Affected individuals are legit sellers from buy and sell communities.
While most individuals purchase brand-new 3DS systems from trusted retailers like DataBlitz and Game One PH/i.TECH, some users with a tight budget might prefer looking for second-hand 3DS units instead. The demand for pre-owned 3DS systems and games gives rise to buy and sell Facebook groups like our own, the Pinoy 3DS Marketplace subgroup. The Marketplace guidelines keep the community safe from bogus transactions and scammers.
One of the Marketplace Admins posted a Public Service Announcement (PSA) this morning warning members of a new modus circulating around other buy and sell Facebook groups.
The modus starts when the suspect finds a target, usually a 3DS seller from a buy and sell Facebook group with little to no experience in the field. The suspect will usually ask the victim for a personal warranty before the deal. The transaction will then push through as usual, sometimes without the suspect testing the unit beforehand. He will use this opportunity a few hours later to demand for a refund by telling the victim that a "hidden defect" was discovered. The suspect has already stolen or swapped some of the internal parts of the 3DS at this point. If the victim is indeed a novice, he will usually agree with the refund to honor his or her personal warranty and to prevent the issue from escalating further.
You may be wondering, why are they wasting all this effort for a couple of parts? These hustlers lose 0% of the money if the victims agree with the refund. Profit is made after they sell these parts to other buyers.
Legit 3DS parts are also scarce in the Philippines especially components for the New 3DS, New 3DS XL, and 2DS models. This is one of the reasons why you don't usually see 3DS technicians around in random Sony PSP or mobile phone repair shops. Some legit technicians order parts overseas while others purchase defective units and salvage the usable components.
How about the victims? Aside from wasting effort and time, they will also need to pay for additional expenses if they wish to have their systems repaired.
Speaking of repairs, here are our trusted and recommended technicians:
- i.TECH SM North branch → (02)332-2871
- Robert Abella Jr. Exceline, Greenhills → +63918-334-2986
- Ei-tran Tehserak meetup service → +63923-591-5265
There will always be inherent risks in purchasing second-hand items so testing a 3DS system or a game should be imperative before you finalize a deal. This battle is also team effort so we encourage you to share this information with your friends. Knowledge is the most effective weapon we can wield against these type of people.
Here's the original post from the Pinoy 3DS Marketplace subgroup:
You can also check out our Frequently Asked Questions article for additional information regarding the 3DS system.
