Current Events > my dad got scammed...and is still refusing to believe it

(+) Yeah! (+)

the scam is this:

scammer buys a surround sound set for $20, there are actual speakers, etc in the box which is made to look legit. But the speakers are filled with bags of sand to make the set feel heavy. The equipment still works, but is super low quality.

these scammers load up a few in their car and wait around banks (where people can easily withdraw money for them). the brand on the box of these speakers are backstopped with a website that says the speakers MSRP is $4,000. The website is poorly designed but passes a cursory glance on a smartphone in the sun.

these scammers talk to people with the story "hey i just finished with an installation and had an extra set left, i'll sell it to you on the side for cheap, only $500".

Whelp, my dad thought he was getting a good deal and bought one for $100. he told me the story, which sounded fishy so i looked it up online...scam.

but sad thing is my dad still doesn't believe me, he's like "it still plays!" and "no, this isn't like online, he was a surround sound installer and he just happened to have an extra"

sigh....
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ouch
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Should have taken his panties.
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What's the website?
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Its sad when people fall for scams
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Uncle Choad posted...

What's the website?

there's a few different brands that do this. but as long as the equipment actually works, they are allowed to charge whatever MSRP they want...so technically the websites themselves are not scams:

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/dont-be-a-sucker-the-white-van-speaker-scam-explained/
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Well at least he didn't send money to an African prince.

I'm still waiting on my return from 2005.

Maybe I should check my myspace account
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16-BITTER posted...

That's fucked up.

But also, imagine not buying a brand name when it comes to consumer electronics. You're actually paying for quality there, not an artificial image boost/status symbol like with designer clothing or something.

they usually target old people who don't know anything about electronics and would do it just "for a good deal". my dad doesn't even have a smartphone
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I mean, it's not really a scam as such. He was offered a product at an agreed price and he received the goods he paid for.

It's not like some old lady giving away her life savings to a fake investment scam and they run away with it all.

ArchiePeck posted...

I mean, it's not really a scam as such. He was offered a product at an agreed price and he received the goods he paid for.

It's not like some old lady giving away her life savings to a fake investment scam and they run away with it all.

what...all you're saying is there are more severe scams

by all definitions it is a scam
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No_U_L7 posted...

ArchiePeck posted...

I mean, it's not really a scam as such. He was offered a product at an agreed price and he received the goods he paid for.

It's not like some old lady giving away her life savings to a fake investment scam and they run away with it all.

what...all you're saying is there are more severe scams

by all definitions it is a scam

No, one involves someone being promised something they don't get "You'll get a 200% return on your money!" and ending up being robbed of everything, one involves a genuine product being resold at a markup.

ArchiePeck posted...

No, one involves someone being promised something they don't get "You'll get a 200% return on your money!" and ending up being robbed of everything, one involves a genuine product being resold at a markup.

in this scenario, the thing you're being promised but not receiving is the quality

if you sold fake diamonds, is that just selling cheap jewelry at a ridiculous markup?

in this case, you're being sold fake home theater quality speakers

by any definitions i'm finding online, this is a scam, so i think you'd be the only one to disagree
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This reminds me of a scam where they were giving free TVs away online. You just had to pay like $60-70 for shipping. I didn't trust it so I looked it up. Well... they were TVs, just tiny 3-inch screen black and white things with no hook ups and a tiny antenna that could probably pick up one channel and be too fuzzy to see anything. The value of one was $30.
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ArchiePeck posted...

No_U_L7 posted...

ArchiePeck posted...

I mean, it's not really a scam as such. He was offered a product at an agreed price and he received the goods he paid for.

It's not like some old lady giving away her life savings to a fake investment scam and they run away with it all.

what...all you're saying is there are more severe scams

by all definitions it is a scam

No, one involves someone being promised something they don't get "You'll get a 200% return on your money!" and ending up being robbed of everything, one involves a genuine product being resold at a markup.

He's promising you a high-quality speaker at a heavy discount and in reality selling you dirt cheap garbage at a high markup. He didn't get what he was promised.

It's a scam.
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C, final answer.
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There's literal sand in them? How do they still play?
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Keep your dad off the internet. Scams galore. Also, it's best not to make deals with people on the street.
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