jimjimbo Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 The basics are this, and just the facts ma'am... I purchased a vintage Pioneer receiver on the bay, that was described as "Perfect" in the listing. I understand vintage audio gear, and pretty much unless something has never been removed from it's original box, it is not going to be "Perfect", especially cosmetically. Photos looked good, but again, it was described as functionally "Perfect", and, well, guess what...it's not of course. It's not DOA, it plays and sounds great, but there are several functions that do not work and a couple of indicator lights that are out. Not that it matters to this, but I paid a fair market price, not a bargain, but not exorbitant either. Now, I emailed the seller and listed the issues, and let them know that I am an experienced "user" and not some schlock... I offered to open it up, clean contacts, switches, etc, check internal wiring, and retest. In the event that the issues remained, I proposed taking it to a very reputable local shop and have them give me an estimate for parts and repair. I l eft it open at that point to see if there might be some kind of offer, or counter-proposal, but what I got back was a very non-committal statement of basically "do what you want, I pretty much don't care, and I don't know what's going to make you happy"..... So now, wtf? I'm not a jerk (although I've played one on TV...). This thing is huge and heavy and cost a fortune to ship. What I would like to see happen is to get the estimate from the shop, and have this person cover half the cost. Is that fair/reasonable? I will be very interested to read your opinions. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max2 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) If you're unhappy, just nip it now and eat the shipping. He doesn't sound like someone that is willing to "work" with you and I would be willing to bet he doesn't want to take it back. He probably didn't even test all the functions, unless he was not being truthful about the perfect condition. Lots of snakes in the garden these days. BTW, a good seller will disclose even the most minimal scratch or defect in the product they're selling. Its usually easy to pick out a good seller, but sometimes a detail falls in the crack, but it doesn't sound like that is the case in this scenario. Edited August 19, 2014 by Max2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Panza Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 ^^^ agree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 He probably didn't even test all the functions A very common fault with many ebay "vintage" electronics sellers.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ship it back if you want. "signature required" might be the best way. I bet it was covered with Ebay's buyer protection program. You'll be out return shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 What I would like to see happen is to get the estimate from the shop, and have this person cover half the cost. Is that fair/reasonable? In the only forum transaction I ever had that wasn't positive, the exact same thing happened to me. The seller wouldn't take the piece back OR help in the repair cost. It hacked me off but life is short and I got over it (mostly). You need to weigh how much you like the unit along with how much you paid for it and determine if you want to keep it. Whatever you decide, don't procrastinate. In my case, I wanted what I purchased and had it repaired on my nickel. I didn't have much choice though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarsear Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Ayup........ his idea of perfection is not the same as yours. As far as he's concerned it is perfect and you're expecting that he should pay for superlative. It's your ulcer now - and you get to decide how much to aggravate it. You laid out the congenial compromise and the guy's not congenial and isn't gonna compromise. You know the caveats. I say give him his lousy Ebay feedback as he's earned that much and move along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 (edited) A) you post negative feedback and keep the unit. It will likely be nothing more than a blip on his feedback radar and you're still stuck with repair costs. B )you request a refund through ebay/paypal. you're required to wait a prescribed amount of time, you'll have to ship it back to the seller, and will likely not be refunded the shipping costs. C) you attempt to repair or clean yourself. I believe that will nullify option B. D) you get a quote for repair and ask the seller to pay half. There's no way to enforce his cooperation since option B is typically an all or nothing refund scenario. E) you get the quote for repair, pay it all up front, and once again nullify option B. In pretty much every instance, you get screwed out of some cash. Edited August 19, 2014 by Thaddeus Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 You are getting pretty sound advice with clear cut choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssh Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 If you send it back, you're only out about as much as if you'd driven an hour to see it and didn't buy it. I'd send it back and never be bothered about it again. SSH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djk Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) Used lightbulbs never survive shipping. Even units that are only a couple of years old can lose a bulb while being hand-carried to the repair shop. Edited August 20, 2014 by djk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Clark Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 (edited) I'm less of a cynic here. The seller isn't communicating well, so it's up to you to be clear about what you want. Take it to your tech, get the estimate (if it's free), and offer the seller your terms (50% is reasonable). If the seller is still being unprofessional about it, send it back. I just bought an AU-717 that was listed as "perfect condition" and it was DOA. They refunded nearly all of my money and I'm going to end up with a completely updated unit for just a little more than I had paid for a functioning old one--all because I was clear about what would satisfy me. For sellers, it's a lot about feedback... though this seller does not sound as if he or she is all that concerned about ratings. Sorry about the gear. Good luck with everything. Edited August 20, 2014 by Mr. Clark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Use lightbulbs never survive shipping. Awesome advice, thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steven1963 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I'd send it back out of principle and give him the most strongly worded negative feedback I could muster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minermark Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Most of these old boat anchors are pushing 40+ years old and they were never designed to last even that long. I bought my Sansui 8080 and then a 9090 in Yokosuka japan in the 70s, both gave up 15 years ago, when a transformer goes, it's a pretty penny to replace if you can find one. I know we all get attached to fine looking audio equip, but i learned a long time ago, the deck is stacked against you owning one of these. Tuners, preamps and amps seem to be MY TICKET, the days of "All In One" have passed. IMO. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I think Ebay will protect the Buyer if the product is "not as advertised." I suggest you contact Ebay since the Seller is uncooperative. Get as much money back as you can, then walk away from it, send it back, but do whatever you need to, to get it out of your house. Even if you keep it, you will think about it and be angry every time you listen to it, even if you get it working. That negative feeling alone is a deal breaker for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derrickdj1 Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I sent an amp back and refund included shipping. Escalate the claim. Ebay will take your side 9 out 10 times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeesburgMonkey Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Jim, First and foremost you have to file a claim with PayPal (if used) and eBay. If you win and I can't see why you wouldn't you'd get a full refund including your original shipping. I've had two claims in 10 years with PayPal and have always received a full refund. Ship ups ground or some other option and bite the bullet to ship back. If at the end of the day you go through the trouble and you still aren't happy you'll only get a refund for what you paid and not for your time and troubles. The great thing is that PayPal will side with you if you can prove and give you the full refund even before you ship back, they'll then ask the seller to contact you to reclaim their item which you could then handle but you don't have to wait to ship for full refund. I've played hard ball and have forced a seller to pay for shipping or shipped COD back to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxx Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 Did the seller slip into the item description "as is?" If a buyer is not satisfied, this is a hard condition to overcome unless the seller claims the unit will work and will not arrive DOA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimjimbo Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 Did the seller slip into the item description "as is?" Nope, and I read the listing several times.... The situation has been resolved. I remained calm and reasonable in my approach, never threatened anything, but mildly implied some action to the seller. They have made a fair reimbursement offer for repairs, and I accepted and will keep the unit. Thank you all for your recommendations and advice, I appreciate it very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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