Complaint Review: TNT Third Party Delivery Service

A Sony Laptop was advertised for sale on Craig's List, Ann Arbor, MI, for $400. Sent email to seller. She Susan gibson replied:

Hello

I still have the laptop. I want $400 for it. The laptop was set up for the US, it is 3 months old and it comes with 9 months of warranty.

I have attached some pics with the laptop to this e-mail. I am now in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.
Since I can't meet you and make the exchange, I would like to use a service that will help us with that:

http://www.tnt.com/tnt.express.wolverhampton.depot.overseas.transactions/details.html

TNT is a worldwide delivery company (like Fedex, DHL or UPS). You can see from their procedure that you will be able to check the laptop before I receive the payment. If you are in a hurry, I will use 2 day delivery (shipping is on me).Let me know what you think.

Best,
Susan

The link did not provide the TNT process so I emailed her again requesting a corrected link... she replied:

From: Susan gibson [mailto:gibson.susan@live.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 13, 2008 4:52 PM
To: Tom Pate
Subject: RE: the 17'' sony vaio vgn ar290g from craigslist $400

Hi Tom

You're welcome.
The laptop came with MS Windows Media Center + a Windows Vista Home Premium express upgrade. I only used Vista on it.
The laptop comes with a standard battery.
I am sorry, I must have sent you a wrong link. Here is the right link:

http://www.shiptnt.com/tnt.express.wolverhampton.depot.overseas.transactions/

Please read their procedure and get back to me.

Best,
Susan

The link shows a professional-looking website with instructions for the process wherein I would be contacted by TNT to send $400 to TNT to be held by TNT until I receive the PC from TNT and inspect it, and if I am satisfied, notify TNT to release the funds to the seller... if I am not satisfied, I receive a full refund of the money "no questons asked".

Fortunately, I googled "TNT Third Party Delivery Service" and discovered the scam and previous writeup at the ripoffreport.com website.

Tom
Ann Arbor, Michigan
U.S.A.