Is it just me or is Kleinanzeigen full of PC scams?
Hey everyone, I just wanted to share my experience trying to buy a used gaming PC in Germany as an international student. Maybe someone here has gone through the same thing or can give some advice.
I recently moved here for my master’s and was planning to build a PC, but the prices for new parts are honestly too high for me right now. So I decided to look into used PCs. I spent about two weeks searching almost every day on Kleinanzeigen and Facebook Marketplace. At first it seemed fine, but after a while I started noticing some really weird patterns. A lot of posts looked almost identical. Same description, sometimes even the same photos, but posted by different accounts. Some listings would just disappear after a day or two. When I messaged sellers and said I wanted to come in person and test the PC, suddenly they were not available anymore or said it was already sold.
One guy even asked me to move to Instagram. At first he seemed normal, but when I said I could come the next day with cash, he started making excuses. Then he stopped replying and blocked me. A few days later I saw what looked like the same setup posted again.
After this happening multiple times I honestly feel like most of the good deals are just fake. I know scams exist everywhere, but this feels like a different level.
So now I’m a bit stuck. I still want a PC, but I don’t want to get scammed. I checked Facebook too, but it feels even worse.
Has anyone here had a good experience buying used PCs in Germany? Are there better platforms or forums where people are more reliable? Any advice would really help. Thanks.