Did I buy a stolen laptop?

[Deleted]

Got a nice new (kinda, listed as refurbished) laptop today, good specs and a good deal IMO.
£485 for a Samsung chromos 7

Basically there's a crack on the bottom of the laptop, mentioned in the description (maybe due to tampering?), the internal speakers don't work, and the serial number is deliberately scratched off. there is also no windows 8 key sticker on the laptop.

other than that it looks brand new and works fine so i'm not sure I should worry about the small things.
if it can do what I want then I guess I can't complain

pics-
http://imgur.com/fsTROvk,b5OuWp9

spec:
Windows 8 64 bit
15.6 inch 1920x1080 screen
Intel 3230M Dual core 3.2GHz hyperthreading
AMD Radeon HD 8800M
1TB HDD
8GB RAM


so what do you guys think? and what should I do? if anything

[Deleted]

all laptops are stolen to a certain degree

I've read some stupid things in my time but this makes the top 20.

[RoryTee]

They are pretty impressive specs for something sub 500 on a laptop. Nice buy if not stolen.

The crack could be down to someone just dropping it , and some people don't like any of the stickers and writing and peel it all off. Kind of stupid since it makes it harder to sell but people still do it.

[Sinyc]

If it IS stolen, it wont be traceable to you. Unless you call in for support (but then again the S/N is gone) and its flagged.

[Lilbruz]

the serial number is deliberately scratched off

I dont understand why anyone would do this unless its stolen..

Also, if it looks and sounds too good to be true (That price for those specs), it usually is.

What should you do? Use it, and hope its not stolen and if it is, hope there is no way to track it.

Where did you buy it?

[Jayburner]

I think thats my laptop you got. Thanks for finding it for me.

[Djuntas]

Where did you buy it...? Why not tell that, its the most important thing.

[Schinto]

Where did you buy it...? Why not tell that, its the most important thing.

If OP was smart enough to reason for himself this thread would not exist, I hope that answers your question as to where it was purchased.

[RoryTee]

Where did you buy it...? Why not tell that, its the most important thing.

Sound's like a Gumtree jobby. There are some dodgy bastards on that website.

[Dezerte]

Maybe you did buy a stolen laptop.

[Deleted]

I bought it on ebay, the guy sells a lot of electronics stuff.

If OP was smart enough to reason for himself this thread would not exist, I hope that answers your question as to where it was purchased.

Bashing people on the internet doesn't make you smarter, sorry.

[Deleted]

If the serial number is scratched off then it probably was stolen at some point. May not have been the guy you bought it from though, it could have passed hands a whole bunch of times. If he's a big electronics seller he probably buys bulk lots from other people and doesn't question the origins.

[Schinto]

Bashing people on the internet doesn't make you smarter, sorry.

How is that bashing, I'm answering someone's question.

[Vightnic]

I spy with my little eye... a Gamecube!

the serial number is deliberately scratched off

I dont understand why anyone would do this unless its stolen.

But anyway I agree, no reason to remove the S/N unless it's stolen.

[Deleted]

I bought it on ebay, the guy sells a lot of electronics stuff.



Bashing people on the internet doesn't make you smarter, sorry.

Most likely stolen, i bought my bicycle that way aswell.

When i saw the price and all i sort of knew it but hey, good stuff for good prices!

[Deleted]

I took the bottom shell off, funnily enough there is a serial number on a white sticker on the inside.

[Orlong]

I spy with my little eye... a Gamecube!




But anyway I agree, no reason to remove the S/N unless it's stolen.

Theoretically someone couldve removed the serial number sticker thinking there was a screw underneath it. He may have been trying to get the bottom off (hence the crack) and since many manufacturers put screws under stickers (but never under serial number stickers) he may have thought there was one under it. Now that I look at mine (I have a similar model with slightly higher specs) There is no serial number sticker on mine either. Te serial number is screenprinted directly on the bottom of the laptop in the area where the UL and FCC certifications and model number is printed

[hutchzilla]

Theoretically someone couldve removed the serial number sticker thinking there was a screw underneath it. He may have been trying to get the bottom off (hence the crack) and since many manufacturers put screws under stickers (but never under serial number stickers) he may have thought there was one under it. Now that I look at mine (I have a similar model with slightly higher specs) There is no serial number sticker on mine either. Te serial number is screenprinted directly on the bottom of the laptop in the area where the UL and FCC certifications and model number is printed

If you click the imgur link OP posted you can see its been scratched off, tbh tho OP dont lose any sleep over it.

http://imgur.com/fsTROvk,b5OuWp9#1

[Orlong]

Youre right!

[Soisoisoi]

Most likely stolen, i bought my bicycle that way aswell.

When i saw the price and all i sort of knew it but hey, good stuff for good prices!

Heh, my old bike got stolen by the local thieves; my mum (I was like 10 at the time) walked onto their garden mid day and took it back whilst they were there. They didn't say a word. It also had numbers n such scratched off so they were going to try to sell it I guess, but she wrote it on something and put it inside the actual bike frame so we knew it was ours.

OT: Probably stolen, and there's probably not a lot you can do. Not sure you'll be able to get your money back if you give it back to the real owners. Up to you.