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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Viral marketing?

    I'm posting this here as much for comment as anything. I bought this little convertible last year for peanuts, Windows 10, SSD, enough RAM to do basics, touchscreen, and it was as cheap as chips. It had Windows Home on it, so I wiped it and put on Insider Preview, but it buggered up the touchscreen. Eventually I managed to find the Touchscreen drivers buried on their website and got it working again. I use it as a throwabout device in the office, take it to meetings to take notes, login to M365, that sort of shit.

    Anyway, today they sent me this email. They are about to launch a cheap touchscreen 12" convertible, but I don't really need another computer.

    The idea is that you buy it for the asking price and if you write a FIVE STAR review, they give you 50% off straight away to your Paypal account. If you write a stonking review, they will knock the price down to $99.

    So I'm going to post it here, on balance if I did have a need for one, I'd probably go for it, in my dealings with support they seem less duplicitous than your average chinky and they drop me the odd email asking how the device is and so on (maybe they have some itinerant workers on their help desk).

    I'm sure OhOh will be interested, and no-one could write better chinky brown-nosing than him, so maybe he can be the guinea pig.

    The contact email is at the bottom.

    P.S. the device I have is called the Philbook and it has been pretty reliable despite my attempts to fuck it up.
    P.P.S. It's also got a spare SSD slot so you can whack a 1TB SSD in it if that's your bag.
    P.P.P.S. It does specifically say I can share this with anyone as long as they are willing to write a review.
    P.P.P.P.S. The link: Robot Check

    Dear Customer,


    Here is XIDU Service Team.
    We are here to remind you that our new released 2020 Newest XIDU 11.6" PhilBook Pro 2 in 1 Convertible Touchscreen Laptop will be available on Amazon in a week.

    It is a powerful lightweight laptop with 2K touchscreen and equips with 6GB RAM 128GB SSD storage .
    You can enter the following link to get more information about the device:

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085VPF4G6



    My requests are as following:

    1. We would like to offer you 50% off ($169.5) if you are interested in buying this 11.6''touchscreen laptop(sale price339.99) .

    2. If you are interested in getting it at less than $170, here is the deal:

    a) You order the laptop via above Amazon product link with full price $339.99;

    b) We wish you could submit a positive 5-star review (over 150 words) within 7 days after item received, attached with pictures and a product video via this link(We will add a refund of up to US$69 if your review is really impressive which means you can get this laptop with $99.99!!):

    https://www.amazon.com/review/create....e.=UTF8&asin=B085VPF4G6


    3. If you agree, please reply to this email attached with your PayPal account and we will inform you again when it is available on Amazon. We will then refund you $169.5 via PayPal after order placed and review submitted.

    4. If you have no need to purchase another XIDU laptop, you can share this discount offer to your friends or families as long as they are willing to write a review for the purchased item.

    We are looking forward to your reply.
    Thank you for your patience and kind support.


    Best Regards
    XIDU Customer Service Team




    support@xidu-e.com

  2. #2
    The Dentist English Noodles's Avatar
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    There's a Nigerian prince somewhere want's to send you some cash too.

  3. #3
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    3. If you agree, please reply to this email attached with your PayPal account and we will inform you again when it is available on Amazon. We will then refund you $169.5 via PayPal after order placed and review submitted.

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    If I got it at random I'd be inclined to agree with you, but having dealt with the company and their support I wouldn't be inclined to write it off completely.

    It will be interesting to see the reviews when it actually comes out. I'm pretty sure people will be quick to complain if they don't come through.

  5. #5
    Thailand Expat Fondles's Avatar
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    They pay the import duties ?

  6. #6
    Thailand Expat AntRobertson's Avatar
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    It does seem to be a tad dodgy.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    My requests are as following:

    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    We are looking forward to your reply.
    Go on then Arry, let us know how you get on..

    Nigerian Lives Matter.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda View Post
    The idea is that you buy it for the asking price and if you write a FIVE STAR review, they give you 50% off straight away to your Paypal account. If you write a stonking review, they will knock the price down to $99.
    Do you believe in Santa as well?

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AntRobertson View Post
    It does seem to be a tad dodgy.
    But it might also be a really good way to get a shitload of 5* reviews.

  10. #10
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Iceman123 View Post
    Do you believe in Santa as well?
    That's why I said resident chinky brown-noser HooHoo should do it. He is always about promoting the chinkies after all.

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger View Post
    Go on then Arry, let us know how you get on..

    Nigerian Lives Matter.
    I mean I could always use the slush budget, but I *really* don't need another lappy - I've got five, and that covers everything I need.

    Viral marketing?-4a7ee75b110b0fd6102a2a8a6a147187-jpg

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat AntRobertson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
    But it might also be a really good way to get a shitload of 5* reviews.
    Oh yup that's kinda what I meant.

    I think the offer is legitimate it's just a dodgy way of getting the reviews.

  13. #13
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    ^
    Hmm. 23% of its reviews on Amazon are one star, so it could be a sneaky way of getting better reviews but if that email were reported it could close their Amazon account.

    So maybe the scam is to do with this...

    Review bombing
    As Amazon has grown increasingly sophisticated with detecting reviews, some sellers have avoided buying fake reviews for their own products and instead purchased dozens of fake reviews for their competitors’ products.

    Why would a seller do that? Well, if Amazon detects suspicious reviews it will often suspend that seller’s account. One colleague of mind selling tactical supplies had a listing “review bombed” in this way, and his account was suspended by Amazon for alleged review manipulation
    That would explain their heavy discounted offer, maybe in their hope of the customer going to Amazon and querying it.

    Have a good look in the header of that email that you were sent...is the email address definitely from the same company or is it slightly different?
    The product comes up as unavailable on Amazon now.

    Report the slimy fuckers if it is the proper email, here
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...qid=1481141367



    Here are other backhand ways those dodgy Chinks manipulate Amazon
    4 Dirty Tricks Being Used by Amazon Sellers in China… and Worldwide

  14. #14
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    In fact Arry, dont report to Amazon. Go back to the company who sent you the email and tell them you are gonna report it to Amazon unless they send you a free laptop

    But, I'm pretty sure you would never see any refund because that email is from a competitor trying to get them shut down, so go back to them if the email is from another company, make them aware of it and they may send you a free mouse mat

  15. #15
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dillinger View Post
    In fact Arry, dont report to Amazon. Go back to the company who sent you the email and tell them you are gonna report it to Amazon unless they send you a free laptop

    But, I'm pretty sure you would never see any refund because that email is from a competitor trying to get them shut down, so go back to them if the email is from another company, make them aware of it and they may send you a free mouse mat
    It was from them but I've deleted it.

    Good spot though, didn't realise that was a thing because it's the first time I've seen it.

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