Yes, it does not come with the biomax. Biomax cost about $8 so it is really $28 for the filter. Actually you can still run the filter without biomax. I would just put some filter floss in it or other bio media.
Its very legit. I got 2 of them last week with 2 boxes of biomax for less than $50. They have biomax for $4.99 a box.
Aqua Clear produced a large quantity of these without biomax and the printed boxes, which is why they are so cheap. They come in a plain box with just a sticker on the front.
Oh I almost forgot, use the discount code NANOREEF and get 10% off on top of the sale.