Usually, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
There are exceptions, like getting a sweet deal on Craigslist, or when a waitress stokes you out with a free orange juice, but when a product,
Please make a talk!
say, anything made by Apple, shows up on a website at prices you can’t even get used ones for, something is definitely awry.
A non-colleague recently discovered a site called zol-japan. It has other products besides Apple, but I must address the price-fixed Apple because the cost is painfully low, and as most everybody knows, Apple has a vicegrip hold on all things Apple. On this site, a 17-inch Macbook Pro is selling for $799.
The easiest conspiracy answer is that it’s a despicably detailed phishing scam to get your email and whatever other information you’re willing to give up in hopes of getting a computer for one fourth of its cost. At the top right of the screen is a little live chat girl. The icon follows you as you scroll down the page, and the wording is indicative of the whole site: someone who received a D- in English as a second language did the translating.
Hai!
Thriving on overwhelming curiosity, my non-colleague struck up a chat, or “please make a talk.” As I read through the chat transcript, I constantly found myself conjuring images of the mini-series Shogun, which starred Richard Chamberlain. In that series, which was actually fairly decent, Dick says “Hai!” incessantly. I’m no native speaker of Japanese, but ‘hai’ seems to mean everything from “hello,” to “thank you,” to “good bye,” to “why yes, I’d like to fondle your butt.”
During the ‘talk-chat’ on zol-japan, the person on the other end constantly said “hi,” as if their limited customer training indicated that English-speaking people are much friendlier if you say ‘hi’ to them—repeatedly, sometimes without provocation, and not always related to the current flow of conversation. I have paraphrased the chat so you aren’t suddenly consumed with the notion of punching a hole in the wall.
Zoljapan
Hi, what can I do for you?
You
Worried about this. Prices seem to low. What is the catch?
ZJ
We adopt “quick sales, small profit” policy.
You
How about Mac’s policies. How does Apple allow it? How much is shipping?
ZJ
Hi.
You
Hi? That doesn’t answer my questions?
ZJ
We are promote our product. We want to get more business relation.
You
Okay. How can you guarantee what we pay for? This seems to good to be true. How much is shipping?
ZJ
Which products? We have registered in the bank. The bank have all our information. The law will protect both of us.
You
What bank? Is this Yen or US dollars? I’d like to order three Macbooks. Do they come with the Apple warranty?
ZJ
Bank of China. US dollars. Tell me the product full name.
You
Is this a grey market product?
ZJ
Yes. It is true.
You
Give me a minute to look at the product name.
ZJ
Ok. Hi.
You
Macbook Pro laptop 13 inch.
ZJ
Which brand?
You
Apple.
ZJ
Can you tell me full product name? Hi.
You
Hi. Still looking.
ZJ
Hi. Anything else? If no, we will leave.
You
Where do I put my card number?
ZJ
Hi.
You
Hi. Where do I put my card?
ZJ
Pay on the website.
You
Thank you, that’s all.
ZJ
Hi.
You
Hi, thank you.
ZJ
You are welcome. Anything else? If no, we will leave.
You
That’s all.
ZJ
Hi.
I don’t know. Maybe by exposing this site to the Google robots I’m ruining a good thing. As of this post, the site still comes up as the only hit. Nobody has written about it. Maybe Apple doesn’t even know about it yet. Quick. Order your Macbooks, Ipads and monitors for a fourth of the cost before Apple issues a cease and desist.
And if you order one through the site, let me know if it’s legit.
Hi.
Hai! Arigato.Sound rike scam, no? Hai.
I bought a zol-japan from Spain and then to stay with my $ 400 plus $ even ask me. I think it’s a scam and I’ve fallen, I hope that this comment no one else falls into these thieves
is it really a scam? can you receive the items you buy? please someone answer in proper english. thanks
My non business associate attempted to purchase a Macbook using a legitimate credit card. The charge went through initially, with the $1 pending on the account, but then the charge disappeared, and attempts to email the site resulted in a desultory silence, and after a few weeks: no computers, no email, and no unjustified charges on the credit card.
Scam? Or just completely bogus?
Respected friends,
I did not try this site, but I did with some other similar sites in UK. It was entirely scam.It is unreal to have such price even if the products are dublicate it is not reliable since the do not use a reliable method of payment. I hope u r wiser than falling in this scam. Wish alla the best and be carefull. If have plenty of money and do not know how to spend donate to human welfare,health ,starvation,etc
http://www.zol-trade.com is an affiliate of http://www.zol-japan.com, both are big frawds. i am surpised to note how come they do such frawd practices for so long in china, there is no law and order in that country?????????????? they simply flice you, i have paid USD 486 for a Sony Laptop, this money has gone, I will never get the laptop, I want other people to know about it and not become a victime of this again. This website is still active, you can still chat on line, how is is possible? chinese administration do not look at it??????????
ROy , Dubai
Hi i was checked this web page so well and i think is so FAKE i have some chinnesse friends.
Im gooing to tell you wath we made, we star to try to get the address and tel and fax numbers, but they give general information and say that you have to be a VIP member, they say that they are in ZHONGGUANCUN that is a big IT market in china but i know this place, and is so big, we try to find the place and was impossible, nobody now them, but the chat they are so kindly but they think too much to answer you and they change all subjects, i was talking with a “tedy” a 22 man, he also tell me if we can see each other face to face and i answer him ok but they dont give me his mobile phone, another think is that method of paymen is so inusual they give this information.
This is our bank transfer payment information:
Beneficiary : Fujun Ma (First name: Fujun Last name: Ma)
Beneficiary Address: NO.226,ZhongZhou Road,NanYang HeNan China
Bank Name: Bank of China NanYang Branch HeNan Province P.R.China
Swift Code : BKCHCNBJ530
Bank Account: 628566020118635
Bank Address: NO.129,QiYi Road,NanYang HeNan China
Post Code:473000
Im show all this to my embassy, i hope some day close this kind of fake web-page.
I hope nobudy falling in this scam
Zol Japan is a fraud. I got sucked in for a very small amount of money. They give you an order number, and a shipping tracking number, but the shipping is signed for by someone else in another state. They will not respond to emails. Their on-line “service” consists only of asking “did you pay”. Stay away. It is a scam site! You’ve been warned.
my friends this fucking zol-japane.com is fake for sure….me and my friend bought 2 mobile phones..we pay the price that they say and shiping ..at western union…and after that next day they ask more money about 50%the product price…they say that customers want that…this sound fake…pay the tariffs of customers and they will send products to you….fucking bastards….there is no custom fee when you export …only when you import!!!WE MAIL THE JAPAN CUSTOME…THEY SAY IS FREE …..they answear to my mails but …they want more money….thats all….hope they DIE WITH THE WICKED SUFFERING DEATH!!!
Thanks for your effort in exposing this fraudster, if not for your information, i almost pay for a camcoder and a digit camera. i was discourage by a co-work this morning. The idiot has been series of mails asking where i didn’t send the as my order is waiting for shipment. Once thanks for you effort.