eBay item sold for as faulty - any recourse?

[Deleted member 88701]

A few weeks back now (probably too long to take action now but I'm curious anyway) I bought an Xbox 360 console on eBay sold with very little description other than it was faulty, 'for spares and repairs only'. Here's the link to the auction if you're interested: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180613726274

Anyway on arrival of the item it became apparent that an ape had attempted to repair the xbox, it's completely useless for anything. All of the plastic clips holding the casing together were broken due to the force and carelessness with which it was disassembled. Upon further inspection, someone had (incorrectly) attempted to use the common 'fix' of replacing the heatsink bolts, tightening them so much as to warp the circuit board. I'm not sure how but in the process they had even put a big dent in the fins of the heatsink. It's clear that whoever attempted this repair had the dexterity of a grizzly bear.

After this had failed, it appears that the prior owner decided to reflow the solder on the board using a hot air gun. This means a good majority of the capacitors and a few other components on the board had blown due to the heat involved. Basically due to the abuse it's of no use to anyone and certainly not for spares.

So in summary, should this prior attempt at repair have been mentioned in the auction? I know the seller never claimed it would work but they clearly knew they'd ruined it and were looking to offload.

 

[TotallySport]

The only thing you can try is a paypal dispute, but since this is a pricate purchase there isn't anything you can do, and Paypal might insist you sent it back before refunding.

Also don't forget to neg the seller, you might want to contact them first to see what they say. But for £16 what did you expect?

 

[FreelanceSoftwareDeveloper]

It's an interesting one. I guess it's like going to buy a car described as an MOT Failure only to find it is actually completely written off after hitting a brick wall at 40 mph.

It's maybe worth a try, to look at it in another way if the seller had this under warranty but tried this first then took it back to the shop as faulty they would be told where to go.

What you paid for it is irrelevant as that's controlled by how many people bid on it, if more people had bid on it and it finished at £50 that shouldn't make any difference.

 

[KernowQueen]

if it were me, i'd open a dispute as it's goods not as described (by his omission). it's just whether it's worth it money wise after you've had to pay to send it back?

 

[Deleted member 73538]

Sounds like it should have been described as 'damaged' rather than 'faulty'.

I know it's annoying to end up with a piece of junk, but isn't it going to cost you more in time and effort for the sake of 16 quid!

No doubt the seller probably thought this when he sold it!

I managed to get my cash back for a used DSLR after about 4 weeks when the focus switch failed. I reasoned with the seller who eventually relented, since it was described as in perfect condition.

 

[stender]

Isn't it a case of "caveat emptor" He's declared it's faulty. Isn't it then down to you to ask questions? I would open a case though, you have nothing to lose.

 

[MH1]

Personally I think the description was fair, who is to say the original seller knew of the attempted repairs, or even thaat any had been tried. Many sellers buy bulk loads of such electrical equipment and sell it on if it is beyond their knowledge.

It was sold for spares or repairs, it can be repaired albeit uneconomically, it can be used for spares.

 

[sarah@opace]

Can it be used for spares? from your description it sounds like the internal parts are broken and as such can't be used?? that may be an angle for you to go with?
good luck

 

[nightmare99]

Isn't it a case of "caveat emptor" He's declared it's faulty. Isn't it then down to you to ask questions?

I agree with this view.

 

[akirk]

Can it be repaired (i.e. some current parts remain usable and others can be fixed / replaced)
Can it be used as spares (i.e. some current parts can be extracted for use elsewhere)

if either is accurate - however small the parts - then correctly described.

Alasdair

 

[paulears]

Anything on ebay described as faulty - spares or repair surely cannot be contested. They said quite clearly it was faulty. As in it doesn't work. Spares or repair? Take out the board and replace it - that's a repair. Take out the drive and use that, it's spares.

I actually feel for the seller - what more could they have really said.
"You are bidding on a absolutely non-working, no hope of ever getting it going again product without major skill levels and equipment, including SMD soldering equipment. Please note that your hope of getting an item curable by a 50p repair are absolutely ZERO"

You bought scrap, paid scrap price for it, and somehow feel you were had?

wow!

 

[Deleted member 88701]

OK, interesting points. I should point out I have no intention of actually trying to get a refund because as has been said, it was £26 and is not worth that in hassle. I was just curious to see what the opinion is.

As for the value of spares, the casing is so damaged as to be useless. Just for fun I had a pop at fixing the motherboard, replaced all of the failed caps and a MOSFET that had given in but as expected there's no hope of saving it. That leaves possibly the DVD drive.

The MOT failure/brick wall analogy was appropriate in this situation I feel.

Oh well, it was interesting! Thanks for the opinions guys.

 

[Sky Racer]

Some people would file a claim with Ebay/Paypal but that is quite simply wrong and utterly pointless. If something is advertised as for parts/not working or faulty your then you pay your money and take your chance with it.

 

[dingbat]

If the seller doesn't expand on details then expect the worst or enquire.

 

[KateCB]

I understand that these things are expensive to buy, but I I would open a case - the MOT analogy is correct - there is a vast difference between spares or repairs (which would indicate that SOMETHING in it was worth paying for and could be re-used!) and 'totally dead and really I am trying it on' is huge!

I have lots of electronic things in my garage that I could advertise as spares or repairs - I could make a fortune if I thought no one would come back to me when that DVD player that my grand daughter fed toast (!) and juice and then knocked off the back of the stand, caving the casing in, didn't work

 

[nightmare99]

If the seller doesn't expand on details then expect the worst or enquire.

This, always this!

 

[tanzkie]

I think you can file a dispute on paypal if you have got issues with the items that was bought on ebay?

 

[paulears]

Look - everyone (bar just a few) knows that 'spares or repair' is a euphemism for rubbish/fauty/broken/imcomplete/already robbed of key components.

There is also 'sold untested' - which usually means doesn't work, but hasn't been pulled apart and messed up!

If the item was buy it now at just a few pounds less than the normal price, I can see people getting upset, but when you see (as I noticed this morning) a really amazing looking piece of kit that is about two years old, and cost 18 grand being sold for spares or repair for £50 - you KNOW it's a wreck.

Of course you can file a claim - but what were you actually cross about? You really believed that the pile of scrap you bought was going to be the bargain of the year, and would just be fixed with a new fuse and a tube of glue!

In these cases, it's a greed thing - you wanted to believe you were getting a real bargain, and just feel miffed when it was exactly as described - a pile of poo!

 

[Sky Racer]

you will have to file a paypal dispute to get your money back its the only way

not the only way.. best way is to just forget it and get over it. How can anyone think a spares or repair / faulty item is anything but a pile of parts at best. No honest buyer would file a claim for a spares / faulty item, it's just wrong and a little sad plus of course a complete waste of time. I certainly would not waste my time for a 16 pound claim.

 

[Deleted member 88701]

OK just to clarify - I wasn't and am not cross about this, nor did I have any real expectation of getting it going. I bought the xbox purely because it was so cheap, to see what's inside and for the challenge of repairing it.

I just posted here to see if others would be cross if they received what I did.

 

[Oscar Tango]

Just out of interest have you had any success with other similar purchases?

 

[Deleted member 88701]

Just out of interest have you had any success with other similar purchases?

A fair amount of the time - I can't throw anything away!

 

[chris.quinn89]

I have a faulty xbox 360 here if your interested in it? £20 and its yours and I can post it via 1st class recorded. I can even take a couple of pictures of it if you tell me what you want to see, I bought it as faulty and have never touched it so unaware if it has had the same treatment as the one you bought hopefully the pictures will help you decide. PM me.

 

[Deleted member 88701]

I have a faulty xbox 360 here if your interested in it? £20 and its yours and I can post it via 1st class recorded. I can even take a couple of pictures of it if you tell me what you want to see, I bought it as faulty and have never touched it so unaware if it has had the same treatment as the one you bought hopefully the pictures will help you decide. PM me.

Thanks for the offer - will give it a pass. Try ebay!