Problem on ebay

[Merker]

The problem hasn't fully happened yet but it's on the verge of it and I could end up £500 out of pocket.

 

I'll try and be brief.

 

At the start of this month I bought an electronic item off a website (Music studio keyboard). The RRP was £520 but I got it for just under £500 as the box was a bit crumpled from warehouse storage (The item inside however was brand new and completely sealed).

 

When it arrived I took it out of it's box and realised it's a bit too big to fit where I wanted it.

 

I knew I wouldnt be able to get a refund as it's not faulty so I decided to take it on the chin and sell it on ebay at a slight loss but a lesson learnt to completely measure up before buying anything in the future.

 

I gave it a 5 minute test and everything worked perfectly (as expected for a brand new item).

 

I listed it as new>other and explained what I paid for the item and reason's for selling. I offered no return's policy as these specific items are known for working for many years without a problem.

 

I received an offer on it for nearly £400 and as it didnt look like it would sell I accepted the offer (at a £100 loss). They paid and I sent the item in the same packaging it came in (boxed with 3 layers of bubble wrap and 2 layers of cling fillm so it wouldnt get damaged in the post).

 

I spent the money on some other things and today they have been in touch saying that the item's sound bank's and demo's work but none of the key's work.

 

I'm pretty certain that it's something they have done wrong and not linked it to their computer correctly or has not configured it correctly. Otherwise they have plugged something in wrong and broke it.

 

They said they were getting a friend to test it who knows a lot about them and I should hear back from them shortly.

 

 

 

Here's the predicament.

 

If they do get in touch with ebay, ebay will always favour the buyer. Had a similar situation before with an item where they favoured the buyer (faulty good's), I was forced to accept it back and they took the money for the refund right out of my bank. Even though a few days later I relisted the exact same auction, it sold and the new buyer was more than happy with it.

 

I don't know what to do because if I am forced to accept it back, I will be out of pocket massively. If they have indeed broken it, im going to be £500 down, if they just didnt use it correctly, chances are they wouldnt of packaged it back up in the same way they received it and I will have to sell it as "used" and have a total £250 loss

[matt v atos]

Hi Merker What make and model if its OK to say.

 

The buyers description of the fault is a bit vague !

[Merker]

Thanks for the reply,

 

It's the Roland Juno Di. The slogan on the box is something like "made to travel" because these are very well built and designed for both studio use and heavy gigging on the road, so I just cant see there being any fault with the keyboard as it would of only been plugged in twice (Once at mine and once at the person who bought it's house)

 

I Googled for possible problems and fault's and theres only been a handful of problem's with these, nothing on manufacturing fault's. Most were to do with the person not using the right software configuration or not having it plugged in right and there was just 1 person who reported a fault with the key's (a few key's stopped working), but that was after 3 years of heavy, near daily use and taking it out on the road to use at gig's.

 

It did seem vague, all they said was they can record the demo tracks the synth play's into their music production software, but when they press the key's, nothing happens.

[Bombaymix]

Surely... If you only bought it yourself recently it will still be under manufacturers warranty?

 

If any more comes of this, work with the purchaser to get the problem rectified at the manufacturers expense.

 

Has the buyer opened a dispute or is it just via messaging at the moment? What has the buyer advised?

[Merker]

Thanks,

 

I'm not too sure with the warranty on it but it's highly likely it would cost me to have it repaired. As it was a sold as seen item by the retailer, I have no idea if the manufacturer would repair it out of their own pocket. Plus if they did, the ebay buyer could say it isn't fit for purpose or cant be "new>other" if it's in need of repairs barely a few days after receiving it.

 

Just messaging at the moment, they said they are getting their friends who know a lot about them to test it in their studio setup's and they will be in touch soon.

 

 

This Keyboard/Synthesiser's was made by 1 of the most renown names in the music industry. Their equipment is manufactured to the highest premium standards, multi million pound recording studio's use "Roland" equipment.

 

Im still 99.9% certain that it's down to the buyer's fault. If they have done something to stop it working (Plugged wrong cable into wrong socket, or damaged it in another way), it wouldnt come under a manufacturer's warranty.

 

If what I think has happened and they havent connected it properly or put in the right settings, it will be a waste of my cash paying the manufacturer to repair something that doesnt need fixing, and if a dispute opened and I was forced to accept the return, I will lose out on more cash when I re-list it as "used"

[matt v atos]

It did seem vague, all they said was they can record the demo tracks the synth play's into their music production software, but when they press the key's, nothing happens.

 

Depends on there software and how the Midi is setup I think this maybe there problem !

[Merker]

Yea I agree with you.

 

Usually with hardware faults either it works 100% (not just the demo tracks) or the whole thing doesnt work. or as a sign of excessive use over many years, 1 or 2 keys may stop working and could need re-soldering on their boards.

 

 

Feels really frustrating just sitting and waiting because at any point the buyer could just open an ebay dispute to leave me out of pocket... We will see

[dx100uk]

the manu warranty will not be tranfereable sadly.

 

however.

with 'co-operation' from the buyer

 

you could well get this sorted under SOGA

i'e 'you' are reporing it faulty to where you purchased it undersoga

 

don't also forget if you paid for the item by card

you cold envoke section 75.

 

however as said you need the current owner to 'co-operate' with this scheme.

 

also

 

have you thought about connecting to him

via say teamviewer

and making sure it IS installed properly.

 

dx

[Merker]

Thanks dx100.

 

The problem is its highly unlikely that it is a faulty item and at current I just have their word to go on,

which I'm inclined to not believe (A new mid/top of the range bit of professional studio equipment is unlikely to go from working perfectly to partly not working during delivery).

 

If SOGA was applied and they did co-operate and send it back to the retailer, the retailer would probably do extended diagnostics

and more likely than not will find it fully working and so wouldnt have to issue any refund?

 

Then it just comes back to the ebay seller, they cant get the settings working so in their eyes its faulty.

 

I wont budge and issue a refund for a working item so they will open an ebay dispute.

 

Ebay don't check the item, all they see is the buyer want's a refund,

I wont give them 1 and so they will just give the buyer my address to send the item back to and take the money for a refund direct from my bank.

 

A similar thing happened before with another buyer a few years back... I actually remember it now.

 

I sold a boxed "Mega Drive" games console on ebay.

 

It was about 16 years old.

 

The buyer claimed it stunk of tobacco smoke (It couldnt of since it was in a smoke free home and had been in storage for years).

 

They opened a dispute and ebay didnt take anything I said into consideration.

 

The cardboard box could of gained natural dusty odour because of how old it was.

 

Ebay favoured the buyer, gave them my address to send it back to and took the refund money direct from my bank .

 

I lost out on £10 I paid for postage and it wasnt returned in the best of conditions (ripped box, scratch down the side of games console).

 

Due to the extra damage, it re-sold for less than it originally sold for but the new buyer was really happy with it and when asked they said it doesn't smell of smoke.

 

 

Ebay suck

[dx100uk]

ask the buyer to co-operate with you

in letting YOU connect to their PC and CHECK the setup via teamviewer

 

that way this will go in your favour with ebay

 

I've done this myself twice now

 

on teamviewer you can record what you do

 

I showed the two recordings to ebay

 

and each time they agreed with me it was their end not anything to do with the item

 

do you think the buyer 'wants' the item to work

or

are just playing you?

 

dx

[Merker]

Thanks, will suggest that to them, hopefully they do that.

 

I really think they want it to work, they seemed really keen and happy to have it when they said it had arrived.

 

If it isnt down to the way they have it installed then it could well be that they received it, realised it's harder than what they thought to get used to and so don't want it

[wiseajak]

Hello

 

Just thought i would say,

I had a similar issue myself, but regarding a dishonest buyer.

Like myself you refuse to refund them when you know everything is ok, dont. In the end i cancelled my card and revoked any automatic payments set up with paypal and they couldnt get a penny as i wasnt prepared to let them get away with it, the only down side is my ebay account is suspended.

 

Not really that concerned to be honest but ebay do let people get away with robery and promote it as far as i can see, they took nothing i said into consideration and sided with the buyer within 24 hours even though they told me it was a 72 hour process. They always side with the buyer and their "buyer protection policy" is deeply flawed and should be renamed, "Lie and we refund you policy"

 

of corse its up to you how you deal with this, if it was me id refuse a refund and deny ebay a reinbursment, unless of corse there is a genuine problem, but even if they request the item be sent back to you first once they have a tracking number they refund it anyway regardless of if youve got it and its actually the item you sold.

 

good luck

[Merker]

Thanks,

 

Cant say im surprised with ebay being like that. It's highly unfair since ebay's profit comes from us seller's, so why should we have a 2nd class service.

 

Ebay really need a kick up the backside or something.

 

I'm still waiting to hear back from the person. They have had it a week or so and havent heard off them for a few days.

 

I might do what you did. I'd rather have my account suspended than pay money back I simply don't have, especially with a potential loss of £500 on the line (if the customer has broke it)

[wiseajak]

Ebay thinks they are a law unto themselves.

I think it would be a good idea to do what i done especailly as its £500 thats a lot if money. Ebay reward fraudsters and shouldnt be able to get away with it!

 

All the best