[MX6]

Don't let the negative comments rub it in. As I stated earlier, you averted what could have been a bigger problem. Just think that you paid 15K for ensuring those guys didn't con you, show a weapon and run away with your car. And in bargain, you got 3 bricks. Keep those bricks in your car. The next time some moron approaches you at a signal, claiming to sell such things, show him a brick.

All else, no point in rubbing it in. We all have got cheated by some scamster some time or the other. If not, it's just a statistical abberation waiting to happen.

[ElantraGT]

I do pity you my friend but at the same time when you get a deal such as these, we need to use a little bit of common sense. No one will see you a product at that price, there is no business where the businessman will make a loss and make a customer happy by reducing the price of the product below his buying price. Yes even if I am in your position, I would have been tempted to accept the offer. I feel bad for you buddy.

[amitk26]

Sorry to hear your ordeal , You got your brand new lappy bricked that too with out any mods.

Many years back when I was student I saw a scam in Bombay in Fort Area , A street vendor was selling some trinkets and he had 2 peaces of Ray Ban glasses, One guy came and purchased one after hard bargain at 500 Rs the guy offered me the last peace at same price but I refused. After few days I just stopped at the same place for kicks and this time also that guy had 2 peaces and same buyer appeared and purchased at 500Rs I reminded him that you should change the buyer at-least.

[anonymous]

It happened with me too. Around 3/4 years ago, while I was taking my car out from parking in Noida, 2 guys came on a scooter and offered me Nokia N71 dirt cheap. I checked the phone twice and asked them to come to near by ATM. I withdrew the money and before giving it them, asked for the phone once again. They gave it to me. I checked and kept in my pocket and gave them the money. Surprisingly they refused to take the money and asked for the mobile. I thought to drove off but decided not to do in case if they had some weapons or something. So I gave it back to them.
Later on I came to know from one of my colleague who got cheated in the same way that once you have inspected the mobile, they pretend to put it in box but actually they switch it with dummy mobile which looks identical and put it in box and put this box in plastic bag.

[faithless_1984]

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

All i can say is LOL

Ditto.!

I`v experienced this myself, i was near ashram when 2 guys on a bike tried to sell me a nokia phone for a really low price but i just laughed and drove away.

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by faithless_1984

Ditto.!

I`v experienced this myself, i was near ashram when 2 guys on a bike tried to sell me a nokia phone for a really low price but i just laughed and drove away.

Same here, once two guys approached me and showed a brand new Nokia phone and quoted 15k for it.

I told all I have is 15 bucks on me and we can trade if he was interested, he just rode away

@ Original Poster, all I can say is

[Captain Slow]

Thats one more reason I don't stop or talk to any strangers while driving alone.
Thank your lucky stars that these guys didn't trying robbing you of your phone and everything else.

[SirAlec]

thats very unfortunate! Thanks for sharing it here, as it may help somebody in future not to get involve with such people.

I am awestruck! how the hell they switched bags without you knowing so fast. Laptop is a sizable thing.

[pramodkumar]

This trick is indeed very old, and these guys have approached almost every one i know. It was 2004 and i and my friend were walking at night 2 guys appeared out of nowhere and said they have a handy cam and a SLR cam, hey also showed us the LCD display on the SLR cam, Of course the cameras were fake but since the trick was new at that time and not many were aware of such things then so we decided to pick the SLR cam, i went to the ATM with my friend and took out 2000 Rs which was as per the deal. when we came out those guys were gone, i thought those guys must have felt the offered price was really low, but never thought they might have found a better paying bakra.


Anyways being attentive and vigilant is the key here, its just that jobless people in india are very creative.


Pramod

[Sli_ce]

@ Original poster - i don't want to make you feel worse by saying things like "it happened because of your own fault" Clearly your intention is not to seek sympathy or advice and simply to warn others. and thank you for that. i bet this incident will only make you smarter, more street smart to be precise.

Something very similar happened with me and a friend in Noida last year, i was parking my car in the sector-18 market when two guys on a bike approached us, selling a variety of products, a Panasonic camera, a Kingston pen drive, a brand new Ipod shuffle and what not.

i refused to entertain them, but my friend got interested in buying the 16 gig Kingston pen drive which was brand new, packaged originally. i firmly told him not to fall for it, and in fact not to speak to those guys at all, but he did. and believe it or not he actually bargained from their asking price of Rs 500 to a mere Rs 30!

whats even more unbelievable is that, it actually worked! for about 2 weeks that is, and then got corrupted and died. yes, it was a fake to begin with, but a very good fake, i must say.

the lesson here is - do not entertain anybody on the road, unless there is an actual emergency where your help is needed. these guys are thieves to begin with, and if they've robbed other people, they can surely rob you/rip you off/cause some kind of damage.

[M.R]

Originally Posted by MA5K

Sorry? I for one don't feel sorry though. For all I know it might be stolen goods. Perhaps stolen off someone somewhere who has worked hard for it.

Really appreciate the facts and your courage to post and share your experience here!

It may be stolen or bought it to fool people, who knows.
Thanks for your concern !

Originally Posted by .anshuman

This reminds me of a incident where some crooks on scooter offered me a SLR they claimed to be stolen from some foreigner, one look at the thing i knew it was a fake. I royally humiliated them before they they left embarrassed.

Like everyone else here said i agree it was your foolishness that you fell in the trap.

Yes it was my foolishness, as they say We can make the plans of our hearts, but the final outcome is in God’s

Originally Posted by Iluvcars

I don't want to repeat the same what every one has already said and perhaps you learnt the hard way. But, I do want to thank you profusely for showing the concern of sharing the incident with us. You saved many potential victims from falling to such temptations. Thanks again and move on!

Yea - There's no point in looking at hindsight !
No worries !

Originally Posted by Anandg

You must be getting goosebumps after seeing those bricks inthere. Anyways lessons learnt. My uncle had similar experience in Mumbai for a new calculator, he got a deck of cards instead, but that was 20 years back! How come an intelligent guys like you(you are in team-bhp right) fall for this! try filling a police complaint, may be you might get back something or at least get this story published in local newspaper for someone else's betterment.

Not worth the hassle mate !

Originally Posted by ImranShahnawaz

Amazed to hear that you bought a laptop from two strangers. On top of it you offered just additional Rs 100 and they agreed. They fooled you because of your own negligence.

Feel sorry for your presence of mind.

I was going to buy that thing & unexpectedly it came to me before reaching to the showroom, so i couldn't resist from that offer though, Someone said it right don't judge a book by it's cover

Originally Posted by drvhplyevraftr

Not too long ago, I read a similar incident either in team-bhp or in one of the other forums.
Cant really recollect if it was a laptop or a mobile phone, but in that incident
they initially showed a working piece and finally after taking money left the person
with a display(toy) piece that one will see in the showroom.

Either way, I just want to Thank you for creating the awarness with fellow
team-bhp-ians.

No worries man, here to save people from that crooks.

Originally Posted by MAS

I feel sorry for you MR. I guess you were quite desperate to get a lap top and you fell for the trick.

Dont get worked up by this incident. Be careful in future. Consider this as a "Sadka" on you.

Time is the best healer.

I wanted to buy that laptop on that day only as it was getting delay so was very excited !
Thanks man, Yes Time heals every pain !

Originally Posted by zazer

Things like these do happen, at times there are offers which are too good to be true, but sadly the body listens to the heart more often than the mind. Every experience is a learning experience so be careful the next time. And like others have mentioned there was a possibility of things getting even worse. Glad the loss was limited to 15k and nothing more. Btw you can use the bricks as foundation stone for your future house after all each one is worth 3k.

I'm glad as i didn't agree on half price, But one things which keeps me ugging is that how much they got the same laptop,weird....
Foundation stone

[aargee]

@MR - There's one thing I want to appreciate you. You'd the guts to admit in this public forum to warn others. You could've easily told that this incident happened to a friend of yours & got all the advices here. But I really saw your guts to admit yesterday. Trust me, if I were you, I would've thought twice before admiting this.

[MX6]

Originally Posted by aargee

@MR - There's one thing I want to appreciate you. You'd the guts to admit in this public forum to warn others. You could've easily told that this incident happened to a friend of yours & got all the advices here. But I really saw your guts to admit yesterday. Trust me, if I were you, I would've thought twice before admiting this.

Where do you find time to bargain and buy laptop bricks on traffic lights Aargee? Most of the time is spent in ensuring some irate trucker or imbecile biker doesn't scratch your vehicle and cry that he's a poor guy.

[Rahulkool]

Really sad what happened with you but learn a lesson and move on. This reminds me of people buying 500gb pendrives for 400bucks and then bragging about it hehe .....

[svsantosh]

While I can pity you... I also feel this is going to be become part of a email forward around the world.... "How to buy a Ph-ony Laptop"