discount codes on e-bay

[amtrakmichigan]

Just currious if any of you know which discount code people are offering for sale on e-bay like the the one posted below:

http://cgi.ebay.com/25-off-AMTRAK-train-TI...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[Anthony]

these auctions are ridiculous...

 

[amtrakmichigan]

these auctions are ridiculous...

I figured as much. I wouldn't think of buying one. I was just currious which code they try to sell that is available to the general public

 

[Anthony]

Well, the problem is that many of the codes aren't "publicly available" -- they're passive discounts intended for specific targeted audiences.

 

[AlanB]

Well, the problem is that many of the codes aren't "publicly available" -- they're passive discounts intended for specific targeted audiences.

Yes, but the second part of the problem is that Amtrak doesn't seem to care either. A simple letter from an Amtrak lawyer is all that it would take to get Ebay to pull down these fraud auctions. Especially since it's technically not even a real auction by Ebay's terms and conditions. But it seems that Amtrak either has no one monitoring Ebay or doesn't care to stop the problem.

 

[amtrakmichigan]

Sad thing is that this person is probably making a fortune selling these "discount codes". I noticed that this person has sold discount codes from everything from Best Buy to Staples. This person is probably pulling in a few grand a year.

 

[Anthony]

I think Amtrak is simply that clueless about it. They didn't put two and two together to stop the H570 use until Frommers wrote an online article about it. :lol: Then again, they heavily restricted the Campus Visit discount code and others because of ebay fraud. So, it's hard to say.

 

[Guest]

Is that even an amtrak train in the picture?

 

[Guest]

Is that even an amtrak train in the picture?

Looks like the old Empire Corridor turboliners of yesteryears...

 

[gswager]

That'll be $10, one penny short, to buy a discount! I wouldn't do that at all!

 

[Trogdor]

Amtrak isn't clueless about these frauds. They are continually fighting them. However, I'm told ebay hasn't been very cooperative in the effort. Therefore, the auctions have to get taken down one at a time. This particular auction is apparently being run by a repeat offender.

 

[AlanB]

Amtrak isn't clueless about these frauds. They are continually fighting them. However, I'm told ebay hasn't been very cooperative in the effort. Therefore, the auctions have to get taken down one at a time. This particular auction is apparently being run by a repeat offender.

Seems more likely that Amtrak just isn't pressing the right buttons or issuing the correct threats to EBay. When someone put up an auction for an outfit they claimed Shania Twain had worn for a video, an outfit that hangs in the Shania Twain Centre by the way, Shania's management lit a fire under EBay and it was gone within a day. Before anyone got ripped off by the fraud.

Now EBay won't generally police these things, yes. Amtrak must do the policing themselves and tell EBay when they find something, but once that's done it should be a simple matter to get the auction killed. So I'm thinking that Amtrak just isn't trying hard enough or is unwilling to assign someone to monitor EBay for this type of thing.

 

[Dinker]

This is probably obvious - but these are fake codes, right? It's not some employee who has a list of the real codes and is selling the knowledge?

 

[AlanB]

This is probably obvious - but these are fake codes, right? It's not some employee who has a list of the real codes and is selling the knowledge?

No, in this case it probably is a legitimate code. The problem is that either you can get the code for free from a proper source or Flyertalk, or it is a code that carries restrictions such that not everyone who pays for it will actually be able to use it.

 

[AmtrakWPK]

And remember that eBay gets a percentage, or a fee, for everything sold through it, so there is a distinct disincentive there for them to remove auction items. I imagine that if you can prove the item is illegal per se, or fraudulent without any argument to the contrary, or is being sold by someone with a proven track record of selling such things, then they would be inclined to remove it for fear of incurring liability themselves, but I would not expect them to be particularly interested to do so otherwise.

 

[racer1735]

They are real codes, at least in the two instances I've gone this route for them. Bought them dirt cheap (under $5) for 1/2 price fares that otherwise weren't available. Im' guessing Amtrak doesn't lose too much sleep over them because it may help drive business to them that they might otherwise not be receiving (people view a 1/2-price fare as the option of taking the train). In my case, I use it to cut the coach fare, then do a sleeping accomodation (which is still the bucket rate).

 

[AlanB]

Im' guessing Amtrak doesn't lose too much sleep over them because it may help drive business to them that they might otherwise not be receiving (people view a 1/2-price fare as the option of taking the train).

Oh, I'm sure that Amtrak cares to some extent. If they didn't care, then they wouldn't have placed the heavy restrictions on that magical H570 code this summer that everyone was using.

Now it may be that someone at Amtrak has decided that persuing every auction is simply too much work, with only a small benefit to Amtrak. Or it may be that no one at Amtrak high enough up the ladder has learned of this problem. Or it may be as Robert stated that Amtrak simply believes that EBay should do the policing and is fighting to get them to do it.

But regardless of the reason, Amtrak really should be doing something about this. We've had discussions here on the forum before about the ethics of people using codes that they shouldn't be using, and I won't go back over that ground again in this topic, that's not what this discussion is about. However, I personally do have a real problem with people profiting off of something that can be had for free, by simply doing a bit of research on the internet.

Racer, please understand that this isn't intended as an attack on you personally, I for one love to save money whenever I can too. But seriously, head to Flyertalk and get these codes for free and stop paying these scam artists. If these clowns stop making money off of selling free info, then they will stop trying to sell it and solve Amtrak's problem.