Korg Forums

sullycq · Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 11 Location: Cork, Ireland

I've seen a few postings on Gumtree and similar sites where companies are selling brand new Korg OASYS and M3 workstations for as little as $1200USD and $620USD respectively. I'm thinking that this can't be right.

Has anyone had any experience with this kind of thing? Are these scams? I know I should forget about these postings, but it's tempting none the less.

cello · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject:

There have been lots of scams involving the O certainly. It will be more difficult to tell now because Kronos release will reduce O prices. But this does seem low.

A good way to find out if it is genuine is to ask if it is the red one because that's the one you're looking for and/or say you live locally and would like to try before you buy.

If it's a scam you'll be able to tell from the answers!
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Plugged in: Fantom 8, Jupiter-X, Jupiter 80, System-8, JD-XA, V-Synth GTv2, FA-06, SE-02, JU-06A, TR-09, VT-4, Go:Livecast, Rubix44, Shure SM7b, Push2, Ableton 11 Suite, Sibelius, KRK Rokit 5,

Kontrol49 · Platinum Member Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 1280

Best way to weed out scams,ask them for a photo of the unit,with a piece of paper in front of it with the date on or your email address....most genuine sellers will oblige,or ask them to write the date or email address inside a combi/prog text on the screen and take a photo of that.if anything it will verify they actually do have the unit.

In the case of the Oasys ask for the Public ID and serial number if they are the registered owner you could then perhaps phone Korg to verify ownership.
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--Korg Nautilus~~Korg Modwave--Korg SV-1-Korg Wavestate--

sullycq · Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 11 Location: Cork, Ireland

Thanks a lot for your advice.
I got in touch with the seller and he said that his business is a shipping company. There is no way for me to view the OASYS before I buy it. Also no way for him to take a picture with the date. He did go on to say that there is a 90 day money back guarantee if I'm not happy. However I still have to pay first through western union.

After he replied, I googled his email address. The guy seems to have similar postings around the web. He also sells iPhones dead cheap and computers etc.

On one posting I looked at, he was selling an 88 key M3, but the picture was a 61 key Triton Le.

I know in my gut it must be a scam. I was just wondering if anyone bought an OASYS or M3 at these prices.

Thanks again. I am a new member and love the forums.

Synthoid · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: Korg OASYS / M3 scam?

BillW · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:24 pm Post subject: Re: Korg OASYS / M3 scam?

Hedegaard · Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:37 pm Post subject:

+1

Absolutely TOTAL SCAM!

Warning signs:
1 - " Shipping company" Yeah right!

2 - Can't see any pictures with dates or inspect item?
(Usually you ask the seller to make a program/patch with your name on it and send the pictures to your email)

3 - The price! (Is the Oasys defect? No? Then if its too 'good to be true' then it usually is.

4 - Payment by Western Union (which afterwards can't be tracked at all)

Some people are so gullible, I wonder if I shouldn't just take pictures of my Oasys and offer it for sale via Western Union, I could make enough to get about 10x Kronos (and would still need a further 20 units to catch up to Sina!)

cello · Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:21 am Post subject:

No way at all those keyboards can be had for those prices. Do NOT Be tempted. You will lose your money - it is a scam.

Keep your dream and your money. One day you'll have enough for one of them and you won't regret it as they are bit wonderful machines.
_________________
Plugged in: Fantom 8, Jupiter-X, Jupiter 80, System-8, JD-XA, V-Synth GTv2, FA-06, SE-02, JU-06A, TR-09, VT-4, Go:Livecast, Rubix44, Shure SM7b, Push2, Ableton 11 Suite, Sibelius, KRK Rokit 5,

sullycq · Joined: 12 Feb 2011 Posts: 11 Location: Cork, Ireland

Again, thanks to everyone for their replies.

I'm just going to save like mad and maybe get my hands on a KRONOS. Hopefully european prices wont be that bad.

Smile

Penumbra · Guest

Trinity2112 · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:01 pm Post subject:

Just found this Craigslist scam using pics from a legitimate Ebay auction.

Scam: http://memphis.craigslist.org/msg/2156083765.html

Ebay auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230587302942

The legitimate seller told me that he has received several email regarding that ad. The scammer actually has the same ad posted all over the US. He's reported the scammer to Craigslist and although they remove the ad, the bum keeps reposting it.
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Current Korg Lineup: Kronos 61, Oasys 76 · M3-61/RADIAS · Trinity Plus/HDR · 01/WFD · 01R/W · X3R · M3R · Wavestation EX · Wavestation SR · Triton Rack/MOSS · Z1EX · TR-Rack · Karma · D3200 · iM1 · iWavestation · iMono/Poly
Other Synths: Berhinger Deepmind 12 · iProphet · Moog Model D
Dearly departed: X3

Davidb · Platinum Member Joined: 21 Oct 2002 Posts: 1592

Interesting,
Thanx Trinity2112
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Regards.
D.

Trinity2112 · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 11:39 pm Post subject:

The Ebay seller has loaded up new pics, so you can no longer compare them.
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Current Korg Lineup: Kronos 61, Oasys 76 · M3-61/RADIAS · Trinity Plus/HDR · 01/WFD · 01R/W · X3R · M3R · Wavestation EX · Wavestation SR · Triton Rack/MOSS · Z1EX · TR-Rack · Karma · D3200 · iM1 · iWavestation · iMono/Poly
Other Synths: Berhinger Deepmind 12 · iProphet · Moog Model D
Dearly departed: X3

Kontrol49 · Platinum Member Joined: 04 Mar 2006 Posts: 1280

As already mentioned in this thread...why can't sellers protect themselves from misuse of their pictures...in every Ebay sale I have sold a synth or the like,a simple solution stops people from trying to pass off your pictures as their own

Use the watermark option for the pictures in ebay and also place a sheet of paper with your Ebay username and date in front of the Oasys,on every pic,even more so with the Oasys as you can use the large screen for text as well.

I know you can't stop people downloading the pics but at least this way you discouraging idiots from trying to use pics from a genuine sale,and if their dumb enough to try and use them to fool anyone its a sure fire way of sniffing out a scam.

Given the Value of the Oasys,I would have thought as an owner thats selling you should take a little duty of care to protect not only yourself but prospective buyers from being scammed elsewhere,should the photos be misused

Certainly a lack of care over the copyright/Validity is going to have a detrimental effect on the success of the sale of your synth and any future sellers,with just about every sale of the Oasys being seen as a potential scam, I know we can't stop scams but at least its slimming down the chances of it,then perhaps the idiots will move onto something else to rip people off with.
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--Korg Nautilus~~Korg Modwave--Korg SV-1-Korg Wavestate--

CrazyFoo · Junior Member Joined: 09 Feb 2010 Posts: 63

It sounds like the Nigerian Oasys scam!

Remember, if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck...

Anyhoo, just let common sense be your guide, there's no free lunches and no $1200 Oasys.
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