Comments on: Swoopo is a Scam http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/ Ezra -ez- Nugroho's blog Thu, 06 Oct 2011 02:33:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Karen http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-5621 Karen Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:48:38 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-5621 Try to register a username on Swoopo that contains any uppercase characters and your registered username will be all lowercase characters. Be suspicious of bidders who have usernames containing uppercase characters because they did not go through the normal registration process. Try it yourself, your username will be all lowercase. Be suspicious. Try to register a username on Swoopo that contains any uppercase characters and your registered username will be all lowercase characters. Be suspicious of bidders who have usernames containing uppercase characters because they did not go through the normal registration process. Try it yourself, your username will be all lowercase. Be suspicious.

]]> By: ezran http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-5535 ezran Thu, 05 Aug 2010 02:23:40 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-5535 Wow, Don. Thank you for your confirmation. It's very bold of you. Sadly, it seems that many companies like these are popping up everywhere. Some are even VC-backed. Wow, Don. Thank you for your confirmation. It’s very bold of you. Sadly, it seems that many companies like these are popping up everywhere. Some are even VC-backed.

]]> By: don http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-5534 don Thu, 05 Aug 2010 02:19:45 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-5534 I ASSURE you that anyone leaving a positive review here is, in fact, an employee of Swoopo. I know, I was one. When it was laid upon my desk to answer these blogs, and create my own, i summarily quit. DO NOT EVER EVER EVER go to Swoopo. (even visiting their site makes them money, by way of adware) I ASSURE you that anyone leaving a positive review here is, in fact, an employee of Swoopo. I know, I was one. When it was laid upon my desk to answer these blogs, and create my own, i summarily quit. DO NOT EVER EVER EVER go to Swoopo. (even visiting their site makes them money, by way of adware)

]]> By: MJL http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4909 MJL Sun, 13 Jun 2010 21:24:50 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4909 I love that people keep calling this "Gambling". At least with gambling there is a chance to win. On Swoopo you have almost no chance of winning. The odds are completely stacked against you and here is my proof: They claim to have an 8 item limitation on the amount of auctions you can win within a 28 day period and within the auction limitation they limit the number of auctions that bidders can win in different auction groups. That is a complete LIE. User “Imnotstoping” has won 13 auctions from 5/31/10 - 6/13/10 (14 days). He won 2 “Bid” auctions within a 4 day period even though: “You’re allowed to win 1 auction out of this group within 4 weeks.” Don’t waste your time or money on this site. They are clearly using bots or employees to drive the bids, (which they keep claiming they don't do). Think about sitting down at a blackjack table that the dealer can see every card in the deck and make his dealing decision based on what card is next. How fair is that? Welcome to Swoopo. I love that people keep calling this “Gambling”. At least with gambling there is a chance to win. On Swoopo you have almost no chance of winning. The odds are completely stacked against you and here is my proof:

They claim to have an 8 item limitation on the amount of auctions you can win within a 28 day period and within the auction limitation they limit the number of auctions that bidders can win in different auction groups. That is a complete LIE. User “Imnotstoping” has won 13 auctions from 5/31/10 – 6/13/10 (14 days). He won 2 “Bid” auctions within a 4 day period even though: “You’re allowed to win 1 auction out of this group within 4 weeks.” Don’t waste your time or money on this site. They are clearly using bots or employees to drive the bids, (which they keep claiming they don’t do).

Think about sitting down at a blackjack table that the dealer can see every card in the deck and make his dealing decision based on what card is next. How fair is that? Welcome to Swoopo.

]]> By: Pete http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4627 Pete Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:09:23 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4627 Hi ezran, I posted here over a year ago and seeing a google ad for swoopo just now, I thought I'd come back and see how this comment thread was going. It's interesting to read the people who are putting the case forward for swoopo not being a scam. I agree with most of their comments however, I do believe that people are missing the one important fact. Swoopo is getting people in different countries to bid against each other for different products. Below is a link for the next ending product on Swoopo UK site http://www.swoopo.co.uk/auction/xbox-360-super-elite-console-with-forza-/305790.html and for the US site http://www.swoopo.com/auction/xbox-360-console-final-fantasy-xiii/305790.html I'm sure by the time someone reads this the auction will have been won by someone. You will see that it was won by the same person for the same amount. (in USD and GBP) Here is my case for why Swoopo can be nothing other than a scam. How can that same person win two different products? If the two final bidders were in different countries, they will have been bidding on different products. Yet Swoopo will say that the product has their respective actions have been won. If the final winner gets the multitude of different products from around the world, then fine, I have no problem. I have not read any comments about that happening so I will assume that isn't the case. This leaves us with people who have been spending money bidding on a product that will never be won by anyone. This is why I can't see Swoopo being anything other than a scam. Hi ezran,

I posted here over a year ago and seeing a google ad for swoopo just now, I thought I’d come back and see how this comment thread was going.

It’s interesting to read the people who are putting the case forward for swoopo not being a scam. I agree with most of their comments however, I do believe that people are missing the one important fact.

Swoopo is getting people in different countries to bid against each other for different products. Below is a link for the next ending product on Swoopo UK site

http://www.swoopo.co.uk/auction/xbox-360-super-elite-console-with-forza-/305790.html

and for the US site

http://www.swoopo.com/auction/xbox-360-console-final-fantasy-xiii/305790.html

I’m sure by the time someone reads this the auction will have been won by someone. You will see that it was won by the same person for the same amount. (in USD and GBP)

Here is my case for why Swoopo can be nothing other than a scam.

How can that same person win two different products?

If the two final bidders were in different countries, they will have been bidding on different products. Yet Swoopo will say that the product has their respective actions have been won. If the final winner gets the multitude of different products from around the world, then fine, I have no problem. I have not read any comments about that happening so I will assume that isn’t the case.

This leaves us with people who have been spending money bidding on a product that will never be won by anyone. This is why I can’t see Swoopo being anything other than a scam.

]]> By: rod http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4338 rod Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:34:03 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4338 I agree with you people; Swoopo is a fucking RIP OFF. It should be prohibited in the US and every where else! I hope whoever created the website will rot in hell for putting such a trap/scam for the every day Joe-the-plumber. Death for those thief! I agree with you people;
Swoopo is a fucking RIP OFF.
It should be prohibited in the US and every where else!
I hope whoever created the website will rot in hell for putting such a trap/scam for the every day Joe-the-plumber.

Death for those thief!

]]> By: ezran http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4224 ezran Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:00:12 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4224 Matt, thank you for the comment! This is precisely what we learned in our Game Theory class. The only way to beat Swoopo is to bid collectively among all the bidders. The larger the pool of bidders, the more Swoopo makes money. Swoopo is even more evil than other penny sites because they cross list the same items in different regional sites. Swoopo bidders are fighting against the whole world! Save your money, guys! Just look for good offers in deal sites. Matt, thank you for the comment!

This is precisely what we learned in our Game Theory class. The only way to beat Swoopo is to bid collectively among all the bidders. The larger the pool of bidders, the more Swoopo makes money. Swoopo is even more evil than other penny sites because they cross list the same items in different regional sites. Swoopo bidders are fighting against the whole world!

Save your money, guys! Just look for good offers in deal sites.

]]> By: matt http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4214 matt Mon, 01 Mar 2010 23:56:32 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4214 Speaking to the New York Times, Glen Whitney, a mathematician and a former quantitative analyst at the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, stated: “In aggregate, consumers trying to obtain these products are overpaying. Unless you have an edge over other people who are bidding, and you can get them to subsidize your purchase, you shouldn’t do it. It’s a chump’s game.” (NY Times, Aug. 16th, 2009) Here is a perfect example: http://www.swoopo.com/auction/apple-iphone-3gs-32gb-black-/289906.html Do the math and figure out what Swoopo earned on this “great deal” and also look at the “deal” the winner got. Speaking to the New York Times, Glen Whitney, a mathematician and a former quantitative analyst at the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, stated: “In aggregate, consumers trying to obtain these products are overpaying. Unless you have an edge over other people who are bidding, and you can get them to subsidize your purchase, you shouldn’t do it. It’s a chump’s game.” (NY Times, Aug. 16th, 2009)

Here is a perfect example:
http://www.swoopo.com/auction/apple-iphone-3gs-32gb-black-/289906.html

Do the math and figure out what Swoopo earned on this “great deal” and also look at the “deal” the winner got.

]]> By: Is Swoopo a SCAM? http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-4060 Is Swoopo a SCAM? Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:05:42 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-4060 Swoopo may not be a scam outright but there seems to be some similarities. Swoopo may not be a scam outright but there seems to be some similarities.

]]> By: marc http://www.ezran.org/blog/2009/03/swoopo-is-a-scam/comment-page-1/#comment-3990 marc Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:24:13 +0000 http://www.ezran.org/blog/?p=228#comment-3990 THEO: "However, the shill bidding argument is valid. If this were true, then this site would be a scam." WELL DONE THEO, YOU ACTUALLY FIGURED IT OUT. THEO: " This could be easily proven one way or the other by statistically looking at several auctions and calculating odds of certain events happening." I HAVE LOOKED AT THE TYPES OF BIDS UNSTATISTICALLY, AND I DEFINITELY FIND PATTERNS WHICH SUGGEST THEY ARE DOING SHILL BIDDING IN ORDER TO MAKE PEOPLE USE UP AS MUCH OF THEIR PREPAID BIDS AS POSSIBLE. THEO: "I would advise Swoopo to submit to an independent audit to demonstrate that this isn’t happening. " FAT BLOODY CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING. THEY WON'T EVEN REVEAL ANY ACTUAL WINNERS, THEY WON'T REVEAL ANYTHING (MORE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE), SO UNLESS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY STEPS IN, THERE IS NO WAY THEY WILL REVEAL THEIR MODE OF OPERATIONS, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS A SCAM. THEO: “However, the shill bidding argument is valid. If this were true, then this site would be a scam.”

WELL DONE THEO, YOU ACTUALLY FIGURED IT OUT.

THEO: ” This could be easily proven one way or the other by statistically looking at several auctions and calculating odds of certain events happening.”

I HAVE LOOKED AT THE TYPES OF BIDS UNSTATISTICALLY, AND I DEFINITELY FIND PATTERNS WHICH SUGGEST THEY ARE DOING SHILL BIDDING IN ORDER TO MAKE PEOPLE USE UP AS MUCH OF THEIR PREPAID BIDS AS POSSIBLE.

THEO: “I would advise Swoopo to submit to an independent audit to demonstrate that this isn’t happening. ”

FAT BLOODY CHANCE OF THAT HAPPENING. THEY WON’T EVEN REVEAL ANY ACTUAL WINNERS, THEY WON’T REVEAL ANYTHING (MORE EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO HIDE), SO UNLESS A GOVERNMENT AGENCY STEPS IN, THERE IS NO WAY THEY WILL REVEAL THEIR MODE OF OPERATIONS, SIMPLY BECAUSE IT IS A SCAM.

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