Need advice- buyer of my 2 GTX580s is blaming me for problems!

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 15:52

Hi guys, I hope you can help me on this one.

I recently sold my two GTX 580s matched pair on ebay and sent them out. The guy was having issues getting them to run or display anything (I think) and he told me he thought his power supply was underpowered; He said it was a 550W and I thought 'no ****'.

So he bought a 1000W and is still having problems, and is trying to get me to give him a refund.
I'm really annoyed because these cards were running lovely the same day that I posted them... there really were no issues whatsoever. I just wanted a 970 upgrade.

So my question is, aside from other components like motherboard failure or something, could his sub-par PSU have damaged the cards so it's his fault that they aren't working? I need some kind of ammo in this argument against him before fleaBay get onto me for an item dispute.

I really can't afford to refund him, since I bought my 970 with the money, and sold my old pair in good faith because they worked fine... and I resent being blamed for some rookie PC builder not googling PSU requirements for a pair of 580s.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated guys... can you help?
Thanks

ShivP · 5 May 2015 at 15:54

Do you know what 550W PSU he was using? If it was an ebay potato "Arctic" rubbish then it may well have damaged them

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 15:55

His first message to me was this:
'I have received the cards, unfortunately I am having problems. In my PC all I get is an alarm code and then the PC just sits there with the fans whirling, my friend has tried in his PC, he gets no alarm code but just a blank screen. We are both using PC's with 550w psu's, I think (hope) the problem is lack of power and have ordered a 1000w PSU to see if that will solve the problem. If you have ideas that might help please let know. Could you tell what size PSU you have been using? I will keep you updated.'

ShivP · 5 May 2015 at 15:57

Hm, try and get out of him what PSU he was using and what he has ordered

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 15:57

So after advising him to buy a decent PSU as he said, I've now received this:
'Thanks for your patience, unfortunately, after trying the card in various machines, including a new built with a 1000w PSU, I was still getting an error. I tried both cards independently as well as in an array with no joy. I have since had them checked by an independent PC engineer and he also concludes that the cards are faulty. Therefore I am in the position that as the item arrived not as described (i.e. faulty) I must ask for a refund.'

So I just wonder if it is his fault. I bl00dy hope so... They were genuinely perfect when they left my place. Never had problems

'as the item arrived not as described (i.e. faulty)'.. cheek

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 15:58

Shivy011 said:
Hm, try and get out of him what PSU he was using and what he has ordered

Thank you. I will try that now

Telecaster · 5 May 2015 at 16:02

You pretty much don't have a leg to stand on as far as Ebay/Paypal are concerned. The joys of online auctions...

If he files a 'not as described' claim then he'll get a refund as soon as he provides proof of postage to Ebay.

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 16:04

Telecaster said:
You pretty much don't have a leg to stand on as far as Ebay/Paypal are concerned. The joys of online auctions...
If he files a 'not as described' claim then he'll get a refund as soon as he provides proof of postage to Ebay.

This is not good news... If he's damaged them on receipt then how am I liable.

He says he had an independent PC tech check them... well my friend works for Overclockers tech and he said they were fine!

ShivP · 5 May 2015 at 16:06

If you are forced to refund by PayPal, make sure you get those cards back

tom_e · 5 May 2015 at 16:06

claypigeon101 said:
So I just wonder if it is his fault.

Whether it was or not you are now stuffed and eBay/Paypal will be coming after you for the money once he files a complaint.

MrMD · 5 May 2015 at 16:07

claypigeon101 said:
He says he had an independent PC tech check them... well my friend works for Overclockers tech and he said they were fine!

The same tech that tried running them off a 550w PSU,after they clearly didnt work on the buyers original 550w psu loololol

The buyer sounds like a bit of a moron,or is just trying to pull a fast one imo

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 16:09

Appreciate your input guys. I'll contest this as far as I can, especially since he said he and a friend all used a sub-par PSU. I'm sure Ebay/Paypal workers aren't PC experts but a brief description of how he essentially tried to run a microwave oven off a 12v car cigarette lighter might render him a fool in their eyes and they might see it my way.

tom_e · 5 May 2015 at 16:13

claypigeon101 said:
Appreciate your input guys. I'll contest this as far as I can, especially since he said he and a friend all used a sub-par PSU. I'm sure Ebay/Paypal workers aren't PC experts but a brief description of how he essentially tried to run a microwave oven off a 12v car cigarette lighter might render him a fool in their eyes and they might see it my way.

Unless you can prove with evidence that he damaged the cards you really don't have a snowballs chance in hell and even then you'll just get some brain dead keyboard monkey hitting the refund button at eBay anyway.
By all means do everything you can but do not expect this to go in any other way than you getting shafted.

mushtafa · 5 May 2015 at 16:19

Perhaps they are now damaged? Was the postage insurured?

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 16:20

tom_e said:
Unless you can prove with evidence that he damaged the cards you really don't have a snowballs chance in hell and even then you'll just get some brain dead keyboard monkey hitting the refund button at eBay anyway.
By all means do everything you can but do not expect this to go in any other way than you getting shafted.

Hooray. Another victory for the morons.

Well, until that fateful time, I'm gonna keep being nice on messages, and hope that he's made a schoolboy error or I can talk to someone sympathetic in some office or another along the way.

Telecaster · 5 May 2015 at 16:35

claypigeon101 said:
Hooray. Another victory for the morons.

Well, until that fateful time, I'm gonna keep being nice on messages, and hope that he's made a schoolboy error or I can talk to someone sympathetic in some office or another along the way.

Good luck, but from (plenty) of experience this is only going to end one way.

The only potential positive outcome is if when they're returned to you and they are indeed faulty, then you may have an avenue to claim from any postage insurance, if they were covered of course. But that will involve proving to the courier that they were damaged in transit, which is a whole other game of fun.

Sounds to me like he's had cold feet, tried them and doesn't like them or didn't realise he'd need a new PSU etc. and now wants to cancel the transaction, if it is just that then at least you can auction them again, not ideal but not the end of the world.

darael · 5 May 2015 at 16:42

Even if the buyer has rendered the cards useless, how can you possibly prove it was their fault? Just as they are doing now, they are claiming that the cards are dead on arrival.

Have you got photos of the cards, particularly of the serial numbers? I'd be concerned that the buyer might be trying to swap two dead cards for your two good ones.

claypigeon101 · 5 May 2015 at 17:00

Telecaster said:
Sounds to me like he's had cold feet, tried them and doesn't like them or didn't realise he'd need a new PSU etc. and now wants to cancel the transaction, if it is just that then at least you can auction them again, not ideal but not the end of the world.

Thanks Tele. PS do you play a Tele? I've got a 60s reissue sonic blue strat myself.

Darael you're right, I can't prove anything. That's because I sell with an honest heart and I can sleep at night

Hey, maybe I'll get them back and they'll work.

For now I'm trying to get out of him the old and new PSU spec as well as his other spec. He might have a motherboard fault ffs.

spoffle · 5 May 2015 at 17:04

Unlink your bank account and card from your PayPal account firstly.

Secondly, I suspect that if someone is buying second hand cards as old as 580s, they aren't going to be buying a decent 1000 watt PSU.

So I would think that they either haven't bought a new PSU, or have bought a junk one. Assuming they've not broken them and are playing games with you.

darael · 5 May 2015 at 17:09

claypigeon101 said:
Darael you're right, I can't prove anything. That's because I sell with an honest heart and I can sleep at night

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that you aren't honest. I was trying to get you to see from Paypal/eBay's point of view. By the sounds of things, eBay will ask the buyer to return the cards at your costs so you can refund them. Just make sure they use able a trackable delivery method.

Need advice- buyer of my 2 GTX580s is blaming me for problems!

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