Any Ebay expert here? I need advice

[kobe]

I bought a PA power amp off ebay and paid through paypal.

unfortunatly It arrived in poor conditon......

 

1) The amp kept cutting out on one channel, this was due to the amp internal fan being smashed so it overheated.

2) Missing vent cover

3) bent rack ear

4) bent volume pots.

 

I compainerd to the seller and he agreed to compensate me.

Great i thought so the next day i spent some time fixing the amp.

problem is now the seller says he wont compensate me after all.

 

I can file a 'item not as described' dispute through paypal, but they'll require me to send the amp back and I dont really want to do this as the dodgy seller will get a fully fixed amp at my expence plus i'll lose my courier fee.

 

any advice?

[caseyjf]

do you have a link to the auction? If it arrived in poor condition, but as he described it I'm pretty sure you're SOL.

[W. M. Hellinger]

I'd say your options are basically:

 

1) Keep bugging the seller... squeeky wheel sometimes gets oiled.

2) Leave neg. feedback. I suggest leaving the neg feedback basically the last possible minute of the last day you can leave feedback so it's more difficult for the seller to leave retalitory neg feedback

3) Be the successful high bidder on everything else that seller sells on eBay and never pay for any of it. Figure on getting kicked off eBay for this, but it might be worth it.

4) If you have the seller's mailing address, fill out all the "yes, I want your junkmail" free postage paid cards you can find with the sellers name and address filled out on the contact info lines.

[kobe]

Here is his ebay description

 

"Smart Light 1000watt per channel @ 4 ohms

in one rack unit space

solid amp never let me down

bottom amp in picture

jack an xlr inputs, speakon outputs

amazing power for its size

right vent cover missing in pic, it is included in the auction.

collection prefered, can meet half way (within reason) for petrol costs,

buyer can arrange postage with me if nessicary"

 

 

says "solid amp never let me down" yet theres no way it could not have worked for more 10 mins with no fan present (as i found to be the case!)

 

cheers

[clayface74]

 

I bought a PA power amp off ebay and paid through paypal. unfortunatly It arrived in poor conditon...... I compainerd to the seller and he agreed to compensate me. Great i thought so the next day i spent some time fixing the amp. problem is now the seller says he wont compensate me after all.

 

 

Ever wonder why a seller will not ship until he is paid...So the amp was repairable...I say just chalk it upi to experience...if you did not feel satidfied with the transaction maybe you should have trusted your gut and sent it back to begin with...Not trying to be harsh but a lot of buyers have buyers remorse. If he is an experienced seller he understands this...did you let it slip that you made repairs?

[tlbonehead]

Did it arrive in poor condition due to a shipping issue? Or was it in that condition when it was boxed up?

[Imwithpepe]

Not trying to bash you here, but your best bet is to file the dispute with Paypal and send the amp back to him for a refund. (Paypal will require you to do so) So, the money and time you spent on repairs will be lost. You're just going to have to eat that cost. There's no company in America that would issue a refund without the return of the product. It sucks, but that's just the way it is.

 

Now, the really bad news is that if the seller claimed that the item was sold as-is, you are probably out of luck. The statement, "Solid amp that never let me down" is a very loose description of the product and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Obviously, any honest person would assume that this meant that the amp is in good working condition. However, this seller seems to have known what he was doing by making vague condition descriptions for the amp so that he could sell it and say, "I never claimed that it was in new or perfect condition and it is sold as-is".

 

Like I said, I'd check that info and make your decision based on that. Unfortunately, I think you're just gonna be out of luck on the repair cost. Trust me, I know how you feel. I ordered a EV ND767 that claimed that the windscreen was loose but was in great condition otherwise. The pictures showed just this. Windscreen detached from handle but everything else was intact. Got the microphone in a couple days later and the windscreen was broken into two pieces, the capsule had been broken off of the handle, the wiring was broken in three places, and the spacers that go between the screen and the handle were all lying (5 separate pieces) at the bottom of the (get this) brown paper envelope that it was shipped in. No padding, no anything to even attempt to protect this destroyed microphone. Needless to say, I took pictures of it's condition and filed a claim with Paypal. Got my refund within a couple of weeks.

 

Ebay's a gamble...

[tlbonehead]

Here is his ebay description "Smart Light 1000watt per channel @ 4 ohms in one rack unit space solid amp never let me down bottom amp in picture jack an xlr inputs, speakon outputs amazing power for its size right vent cover missing in pic, it is included in the auction. collection prefered, can meet half way (within reason) for petrol costs, buyer can arrange postage with me if nessicary" says "solid amp never let me down" yet theres no way it could not have worked for more 10 mins with no fan present (as i found to be the case!) cheers

Once again, do you have a link to the auction?

[kobe]

 

Did it arrive in poor condition due to a shipping issue? Or was it in that condition when it was boxed up?

 

 

The amp was well packed in the proper manufacutrers box and the box was recived totally undamage.

 

From investigating the internal fault the damage was done over some time certainly since before it was couriered to me. It is clear that the fan has broken up over some time, It's a 1u amp with an impelor type fan so wasn't the regular type found in most 2/3u amps.

 

my main gripe is , even though it cost little to fix as i service my own amps had he listed it honestly as broken the amp would have sold for a fraction of the end price. i'm also pissed off that he offered a partial refund prior to me fixing it, then he went back on his word.

 

 

cheers.

[clayface74]

WELCOME TO E-BAY

 

I know it hurts. but it is what it is. its over and done move on...easier said than done I know but outside of sending a couple of goons to give the guy an attitude adjustment what else are you to do.

[Alan Roberts]

 

I bought a PA power amp off ebay and paid through paypal. unfortunatly It arrived in poor conditon...... 1) The amp kept cutting out on one channel, this was due to the amp internal fan being smashed so it overheated. 2) Missing vent cover 3) bent rack ear 4) bent volume pots. I compainerd to the seller and he agreed to compensate me. Great i thought so the next day i spent some time fixing the amp. problem is now the seller says he wont compensate me after all. I can file a 'item not as described' dispute through paypal, but they'll require me to send the amp back and I dont really want to do this as the dodgy seller will get a fully fixed amp at my expence plus i'll lose my courier fee. any advice?

 

 

Sorry to say this, but at this point, it sounds like you're screwed. Ebay has become such a crapshoot and a place to unload dodgy gear that I avoid anyone without an extremely high rating and large number of transactions. Even then, I'm skeptical...

[Craig Vecchione]

I'd say your options are basically: 1) Keep bugging the seller... squeeky wheel sometimes gets oiled. 2) Leave neg. feedback. I suggest leaving the neg feedback basically the last possible minute of the last day you can leave feedback so it's more difficult for the seller to leave retalitory neg feedback 3) Be the successful high bidder on everything else that seller sells on eBay and never pay for any of it. Figure on getting kicked off eBay for this, but it might be worth it. 4) If you have the seller's mailing address, fill out all the "yes, I want your junkmail" free postage paid cards you can find with the sellers name and address filled out on the contact info lines.

 

+1

 

 

 

Oh, and #2 is no longer a problem, new eBay rules are that sellers can't leave negative feedback on buyers.

 

 

The sooner eBay goes belly-up, the better. I've never seen anything like it....people bidding 80% of new prices for used {censored}e that they can't see or check out. And way too often are taken like the OP here.

[clayface74]

 

+1 I've never seen anything like it....people bidding 80% of new prices for used {censored}e that they can't see or check out. And way too often are taken like the OP here.

 

 

Here here! I seen a FR2500 sell for $390 + $35 shiping. There was nothing in the post about powering up or testing...it was a lost freight recovery. Wow!

As long as someone is willing to list and someone is wiling to buy ebay is here to stay.

[W. M. Hellinger]

 

Oh, and #2 is no longer a problem, new eBay rules are that sellers can't leave negative feedback on buyers.

 

Really? Does that go both ways? (the seller isn't always the bad guy)

 

And I haven't noticed it's retroactive, as it should be if it's fair.

 

In-fact I haven't noticed it's current.

[Hawkeye]

I just posted in another thread about this very thing. The "Item Not as Described" is a very dodgy complaint. My last experience with an Ebay item that was definitely not as described only got a mild reaction from both Paypal and Ebay. To my knowledge they emailed the seller (who was unwiling to do anything about it) and then they consdered the matter "resolved".

 

Visa or paypal will not usually refund unless you don't receive the item at all. In the case of a blatant misrepresentation, I don't think they are obligated to advocate on your behalf for a full refund, especially if the seller said "as is".

 

You need to get specific answers to specific questions on Ebay. If the seller equivocates at all or doesn't give me the full answer to a detailed question I ask, then I pass. It's not worth the aggravation.

 

Descriptions like "powers up but we have no means to test it", "in storage for the last two years but worked fine the last time I used it", or "works great", are giant red flags. Don't go there.

 

I've been burned once before, so I know the pain of buying an "absolutely mint" item only to have it show up dinged and well-used and requiring factory repair.

[Craig Vecchione]

 

Really? Does that go both ways? (the seller isn't always the bad guy) And I haven't noticed it's retroactive, as it should be if it's fair. In-fact I haven't noticed it's current.

 

 

No, I think it's one-way....buyers can leave neg or pos about sellers, sellers can only leave pos about buyers. I didn't pay a helluva lot of attention to the notice from eBay about this, since I don't use it beyond looking at items other people ask about here, so I could be all wet. But it looked really hinky to me, and it seems like it's just another way for eBay to charge for little more than a tiny amount of webspace.

[PlatinumProd]

No, I think it's one-way....buyers can leave neg or pos about sellers, sellers can only leave pos about buyers. I didn't pay a helluva lot of attention to the notice from eBay about this, since I don't use it beyond looking at items other people ask about here, so I could be all wet. But it looked really hinky to me, and it seems like it's just another way for eBay to charge for little more than a tiny amount of webspace.

 

I've generally had good exepriences with eBay.

 

The best way to avoid problems with sellers is to check their Feedback before bidding. You will see if they are bullshi++ers. If they have 100% (or nearly 100% and the only problems were questionable buyers that you can't please), then they are "normally" safe to do business with.

 

Also, I dont just slap neg feedback on them without trying to resolve it first.. They can give you negative feedback if they haven't already given you feedback and even if it is unjustified, it affects your feedback score. (Hopefully, future buyers/sellers people read the comments, though, and know it is B.S.)

 

It is common now for sellers to delay giving you feedback until you give yours to them. Then, if they feel you haven't "worked with them" to resolve any issues, they give you negative feedback as a payback for giving it to them.

 

This happened to me once on an occasion I gave negative feedback. The last option there is, if they work something out for you, you can both offer to nullifiy the feedback and it becomes "neutral" for both of you. This is what happened for me.