they take 500 watts?! All the details are the same, including the white van! You gotta love greed and the blindness it causes.
BTW, ever open one up? We did. A capacitor to the mid and tweeter, sum total of the crossover. No padding at all, and loose panels where the hot glue didn't get in there. The woofer? I'm guessing all of 10 watts truthfully.
The look on the faces of these customers ('cause they would never believe you) was priceless! Especially when you show them a real 30 watt woofer that's got bigger - everything.
We needed the laugh some times. You never get something for nuth'in guys!
-Chris
There's "more"...
Not only do they set up websites, but every few years they actually place an "ad" in one of the legitimate magazines(they have advertised in DVD Etc., Sound & Vision, Stereophile and The Absolute Sound so far, to my knowledge). Then they wave the magazine, opened to their ad to "prove the value" to the mark (intended victim). I'm surprised that the magazines don't pay closer attention to whats being advertised in their publication, 'cause these ads are so obvious . What legitimate manufacturer lists prices in their ads anyway? Of course I suspect most ad-salesmen would probably never question a commission!
Pretty convincing if the person has read or heard of the respected magazine and then sees the inflated "retail price" .listed in the ad The speakers are usually flimsy 1/2" vinyl-covered chip board boxes with drivers that have thimble-sized magnets and only a single cap on the tweeter (and midrange).
All in all a well-thought-out scam that takes in more people than you might imagine. Similar to Cal, I have had a couple friends that bragged about their "deal" to me over the years- I try to warn everybody I know about these sharks!
Not only do they set up websites, but every few years they actually place an "ad" in one of the legitimate magazines(they have advertised in DVD Etc., Sound & Vision, Stereophile and The Absolute Sound so far, to my knowledge). Then they wave the magazine, opened to their ad to "prove the value" to the mark (intended victim). I'm surprised that the magazines don't pay closer attention to whats being advertised in their publication, 'cause these ads are so obvious . What legitimate manufacturer lists prices in their ads anyway? Of course I suspect most ad-salesmen would probably never question a commission!
Pretty convincing if the person has read or heard of the respected magazine and then sees the inflated "retail price" .listed in the ad The speakers are usually flimsy 1/2" vinyl-covered chip board boxes with drivers that have thimble-sized magnets and only a single cap on the tweeter (and midrange).
All in all a well-thought-out scam that takes in more people than you might imagine. Similar to Cal, I have had a couple friends that bragged about their "deal" to me over the years- I try to warn everybody I know about these sharks!
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