CAUTION WARNING: btctock.com / btctock

[JoelKatz]

The btctock.com website offers unusually low prices for Bitcoin mining hardware. The same person has traded on BitMit as 'btctock' and possibly trades elsewhere as well.

On at least two BitMit auctions, the seller attempted to convince buyers to cancel escrow and deliver the Bitcoins directly. Because the website promises low prices, claims immediate availability, only takes payment by Bitcoins, spells its own name wrong in its site graphics, and its owner has no real identity that I could find, I strongly suspect that it's an outright fraud.

[1714058499]

1714058499

[1714058499]

1714058499

[ninjaboon]

watching. I really don't like scammers.

[geofflosophy]

Hey,

I posted this in the newbies-only version of this thread as well, but figured now that I can reply here I'd cross-post to the main thread.

I came across BTC Stock (btctock.com) through bitvisitor. Like jessebtc from the newbie thread, I got too excited about the fact that they had items in stock to think about whether they were a scam or not. I placed an order with them for a 5 Ghash/s butterfly labs unit and paid via bitcoin yesterday (7/12). They said that they received my payment and will be shipping the unit within 24-48 hours, so I should know for sure whether they are a scam or not before long.

One encouraging sign: when I placed the order, they said that they had a quantity of 1 in stock, and after my order that immediately changed to "Out of stock." If they were scammers, you'd think they'd keep it in stock, no?

Product listing: http://btctock.com/?q=content/butterfly-5ghs-miner

Anyway, will update when I can.

Geoffrey

[iikun]

Hey,

I posted this in the newbies-only version of this thread as well, but figured now that I can reply here I'd cross-post to the main thread.

I came across BTC Stock (btctock.com) through bitvisitor. Like jessebtc from the newbie thread, I got too excited about the fact that they had items in stock to think about whether they were a scam or not. I placed an order with them for a 5 Ghash/s butterfly labs unit and paid via bitcoin yesterday (7/12). They said that they received my payment and will be shipping the unit within 24-48 hours, so I should know for sure whether they are a scam or not before long.

One encouraging sign: when I placed the order, they said that they had a quantity of 1 in stock, and after my order that immediately changed to "Out of stock." If they were scammers, you'd think they'd keep it in stock, no?

Product listing: http://btctock.com/?q=content/butterfly-5ghs-miner

Anyway, will update when I can.

Geoffrey

lol...nice try (not)

when i looked just now at first they had zero, then 1min later when i refreshed they'd just suddenly received (only) one more unit!  and selling it at a $26 markup despite BFL having taken a year to start shipping!

gimmie a break...

[geofflosophy]

I don't know what you're implying with "nice try," but for me it still says out of stock http://awesomescreenshot.com/0651i53vd2

[iikun]

I don't know what you're implying with "nice try," but for me it still says out of stock http://awesomescreenshot.com/0651i53vd2

[geofflosophy]

Very curious. When the page loads, it starts by flashing the quantity box and then quickly switches to the out of stock. Notice that they also have the 500 GH/s unit out of stock in my screen shot below (this was always out of stock, even before I ordered the 5 GH/s unit), so something is clearly out of wack. I thought maybe it would be different looking at the product page for the 5 GH/s device vs the butterfly labs search page, but that page shows out of stock too.
Butterfly Labs search page: https://www.dropbox.com/s/5jwp6kfvtxklwmq/Butterfly%20Labs%20%20%20BTC%20STOCK.png
Product page from my phone (different IP, different device): https://www.dropbox.com/s/q2eeg53vrxql7oq/2013-07-13_14-34-55.png
My order: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vw2mcura21p1hyt/Order%20120%20%20%20BTC%20STOCK.png

I was thinking that maybe they could have saved my ip or installed a cookie on my computer to make it look right for me but not for you, but I opened the site on my phone using my 4g rather than wifi and got the same result. If they were using a cookie to do this would it translate across from my chrome to my android phone? Otherwise, is it possible that you have a cached version coming up or something?

I'm as concerned as you about them being a scam, probably more so because I sent them 4.05 bitcoin. If I don't get it back it will be a relatively inexpensive lesson compared to what it could have been, but for the moment I'm cautiously optimistic. They have said that they received my payment, so it's not like they're claiming it got lost in the ether or anything, and as soon as they received it my order changed to processing, claiming it would ship in 24-48 hours.

In any case, I will report back either way, and I'm happy to undergo all levels of scrutiny to prove that I am not a shill for them. I'm new to bitcoin; have known about it for a while because of silk road but have only started getting serious about it over the last two weeks or so; the last thing I would want to do is damage my reputation on the most important bitcoin forum before I even had a chance to build it up.

[iikun]

Okay, fair enough.  You came out so fast I was sure you were a shill actually. Apologies if it turns out you aren't.
I went back and their site now loads pretty much loads the same as it does for you. Curious...

But in any case, for me at least, it's a case of their price being too good to be true.  I don't get why they would sell the Jalas so cheaply   

[JoelKatz]

But in any case, for me at least, it's a case of their price being too good to be true.  I don't get why they would sell the Jalas so cheaply   

The thing that got me was that they placed sales offers on Bitmit (with escrow) and then when people bought them, they told them to pay directly. At an absolute minimum, they're trying to ripoff Bitmit for the escrow fee, and far more likely they're trying to rip off the buyer.

[geofflosophy]

Yea it doesn't really make sense that their prices are so good, and I probably should have questioned before I purchased. They are trying to sell mining contracts primarily, though, so the only thing I could think of is maybe they placed an order on multiple units and for whatever reason decided that they had extras or needed liquidity to pay for fixed costs or something else.

One thing that is a little curious is how high their mining contract prices are; they aren't competitive with CloudHashing (I have 5 platinum contracts from them starting in September), for example; especially if you make the not so crazy logical leap that an indefinite contract isn't substantively different from a 2 year contract once increasing difficulty gets factored in. If they were trying to scam, I would think that they would price those contracts to move.

...Or Occam's Razor holds and they are scammers in which case I should know by the end of next week.

[wzh369]

BTC Stock said:07/16/2013   Dear Customer , Your Order has been shipped , Tracking Number is EB 123 456 789 US.

BUT on https://tools.usps.com:

Track & Confirm
You entered: EB123456789US
Delivery status information is not available for your item via this web site. A return receipt after mailing may be available through your local Post Office.

I sent some emails to them,but they have not replied yet.



BTC Stock (btctock.com) is a scammer?

[greyhawk]

Tracking Number is EB 123 456 789 US.

How curious. That's the same combination I have on my luggage.

[geofflosophy]

I got the same thing when mine "shipped," and when I emailed them about it they sent me an updated number that was in the format of 5 numbers, 4 digits each, first starting with 0. Doesn't track on usps.com and hasn't arrived yet. Not looking good.

BTC Stock said:07/16/2013   Dear Customer , Your Order has been shipped , Tracking Number is EB 123 456 789 US.

BUT on https://tools.usps.com:

Track & Confirm
You entered: EB123456789US
Delivery status information is not available for your item via this web site. A return receipt after mailing may be available through your local Post Office.

I sent some emails to them,but they have not replied yet.



BTC Stock (btctock.com) is a scammer?

[JoelKatz]

It's not unusual for USPS to return no information on a tracking number until after the item is delivered. Of course, if the item does not exist, no information will ever be delivered.

[Kouye]

Much less common for them to send tracking numbers such as 123456789, though.  
What was yours, geofflosophy ?

[geofflosophy]

They first sent me the same EB123456789US, but after I emailed they updated it to 0590 3699 3000 0012 0354

Much less common for them to send tracking numbers such as 123456789, though.  
What was yours, geofflosophy ?

[Kouye]

They first sent me the same EB123456789US, but after I emailed they updated it to 0590 3699 3000 0012 0354

Much less common for them to send tracking numbers such as 123456789, though.  
What was yours, geofflosophy ?

Mmmmh, might be a token replacement issue in their mass mailing soft, then, even though the new number remains unknown on USPS site...
Guess you'll have to live with doubts for the next 24 hours or so. But my post should not give one bit of hope, since I'm sure it's a scam, sorry. 

[wzh369]

I got the same thing when mine "shipped," and when I emailed them about it they sent me an updated number that was in the format of 5 numbers, 4 digits each, first starting with 0. Doesn't track on usps.com and hasn't arrived yet. Not looking good.

They haven't replied to me....................

[realestone]

They first sent me the same EB123456789US, but after I emailed they updated it to 0590 3699 3000 0012 0354

Much less common for them to send tracking numbers such as 123456789, though.  
What was yours, geofflosophy ?

the EB123456789US tracking number is the format for express mail but its obviously invalid the second one ive never seen a usps tracking number of any sort start with 05 its generally 91 or 92 could be receipt number but highly suspect

[HenryRomp]

Sad how many profitable scams are run... Even if they only "sold" two units before being exposed as scammers, they probably would have made out quite nicely. And what's the likelihood of them getting caught/paying for their crime?