29$ FOR A DELL PENTIUM 1.5GHZ LAPTOP?!!! - Page 6

osprey4 · 10-17-2002, 11:50 AM

Nothing too fancy, "yourfreelaptop" right into Google. These guys are all over the place, mostly on sites with free or very cheap ads, but that's enough to make the Google radar screen.

nomaxim · 10-17-2002, 12:09 PM

Anti-scam spamming !!

Only on Techimo

screen · 10-17-2002, 12:42 PM

the best way to stop them is to stop them from selling this concept on ebay. They are selling the informatoin about this ladder scheme by telling people that they'll get a free laptop, plasma TV, etc., for free.

osprey4 · 10-17-2002, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by screen
the best way to stop them is to stop them from selling this concept on ebay.

Can you provide a link to one of their listings? Ebay is pretty quick about investigating and shutting this sort of thing down (at least on their site).

SickPup404 · 10-17-2002, 09:59 PM

I did some thinking.... The later you join, things get exponentially worse. Consider:

- According to their site, once a person is at the top of the cycle, only 77 people have to join to get the lappy.
- Each person pays $29 up front, then $29 at delivery

So, for the FIRST person, they only have to wait for 77 people to send $29 each to get their laptop. That's $2233.... I configured an Inspirion 8200 laptop from Dell according to their specs (but with 1.7ghz - not 1.5ghz P4, 30g HD - not 10g) - the pricetag? $1787. The "company" has a $446 profit right now, and they have 78 people on the ladder - 1 with a laptop, 77 without.

The SECOND person hits the bubble for their lappy. Another 77 people join up. Another $2233 in the coffers. Another Dell lappy @ $1787. $892 profit right now. 156 people on the ladder, 2 with laptops, 154 without.

OK now, with two people with laptops and 154 without, it will take 11,858 people to join up JUST TO GET THOSE FIRST 154 PEOPLE THEIR LAPTOPS. You look on their ladder now, and I'd estimate there's about 2,000 people on the list. That's 154,000 people needing to join up. It looks like anywhere from 5-20 people joined per day there. So let's go overboard and say 50 people a day join up... That's 3,080 days, or 8½ YEARS to get your laptop if you join right now....

[EDIT - Forgot the "profit" the company gets.... 154,000 * $446 = $68,684,000]

screen · 10-17-2002, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by JnMHayes

Can you provide a link to one of their listings? Ebay is pretty quick about investigating and shutting this sort of thing down (at least on their site).

I did a search with the followng string sequence "free laptop -shipping -ship" on ebay and I saw several auctions about free sony laptops with registration. When I clicked on the links, ebay system told me that those auctions are invalid. Did ebay shut-down the ladder (or pyramid) scheme auctions? If they did shut-down such auctions WOW thats quick

/dev/rhetorical · 10-17-2002, 10:53 PM

Alternatives for bargain hunting:

Universities
Salvation Army--turn it on first. Get a waffle iron while your there.
Get some old vinyl!
Used PC shops (iffy)
Neighbors
Liquidations out of bankruptcies
Deals and Steals thread--get your rebates on HDs CDRWs, memory and plow it into your mobo, cpu, case, etc
Linux for your old hardware breathes new life. Think hard about what you really need!

There's a used store near me, sells laptops as low as $99. I could throw Peanuts Linux on that thing and I am up and running.
Another $70. Linux freeware and shareware. Think about it.

radio1_mike · 10-18-2002, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by JnMHayes

I'm no fan of Amway but their business practices are fundamentally different from what Yourfreelaptop.com is doing. Amway uses what's called multi-level marketing, but people still get legitimate products. Most of their employees make a little money and a few make a lot of money. But on an ongoing basis, everyone who spends money gets what they pay for.

Yourfreelaptop.com is taking money in from a lot of people and using it to buy laptops for a very few people. EVENTUALLY, the vast majority of people who send in their $29 will get nothing.

This is true. But when you speak to Amway distributors, they not-so-tacitly imply that the "real" money is made through referrals (ie. "multi-level-marketing") and not pushing their products. And their products usually are over-priced, under-performing and have a low-profit margin for the distributor. The products are nothing but window dressing for a Ponzi scheme.

But, I have to admit, it's pretty tempting to think you'd only have to pay $29 for a laptop. I would think, that if this was so successful- there would be many more testimonials.

EndobioticChaos · 10-18-2002, 10:54 AM

Quote:

No need to notify the FBI, hon. I think they have enough to do fighting
> terrorism and serial killers, don't you?
>
> Anyway, you have your money back and no one else is complaining.
>
> Have a nice day.

Getting a little scared, are we?

osprey4 · 10-18-2002, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by radio1_mike
But, I have to admit, it's pretty tempting to think you'd only have to pay $29 for a laptop. I would think, that if this was so successful- there would be many more testimonials.

It's only tempting for people who don't remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

They won't have any trouble with testimonials, if they run out, they can just make up more.

The only question is, how many more people will be ripped off before they're shut down.