[Veltliner]

Just wonder if there's a twist to this.

Here's an offer about Applecare from eBay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Applecare-Protec...ht_1562wt_1167

That's 50% what Apple and all resellers charge (249$ for the 13")

Is this for real or another eBay Fata Morgana?

[amazing]

There's been some controversy lately about the eBay Applecare offerings. From what I understand, if you don't get the actual physical box, what you may be getting is a fraud. Somehow, some ebay sellers are generating Applecare licenses, but when you eventually go to get service, it turns out that it was legally registered elsewhere (Australia, say, or Canada) and what you've got is zip.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by amazing 

There's been some controversy lately about the eBay Applecare offerings. From what I understand, if you don't get the actual physical box, what you may be getting is a fraud. Somehow, some ebay sellers are generating Applecare licenses, but when you eventually go to get service, it turns out that it was legally registered elsewhere (Australia, say, or Canada) and what you've got is zip.

In short: the usual eBay rip-off.

eBay has turned into a big market place for all things shady: pirated software, gray market cameras at regular price, forged Applecare licenses, low quality products like camera batteries, etc...

[Simon]

A while back somebody here posted about buying AC for a MBP for $125 from eBay. He claimed that he gotten a real box and everything worked out just fine with Apple. I'm not saying eBay isn't host to a lot of scams, but maybe AC is worth a closer look (read forum search, PM, etc.)

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by Simon 

A while back somebody here posted about buying AC for a MBP for $125 from eBay. He claimed that he gotten a real box and everything worked out just fine with Apple. I'm not saying eBay isn't host to a lot of scams, but maybe AC is worth a closer look (read forum search, PM, etc.)

Was it a long standing member? Theoretically it could be just an e-bay scammer who posts stories about his own product in mac forums.

Apple charges 249$. If I could get it one mouse click down the data road for half - something smells fishy.

Not all ebay scams are transparent for the suspecting buyer. I had almost gotten a bad copy of Photoshop, but as I insisted on having full documentation, the seller didn't send any product at all, and I got my money back via Amex.

Before that I once bought a mac laptop that had only a partial operating system on it. Wouldn't even boot.

[Atheist]

Here's the other thread.

[Veltliner]

Here's how the eBay scam with Applecare "works":

http://reviews.ebay.com/FAKE-APPLECA...00000011731235