On Fri, May 18, 2007 11:51 am, Christopher Sawtell wrote: > Quoting [EMAIL PROTECTED]: > >> On Fri, May 18, 2007 at 09:19:07AM +1200, Jonathan Bell wrote: >> > ----- Original Message Follows ----- >> > > Hi, >> > > Sorry Don, but I tend to agree with Nick. >> > > >> > I also agree, for slightly different reasons. >> >> I might just cut through all the moral judgments and the Labour-like >> parenting tips you're currently getting and state two very important >> points. >> >> - Buying a laptop from TradeMe is fraught with *significant* trouble. >> That >> is, you have to make sure it's not stolen before you shell out the >> money, > I beg to differ because: > There is the Safe Trader escrow system. > The police have a database of stolen goods serial numbers which they can > access > during a phone call. > So if you are interested ask the vendor for the serial number, if he won't > give > it, don't buy. > If the number on the lappie is different from the one you were told, > contact the > Safe Trader system and the local police.
While that helps, it is not foolproof. The theft may not have been reported, and the police don't have a nationwide database. -- Nick Rout
