How should I handle this?

[MONOLITHIC]

I won a box from an eBay seller (with 99.9% positive feedback) who claimed in his description that the box was "tested and works good". Now, given the somewhat vague description, is it wrong to assume that when somebody says "tested and works goods" that everything should be in good working condition?

I got the box, cleaned it up real nice, figuring that I'd save the best (powering it up and checking out it's functions) for last. The radio was cool, but when it was time to listen to the tape deck - nothing but noise! Fast forward, rewind, play - nothing but noise! Nothing moves! After a little while, I shined a flashlight in there and found that it ate some tape. I pulled the tape out but there's no improvement.

My thing is this... If the box was "tested and works good", then why is there tape caught up in the mechanism? Either he "tested" the unit and decided to willingly give a false/deceptive description or he didn't test the unit at all.

The deal is done... What should I do about this guys feedback?

 

[Fatdog]

Never "assume" that everything works when the seller lists "everything was tested and works okay." Key word is "okay." It's all subjective. A person can have a great day or he can have an okay day. See how that works?

If the seller was deceptive then leave a negative.

If the seller's definition of "okay" is different from yours, leave a neutral.

I usually NEVER expect a tape deck to be working even if described that way. So, if it works, it's a pleasant surprise.

Anyway... my $.02.

 

[vladi123456]

I had a similar experience recently - only I was a seller. I sold my Sanyo 920, and I tested everything I could think of, and I listed all of the problems in my description. And I said - other than that - everything works. Well, little did I know - the fist thing the buyer tried was to use the batteries - and that was the only thing that I forgot to test. And sure enough - it didn't work on batteries. Just my luck - one thing I don't test - doesn't work. He left me a neutral feedback though. So who knows - try to talk to him and see what he has to say..

 

[71spud]

I would say try and work out a partial refund... of course it kind of depends on how expensive the box was in the first place. If you paid a premium price you might want to pursue it a bit more. Leave feedback according to how reasonable the seller is. If he starts screaming "fraud" then you know he screwed you over on purpose. People who screw people over on a regular basis do so because they think everyone is screwing them over and they are just getting even. If they guy made an honest mistake and is reasonable he will adjust the price for you. Just approach him as fairly and level-headed as you can.

 

[redbenjoe]

hey mono --
unless there is some emergency super low $$ BIN --where every second counts--
and no time for questions --
and you are very WILLING to take a big chance................

its always good to 'get to know' the box and the seller -
- during the 7 day auction
by asking some questions --
so - even though the listing might say something VAGUELY positive
like " everything seems to work just fine "

you will learn ALOT more-
by asking
"does it make clear , accurate recordings off the FM stereo"
------------------------------
many box sellers will not bother to reply to that question --
so then ----forget it -
or assume the deck was never tested-

in your recent case --
imho --you should contact the seller about the deck issue-
before deciding on the right feedback to leave

 

[blah blah]

i have been caught with "subjective" language pretty frequently. IMHO assumptions are deadly on ebay. Unless the description really lays out exactly what works and what doesn't it is fairly hard to pin a seller down. I would try to get a few bucks off and leave a positive. The problem is unless the description clarifies exactly what you want to know, you really have to ask the question, I think as a buyer I have to be somewhat responsible for insuring my concerns are addressed. Then you have a clear stand to have an opinion of a seller as shyster or just not knowledgeable. I am like fatdog, I always expect lots of problems and am usually pleasantly surprised.

 

[eldorado]

depending on how he also handles it,

you should opt from negative to positive.

we should always work for a balance,

good for him and you,

i for example never asume people want to shaft me.

i do trust people.

because if they do try to catch me,

i got connections with the mob.

 

[alvinm]

If a seller states that everything is working good, then minor issues I may overlook. But something as blatant as a non functioning tape player, that constitutes some amount of reimbursement or negative feedback.

 

[Fatdog]

i do trust people.

because if they do try to catch me,

i got connections with the mob.

Those kinds of connections are always nice to have.

 

[eldorado]

i do trust people.

because if they do try to catch me,

i got connections with the mob.

Those kinds of connections are always nice to have.

sure are.

if you need any help,

call me up

 

[MONOLITHIC]

The box was cheap... VERY cheap! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... _961wt_941

I guess because it was cheap, I shouldn't sweat the situation too much. Still, with a 99.9% positive feedback rating, you'd think that the seller built that up by being totally honest.

In some ways, I'd rather leave him no feedback than give him a negative.

 

[redbenjoe]

now that i see how little $$ was involved --
just --enjoy what DOES work
and pass // leave no feedback

nice looking boxes -- for sure

 

[Superduper]

I don't know mono. The seller didn't do right by not checking it thoroughly. Better if he just disclosed that it sounds great than to say, tested, all working.

BUT.... I presume shipping was OK? Then that just leaves $9 and to be completely honest, how much better can the seller make this for you? If he admists that he made a mistake, what then? BTW, that is one cool boombox. In my mind, you got a STEAL! Had I known, I would've given you some competition!

This is one of those transactions where I would simply say, great deal, seller made a booboo, maybe even deliberately to entice higher bids but in the end, I think this is a deal you'd rather have than not so just forget about it, enjoy your nice box and move on.

So, to recap, I agree with RBJ. No Feedback, move on, enjoy your box.

 

[MONOLITHIC]

Glad y'all like it!

I had it on my watch list... It was posted with a starting bid of $9. Nobody bit and he reposted it with a $9 BIN. I hopped on it quick!


You guys are right! I'll just enjoy the score and leave him no feedback.

Anyway, here's some... unofficial pics :

 

[mellymelsr]

...that is a clean little boomer. You got such a good deal I would leave it at that....

 

[Gluecifer]

Beautiful radio Mono, well in keeping with the high standards of your collection!

In this position, with the non-functioning deck ambiguity, I've had a couple of experiences too.

One thing to consider is that the below has occurred, whicch I've had happen on at least 3 radio's I've won on ebay with 'everything working'.

The scenario seems to be that the item has been sitting around doing very little and not playing any tapes for decades
and when the seller tests it they only play the tape for a couple of seconds, or without a tape in it. They see things move
or hear sound briefly, and then stop it and say it's all 100%.

What I've found is the then near-death belts perform for a couple of seconds and then either stretch or snap, so that the next time it'a played theres no life at all left. On one occassion I emailed the seller about tape functionality and he said he'll try it, and then emailed me back saying it worked for a minute then stopped. And numerous times I've had a 'fully working' radio turn up and then get less than a couple of minutes life out of the deck before the belts give way. I'm almost certain that rough handle in transit could very easily jostle a loose and stretched belt ouf of it's place too.

If I'm uncertain I always ask them (if they can find a tape) to get the unit to play the full length of a tape and then rewind it back to the start. This seems to be the only guarantee all the belts are functioning and the deck is indeed working properly. If they can't find a tape or take the time to do this I prepare for getting a crapped out deck and bid accordingly. I usually finish this contact email off with a line about being a 'serious collector, please check my feedback, and this is a deciding factor on how high i will bid' so they know that this kind of thing is a deal-breaker.

In your situation I'd email him and tell him the unit doesn't work as per his description. It's a 'radio cassette' by definition and working means it's two functions are ok and give him the opportunity to say whether he actually tested it properly or just turned the radio on.

Based on his response, and tone, I'd then leave positive or neutral feedback, but not negative. I'd also be sure to add 'seller doesn't test cassette decks' or words to that effect into the feedback if I ended up leaving neutral to warn future buyers of his lack of professionalism.

Good luck Mono!



Rock On.

 

[redbenjoe]

extremely well said , rick -

but --
aside from 'the principle of the thing'

dont forget that the seller offered up this beautiful mini
at only a $9 BIN --

and that may have been monos best 9 buck deal - EVER !!!

so..............
some of us are thinking that he could easily -
let this seller off the hook

 

[Gluecifer]

Oh yeah, that's it definitely need to consider the price, just getting it alone at that price is phenomonal, even with a screwy deck.

I always remember 1 feedback is 1 feedback, doesn't matter whether somone's paid 10 bucks or 10,000, those little numbers count for a lot. It's a very tricky situation to make sure you're not hurting the seller's future sales, but also making sure they're kept honest. This may be the only radio this seller ever lists, and like many, they could be just cleaning stuff out and not giving a lot of thought to the listings, hence making the price so low.

I guess that's why Mono made this thread. I probably would have too in the same situation given the small amount.
Hahaha, I can't decide which one I'd honestly choose in the poll so I've not even voted!

But like Mono says, when it gets too hard to judge in this situation it might be worth just forgetting about it and not leaving any feedback.



Rock On.

 

[MONOLITHIC]

Many thanks for your insight, Glue! You might be right about his testing procedures... and this guy isn't really a boombox seller...

You know, I've had about half the sellers I win from NOT give me feedback in the past year - after I've left them positives... This'll be the first time I leave no feedback.

extremely well said , rick -

but --
aside from 'the principle of the thing'

dont forget that the seller offered up this beautiful mini
at only a $9 BIN --

and that may have been monos best 9 buck deal - EVER !!!

so..............
some of us are thinking that he could easily -
let this seller off the hook

You're absolutely right about that... I've never won a box this good looking for 9 bucks!

 

[Boom Shaka Laka]

I agree with your decision not to leave feedback. That's the real neutral: it does no harm, but it doesn't reward bad behavior, either. On principle, you should probably mention the problem in some feedback. I mean, this box was only $9, but if the guy is a careless seller/tester, who knows how much harm he'll do in the future? In reality, however, I'd pay $9 for a good looking boombox, whether it was working or not (even if I knew it didn't work... at all), just for display or repair. At some price point, it's just not worth caring about. Since I spend at least $9 several times a week at 7-Eleven on magazines and snacks, I'd have trouble going "on principle." I might leave the seller a message (not an angry one) and bring up the issue, but then I'd move on and forget it.

A few others have mentioned this "guiding philosophy," but I think my mother's rule about buying stuff was/is a good one: Expect the worst and hope for the best. That way, you won't be disappointed (well, maybe just a little) when something (like the FM stereo, tape deck, dial light, battery power, AM or SW band) doesn't work (or the antenna tips - or the antennas themselves - are busted off), but you'll be pleasantly surprised (maybe even delighted!) when everything's perfectly OK. On those occasions when I get a box that's 100% (no matter what the description said), I'm usually so thrilled that I shower the seller with praise. Anyone who exceeds my expectations deserves it!