Comments on: Is there no arbitrage in online retail? http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/ Thoughts on marketing, innovation, social networking, new products and the impact of technology on all those thingies Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:03:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: francois gossieaux http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-519 francois gossieaux Mon, 04 Dec 2006 18:49:58 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-519 Thank you Amber - I am a seasoned online purchaser - having bought anything from books to adventure trips to luxury cars online - and clearly this time I got burned :) What happened with this vendor is that I was sold a Chinese model with nothing on it...not even a manual. I could not cancel the order until I spoke with a human being...And even though I always check on a vendors reputation using CNET or similar services, this time I ended up on a vendor rating site that only listed crooks (i found out by doing a Google search afterwards...all of them had "DO NOT BUY FROM THEM" in the first comments). The good news is that I was able to get out of it with no loss. But it makes you wonder how many people are being taken to the cleaners this way.

Thank you Amber - I am a seasoned online purchaser - having bought anything from books to adventure trips to luxury cars online - and clearly this time I got burned :)
What happened with this vendor is that I was sold a Chinese model with nothing on it…not even a manual. I could not cancel the order until I spoke with a human being…And even though I always check on a vendors reputation using CNET or similar services, this time I ended up on a vendor rating site that only listed crooks (i found out by doing a Google search afterwards…all of them had “DO NOT BUY FROM THEM” in the first comments).

The good news is that I was able to get out of it with no loss. But it makes you wonder how many people are being taken to the cleaners this way.

]]> By: Amber http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-518 Amber Fri, 01 Dec 2006 21:39:32 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-518 I would be very careful! If you see an online advertised price of 75% or less of the MSRP of a new digital camera, it is likely a scam. Sites come out every single day that will scam you. They work one of two ways: One, they will sell you the camera body only - and I mean the camera body only. No battery, no body cap, no charger, no instruction manual, no strap, nothing. By the time you've bought everything that comes in the retail box, you haven't saved a dime. Two, they require that you pay by money order. This is the oldest scam in the book. There is absolutely no way to get paid back for fraud this way. If you use your credit card to buy a money order and then never get your camera, the credit card company can do nothing because technically you received the services you paid for (money order). Anyone who asks you to pay with a money order is a crook. Unless it's a site like Ebay or you're buying a used camera, don't pay much less than what Amazon or other large companies charge. Otherwise, you could easily be getting scammed. Good luck! I would be very careful! If you see an online advertised price of 75% or less of the MSRP of a new digital camera, it is likely a scam. Sites come out every single day that will scam you. They work one of two ways:

One, they will sell you the camera body only - and I mean the camera body only. No battery, no body cap, no charger, no instruction manual, no strap, nothing. By the time you’ve bought everything that comes in the retail box, you haven’t saved a dime.

Two, they require that you pay by money order. This is the oldest scam in the book. There is absolutely no way to get paid back for fraud this way. If you use your credit card to buy a money order and then never get your camera, the credit card company can do nothing because technically you received the services you paid for (money order). Anyone who asks you to pay with a money order is a crook.

Unless it’s a site like Ebay or you’re buying a used camera, don’t pay much less than what Amazon or other large companies charge. Otherwise, you could easily be getting scammed.

Good luck!

]]> By: Maria Palma http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-517 Maria Palma Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:59:18 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-517 I've been watching the ebay market for some years now.. Unfortunately, there aren't any limits to what people can charge for any given item and sellers will do it if there are willing buyers out there. What's funny is that some people will buy the first thing they see without doing any research. I’ve been watching the ebay market for some years now.. Unfortunately, there aren’t any limits to what people can charge for any given item and sellers will do it if there are willing buyers out there. What’s funny is that some people will buy the first thing they see without doing any research.

]]> By: francois gossieaux http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-516 francois gossieaux Sat, 19 Aug 2006 17:38:42 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-516 Don - thanks for responding to my post. I know there will always be some delta and some room for arbitrage and profit making with online auctions, but I was puzzled at the magnitude of the price delta for those cameras. Don - thanks for responding to my post. I know there will always be some delta and some room for arbitrage and profit making with online auctions, but I was puzzled at the magnitude of the price delta for those cameras.

]]> By: auction-arbitrage http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-515 auction-arbitrage Sat, 19 Aug 2006 17:03:30 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-515 Francois - What is it that I am overlooking?? Not a thing! I know for sure arbitrage is happening on the auction sites - I do it every day and even wrote a book on it. In fact, some online Retail purchases resold at online auction can yield profit. I think the power balance you mention still lies in peoples eagerness to seek lower pricing before purchase vs buying the first thing they see. -Don Francois - What is it that I am overlooking?? Not a thing! I know for sure arbitrage is happening on the auction sites - I do it every day and even wrote a book on it. In fact, some online Retail purchases resold at online auction can yield profit. I think the power balance you mention still lies in peoples eagerness to seek lower pricing before purchase vs buying the first thing they see. -Don

]]> By: francois gossieaux http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-514 francois gossieaux Sat, 19 Aug 2006 08:03:07 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-514 why would I do that, if i can get a brand new 30D for $639? why would I do that, if i can get a brand new 30D for $639?

]]> By: chris lee http://www.emergencemarketing.com/2006/08/18/is-there-no-arbitrage-in-online-retail/#comment-513 chris lee Sat, 19 Aug 2006 02:21:18 +0000 http://emergencemarketing.com/?p=704#comment-513 Good pick for a camera. You can always opt to get a 20D. Nowadays a slightly used one goes for $700. Good pick for a camera. You can always opt to get a 20D.

Nowadays a slightly used one goes for $700.

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