rip-off and stealing

[Offroad]

Hello guys,
this question came up:

If I buy a low quality pc and pay a lot of money for it, so, can I say:

- This computer is a rip-off !!!
- The salesman ripped me off !!!
- I was ripped off by a salesman who sold me a pc.
- This pc is a stealing.
- The salesman stealed from me by selling a low quality pc.

Thanks

 

[MrPedantic]

Hello MB,

For me, the first three sentences are fine.

In #4, the gerund "stealing" surprises me; I wouldn't expect to hear it.

In #5, you might possibly say "the salesman stole from me by selling me a low-quality pc", as a flamboyant way of saying "the salesman ripped me off..."; but I wouldn't expect to hear it.

Best wishes,

MrP

 

[Offroad]

Ok, I got it. Many thanks.

 

[2006]

Hello MB,



In #4, the gerund "stealing" surprises me; I wouldn't expect to hear it.
In North America we can say 'This pc is a steal.', but this meaning is the opposite of that of the other 4 sentences.
Saying something is a steal means that it was an extremely good bargain, so inexpensive for its value that buying it at that price was almost like stealing it.

Best wishes,

MrP

2006

 

[Offroad]

Thanks for the tip, 2006

 

[Tdol]

You can say 'daylight robbery' for something that is grossly overpriced. ;-)

 

[Daruma]

rip-off
[usually sing.] something that is not worth what you pay for it: $70 for a T-shirt! What a rip-off!

rip sb

off [usually passive] (informal) to cheat sb, by making them pay too much, by selling them sth of poor quality, etc.: Tourists complain of being ripped off by local cab drivers.

daylight

robbery (informal) the fact of sb charging too much money for sth: You wouldn’t believe some of the prices they charge; it’s daylight robbery.

be a

steal (especially NAmE) to be for sale at an unexpectedly low price: This suit is a steal at $80.