Another ebay problem :(

krisboats · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:13

Hiya, i sold my old processor on ebay and they guy who bought it to fix a broken computer, which he said it didn't fix.

He's now emailed me back saying that he's tried it on another motherboard and it isn't working... and is asking for a refund.

Now i know it was working before i sent it as i powered the machine up and went into windows, switched it off and took the cpu out. Packaged it in antistatic foam (buyer suggested me using it) and sent it on its ways.

Do i need to offer him a refund or can i stick to my guns and say that as its such a delicate item and it was working when sent off i must assume he's broken it?

Sic · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:17

tell him to send it back at his expense for testing. If it's found to be working, it will be returned to him without a refund. If it is working (and hasn't been mutilated - by the post or him) then you'll refund him - that's as fair as you can be, I think.

edit: This is why I list Ts and Cs with every auction - if you had terms like this laid out, you wouldn't need to ask

allllec · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:18

If he takes it to a dispute ebay will side with him.

Tell him to sent it back to you and refund him if its broken (and refund the return pnp), i know its a pain but its only polite and as i said, ebay/paypal WILL favour him in this case.

If it does work then you can let him decide what to do, maybe take a "10% restocking fee" to cover fees and pnp on your behalf.

scratch · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:18

Did you keep a record of the serial number etc of your original CPU? If not then they may have just done a swap, kept your working one and now are trying to get a refund on their old duff one.

I always make sure I get a photo of the item before you send it off as there's some people out there with no morals!

Andy

Ben M · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:19

Read the general discussion sticky.

Sic · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:19

allllec said:
If he takes it to a dispute ebay will side with him.

no they won't, they might

kefkef · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:19

scratch said:
Did you keep a record of the serial number etc of your original CPU? If not then they may have just done a swap, kept your working one and now are trying to get a refund on their old duff one.

I always make sure I get a photo of the item before you send it off as there's some people out there with no morals!

Andy

What he said!

allllec · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:27

Sic said:
no they won't, they might

Technicalities.

All I'm saying is do not rely on paypal getting you out of this one.

They more often than not side with the buyer in situations like this.

mattpc · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:31

mmm, tricky. Stand your ground and do what was suggested regarded returning it and testing it. If you don't think it is your CPU then email him and say so. If he goes quiet you know he has been trying to take you for a ride. Some people are just scum unfortunately.

krisboats · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:33

scratch said:
Did you keep a record of the serial number etc of your original CPU? If not then they may have just done a swap, kept your working one and now are trying to get a refund on their old duff one.

I always make sure I get a photo of the item before you send it off as there's some people out there with no morals!

Andy

Yep, took a photo of the chip before i sent it and even used it on the ebay page i was selling it on, so its not like he can say it was a different chip.

He said i must have static shocked it :mad:

I went to the trouble of buying one of those annoying grounding bracelets and this was the first time i used it.

Okay, i told him:

Hi, i'm sorry if you can't get this to work but i assure you, this received no static shock before sending. The processor was in the motherboard still on the day i sent it and i checked to make sure it booted up okay, successfully getting into windows. I then powered it off and removed the processor from the motherboard and packaged it for sending to you. I was wearing an anti static wristband the whole time.

With such a simple routine for dismantling it i can only assume the processor was damaged after you received it. If this is the case, i'm sure you are aware i will not be able to give a refund.

However, if you send the chip back to me in the same packaging as when you received it i'll test it and make sure for myself. If it is found to be working i will return the chip to you, free of charge.

I think that sounds fair enough? On second thoughts, i reckon saying i can only assume it was damaged after he received it sounds a bit strong.

jamief · 18 Dec 2007 at 12:34

Stand your ground, tell him it was sold as working and to claim via carriage company if it isn't now working. His word against yours.

mks2005 · 18 Dec 2007 at 13:10

Make sure you don't rule out it getting damaged in the post. This could have happened and he might be telling the truth!

Sic · 18 Dec 2007 at 13:58

It's worth noting that if you offered an insured delivery option and he didn't opt for it, you're not responsible for it if it was damaged in transit

krisboats · 19 Dec 2007 at 22:20

Okay, got this as a reply.

Dear krisboats,

Hi Kris,
Thanks for your reply and kind offer. I'd be quite happy to return it for checking. I can only say that over the last 14 years I've personally built, configured and/or QC'd in excess of 20,000 PC's, and everything here at work has to be insulated and earthed to prevent static issues. Workbenches have antistatic tops, and no-one's allowed to handle unprotected goods. Two years ago we were the biggest (Intel) CPU broker in UK, and still ship them out in their hundreds, so we're used to handling CPU's. Yours was opened on my workbench, immediately plugged in to a working MSI K8MM3-V motherboard already checked for compatibility and tested it with another AMD the same as yours I was able to borrow, with a new genuine AMD heatsink, but yours wouldn't work. It powered on, with a black screen, and would not reach POST. I also tested it in 2 other 'boards, one a K8N Neo Platinum. I have to say, I did notice in your pic that you didn't have the CPU on an antistatic surface though.

For point of reference, this is the image i had on my ebay page.

The thing that seems a bit dodgy is that he's trying overly hard to convince me he knows what he's on about and when he emailed me to say he received it he said he tried it in the computer that was faulty and it didn't fix the problem. Surely if he had another one to hand that he could test it with he wouldn't have needed it in the first place?

Any kind of get outs that i can use with respect to him placing the working processor into a faulty machine (unknown as to what the fault is) and now it isn't working?

This was his initial message after receiving it

Hi Kris,
Just to let you know the CPU arrived OK, and that you packaged it well. Unfortunately it didn't fix the computer, which is really annoying as all the symptons pointed to it being a blown CPU.
Well, I've got a spare now, I guess!
Cheers,
Adam

James07 · 19 Dec 2007 at 22:51

Tell him to take it to a computer shop and to get it tested, tell him you want the report, a recipt and a contact number and name of the tester to see if anythings wrong, if it is faulty then you have no options available to you but to send him a refund, if its working then you have held up your end.

DanMc07 · 19 Dec 2007 at 22:58

scratch said:
Did you keep a record of the serial number etc of your original CPU? If not then they may have just done a swap, kept your working one and now are trying to get a refund on their old duff one.

I always make sure I get a photo of the item before you send it off as there's some people out there with no morals!

Andy

I was thinking the same.

EDIT: Kjust read your last post.. Seems like your fine and he wont be taking it to dispute.

krisboats · 7 Jan 2008 at 05:39

I got the processor back through the post today, ridiculously well sealed up. Gonna have to get it tested or sent off then i guess. How do i go about getting it tested? Local computer shop or is there somewhere at AMD i have to send it to?

SaBBz · 7 Jan 2008 at 06:59

Borrow a mate's PC to test it in?

mrk · 7 Jan 2008 at 07:25

If you sold an item and he bought it to try and fix a "faulty" computer and it didn't fix the fault then quite obviously it's nothing to do with you.

If he put a working CPU into a faulty machine there's every chance that machine could render your working cpu useless too.

I'd have told him to shove it in nicer words. You don't buy a 2nd hand component to fit in a broken machine then ask for a refund when the machine is still broken... it's just silly. And that guy has nowhere near 20,000 PC builds clearly.

tom_e · 7 Jan 2008 at 07:42

mrk said:
And that guy has nowhere near 20,000 PC builds clearly.

Works out as 4 every day for the last 14yrs he obviously doesnt have much else to do

and as others have said if he fitted it in a faulty machine without testing it in a known working one first its his own fault