Ebay transaction, WDYT

coolsax

I just purchased a B&K pt 3 series 2 preamp from someone on Ebay. He didn't have much of a description other than "No remote control, great shape and perfectly working condition".

my problems are
that one, when I received it today it did not have a power cord included, which in the long run is no big deal but did slow my ability to test it out this evening as I had to go out and buy one.
two, while it seems to be in really nice shape and seems to be working perfectly well, it has one big cosmetic blemish that he did not disclose, nor is it something that is easily hideable such as a scratch, or chip, etc. its seems that there is some sort of broken piece of plastic that is glued/cemented to part of the tuner display. While it does not cover anything crucial on the display at all, it is highly distracting. I feel I got a pretty good deal on this pre at around only $100.00 plus shipping, however, and I might still have purchased it even with the blemish at the price i got it for, would I be out of line asking for a say a $10.00 refund for the blemish and my time and hassle of having to get a power cord?

gfong

I do not think you would be out of line at all.

heiney9

Depends, if you just bought based on the sentence he gave you, then no. If, like a real pro, you asked specific pointed questions and asked for photo's about the unit and he basically lied in his answers, then yes.

To be blunt, if you bought it based strictly on his one line description, then you deserve what you get. I would never have bought something without asking a bunch of questions and getting photo's based on that crappy description.

Good luck and sorry for being blunt, but I have no sympathy for buyers who don't do their due diligence when buying used stuff on the internet.

Power chord should have been included, but over the years I've even learned to ask and make sure that's included. Don't ever assume anything when buying on the internet and realize a 1/2 dozen people can all describe something in "great" condition and it all means something to different to each one.

H9

wz2p7j

If the listing didn't say the power cord was included, assume it would not be included or ask before bidding. This one is on you. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Yes, you are totally out of line asking for a partial refund.

Chris

shack

I agree with the above posts. Buyer beware and it was sold as is. If you didn't ask the right questions then that is on you. On a lot of better gear, the power cord is not included. I would be glad you got a good deal, the item arrived in working order and it is in reasonable shape and let it go. No...I would not ask for any refund.

coolsax

fair enough, no worries about being blunt H9, that's why I asked the question.. no one on here sugar coats things. you're right, probably should have asked a few more questions, however, I would expect that if there is something that affects the general look of the piece, that someone would be smart enough to mention. Then again, i'm dealing with the general internet population on ebay, so I should have tried do more due diligence. thanks for y'alls input.

heiney9

Coolsax, I do agree that a seller *should* give an accurate description, etc. But I learned a long time ago many sellers vary greatly about descriptions, accessories included, proper photo's, etc, etc. I have learned to ask even the most basic questions and ask for add'l photo's.

The piece glued on for him might be totally acceptable, but people like you and I think it's a big deal. I always ask if all the buttons and knobs are there. I bought a pair of MIT's that had no Iconn ends, just a bare threaded nipple. I didn't ask and it was hard to tell in the photo so I ask a lot of very specific basic questions now. The guy told me they still work just "shove" the threaded nipple in the speaker clips. I was pissed and he refunded enough money for me to buy a set of Iconn ends from MIT.

H9

steveinaz

Buyer beware, although it's a sad statement that the seller wasn't up-front--typical ebay crap. You'll have to take this one on the chin bud.

coolsax

Yeah, I emailed him.. stated my position that i was disappointed, but that I didn't want to return it, and placed the action back on him. If he offers a small refund, great, if not then at least he's been made aware that maybe he should be more careful in his descriptions in the future. For 100 bucks, I really can't get too upset, especially as you have stated when there's minimal description, buyer beware.. At least for the time being it should be decent piece to move away from my AVR as a pre for 2 channel only in a separate room.

I do a lot more selling than buying on ebay personally so I usually try to make sure any all issues are mentioned when I sell anything, I know you can't assume that from other people though.

steveinaz

Well, we'll see if he has any sense of fair play. The things is, had he just been up-front, you (or someone else) probably would have pulled the trigger anyway, and his integrity wouldn't be questioned; why don't people get this?

I'm curious, what did he have the condition listed as?

coolsax

He used the ebay definition of used that shows before his description which is quoted as

Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.

of course his description didn't state any of the imperfections,(and I was expecting a chip or scratch here or there, so it didn't need to be perfect.
He cut and pasted a product description from a review that I know I had read and then added "No remote control, great shape and perfectly working condition"

I got a response back from him.. he stated that he didn't know it was missing the PC until after he had shipped it and didn't think it would be a big deal since it wasn't an expensive cord (which is wasn't, but I still had to take the time and go and get one) and that he stated that the item was used so it was still as describe, so if I want to send it back I can, but he didn't offer anything else.. for the price I got it for I'm not going to push it or send it back, but I did respond back that in the future he should be more careful in the future on how he describes his items when there is a major cosmetic imperfection... i'll try and get a picture of it up either tonight or tomorrow. He won't get a negative feedback from me, b/c the product does work, but he may get a neutral or he may get a positive but with a comment, hadn't decided yet.

heiney9

I'd say at the least a comment about the condition vs. how it was described in feedback.

H9

steveinaz

The description sounds fair to me "The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear." Sorry man, playing devils advocate.

He offered to take the item back, if you choose not to--you SHOULD leave positive feedback. At least that's my opinion.

shack

steveinaz wrote:

The description sounds fair to me "The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear." Sorry man, playing devils advocate.

He offered to take the item back, if you choose not to--you SHOULD leave positive feedback. At least that's my opinion.

Agreed!

coolsax

for those interested, not the clearest picture in the world, but its pretty obvious where the blemish is on the left side of the display.

dorokusai

That's awful looking and I agree with the earlier comments. You should have asked more questions or not bought it at all. You're going to have a problem finding a replacement part for that now that B&K is off the map. I'd honestly suggest selling it and try to get out what you had in it....move on, and find another one.

kevhed72

I woul not have any problem shooting him an email - keep it civil - regarding the scratch and missing power cord. Throw the ball into the sellers court and see how he responds...

heiney9

kevhed72 wrote: »

I woul not have any problem shooting him an email - keep it civil - regarding the scratch and missing power cord. Throw the ball into the sellers court and see how he responds...

He already did that. See posts 9 and 11.

H9

steveinaz

You might be able to rub that out with some polishing compound...just a thought--at least make it far less noticable.

coolsax

unfortunately its not a scratch that can be rubbed out.. its a broken piece of plastic that is glued/cemented to the display..(i have a feeling his kid got ahold of it with a toy and glue, which had to be broken off). as i've said before it works fine( all inputs and outputs) and the blemish actually doesn't affect the viewability of the display b/c its just outside the display lights, it just affects how it looks, so for now on my budget i'm going to hold on to it, but if anyone knows of anything that might loosen up glue/cement i might be willing to try that..

DaveHo

Are you sure that's not residue from an IR bug that was glued on at some point? That's what it looks like to me. Unless they glued it on with crazy glue, you should be able to get it off.

-Dave

gdb

Acetone

Cpyder

With all respect: Why do so many people have problems with ebay transactions around here? Every other week, someone is upset with an ebay auction and wants some sort of corrective action. If the description sucks, the seller probably sucks. If they have bad feedback or no feedback, expect problems. Pay attention to their feedback. Find fair market prices before buying. If the item is exceptionally cheap, it's probably flawed. Ask questions. If you ignore these things and buy anyway, don't expect empathy or corrective actions.

Sorry for being blunt, but ebay is a beautiful auction site and if you do your homework, you can expect the experience to be just as good if not better than buying from an actual store.

Good luck!

heiney9

Cpyder wrote: »

With all respect: Why do so many people have problems with ebay transactions around here? Every other week, someone is upset with an ebay auction and wants some sort of corrective action. If the description sucks, the seller probably sucks. If they have bad feedback or no feedback, expect problems. Pay attention to their feedback. Find fair market prices before buying. If the item is exceptionally cheap, it's probably flawed. Ask questions. If you ignore these things and buy anyway, don't expect empathy or corrective actions.

Sorry for being blunt, but ebay is a beautiful auction site and if you do your homework, you can expect the experience to be just as good if not better than buying from an actual store.

Good luck!

That is good advice in general but of the 80 or so buying transcations I've had, I still have an issue or two with good, solid sellers who have great feedback, etc. It happens with the best ebayer sometimes. The key in my situations is the seller took care of the issue(s) ASAP and in a professional manner. In this case the OP could have done a better job of qualifying the item before pulling the trigger.

Hell, I have an ongoing issue with a super star seller here on CP who can't seem to get his **** together. :frown:

H9

dorokusai

I've told you time and time again Heiney, I am NOT sending you a pair of my underoos.

heiney9

dorokusai wrote: »

I've told you time and time again Heiney, I am NOT sending you a pair of my underoos.

Just the pair with Wonder Woman on them...........you can keep Batman and The Incredible Hulk. Seems fair to me

H9

tonyb

Yeah but the Wonder Woman ones haven't been cleaned in 30 years...still want 'em?
I think he still sniffs them for old times sake.

shack

You guys are SICK...and I mean that in the nicest way. :rolleyes:

wz2p7j

My guess is you can sand and polish that out. Use a polishing kit such as this:

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/rmx/rmxrmxr7020.htm

Chris

heiney9

Try a product called Goof Off and see if it will take the glue off.

H9

coolsax

thanks for the suggestions guys.