While searching for low prices on a Sony Bravia 40V2500 LCD TV a while back, a net seller called Camophoto came up as having the lowest price: $1389.99. Considering that Sony charges $2299 for this TV, that is quite a savings. Of course, we don’t know how much Camophoto charges for shipping unless you go through the entire ordering process.
That is one problem. Two others are lurking on the “policies and terms” page:
*MOUSE PRINT:
PAYMENT POLICYAt this moment we accept all payments through MoneyGram money transfer. MoneyGram is an instant money transfer service that enables individuals to send and receive cash either domestically or internationally in just 10 minutes. Our sales team will give you the exact information of where MoneyGram agencies can be found in your city.
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RETURN POLICY
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All merchandise should be returned to our Order Processing Department:
Camophoto
Rehhagstrasse 79
CH – 3018 Bern
Switzerland
I wonder what it would cost to send a 53-pound 40″ TV back to Switzerland?
No need to be concerned anymore, the company’s website appears to have gone bye-bye.
Hmm… any seller that requires payment in one specific, unusual, way sets off my fraud alarm! MoneyGram appears to be a legitimate company, but note that if you consult the Wikipedia article on it, more than half of the text is a warning about fraudulent sellers using money transfer services!
MoneyGram is a legitimate company. It is used by many finance companies. It is very similar to the Western Union Quick Collect service. MoneyGram is a bit less expensive than the Western Union service.
I agree that a seller requiring a certain payment method should set off some alarms. Like you said, what would be the shipping charges to/from Switzerland?
Is there even a guarantee that they will ship the product? Just because you use a legitimate money-transfer company does not mean that the recipient of the money is legit. What makes PayPal useful is that they allow you to insure the product and add other means to ensure that the company selling the product is legitimate or they will try to make good on the transaction. And this is true of most credit card companies, which offer a buyer’s protection mechanism so if the product never arrives you can contest the charge and it will be removed if the recipient of the money never responds…in which case the credit card company gets to fight the battle for the money.
Back to the TV, this whole ad just looks suspicious because of the payment mechanism.
Very suspicous indeed.
Have had similar problems with other internet sales sites for electronics.
I have ordered items that shopuld have been “free after rebate” only to have the manufacturer disappear without getting the rebate. Ashamed to say it happened twice before I learned my lesson, but at leats the products have worked well for me. I just wish I had gotten the promised rebate.
FYI, Shipping the set back to Switzerland via USPS would be:
$227.50 sent Express Mail Intenational (4-days) or
$194.40 sent Priority Mail Intenational (6-10 days)
Money Gram is a very legit company and saved me over $700 one time! I was very naive about ordering things online and I found a website that claimed to have a camera I was interested in – for several hundred dollars less than everyone else. I ordered it. They only accepted Money Gram. I sent the money but nothing happened. When I contacted Money Gram, they had put a “hold” on my account when they saw the person’s name I was ordering from. This person was a HUGE scam artist – from RUSSIA. (I thought I was ordering from the UK)
I have thanked Money Gram and am still singing their praises! That was about 4 years ago, and I’m so much more careful now – and a lot more educated on what to look for and what not to do. Never – EVER wire money to someone you don’t know.