Ok, heres the story:
I sold my beloved ibook on ebay a few weeks ago to a zero feedback seller, which rose my suspicions a bit. Then i found out that english wasn't his "mother language" as he put it. But he paid with paypal and i sent off the ibook in full working order (you can see from the pictures that it was working when i sent it) but this morning i got an e-mail saying this:
"Hi,
I would like to understand what is happening with the
i-book.
It arrive and in the same day, at night but it stop
working (no image
on screen).
I took it to Mac store and they said me it was the
"inverter" (like
a cable). I asked them to change (£20 of the piece +
£75 to open
the i-book). And wait for 8 days.
But they tested and now they are saying that the
computer has
a bad video board, and i'm afraid to ask how much it
will coast.
If I plug into a screen it is not working anymore.
I don't know if you knew about this problem before ,
but and now?
I paid for you and your computer is not working.
What should we do?
I'm waiting for your answer, please.
Ronnie."
So now im getting very worried because it was definately working when i sent it and i packed it to the best of my ability. Can shipping break a video board??? I wouldnt have thought so! Am i just being roped into some scam or do you think this is genuine? I e-mailed back saying that his best bet is to contact the post office as i had it insured, but as i have found out from past experience, getting money from the post office is like drawing blood from a stone. Please advise fellow applefritterans!
Here is the auction link:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8831462688
Thanks
If you want to avoid a neg, just take the iBook back and chalk it up to experience. If it's a scam (eg: logic board swapped out), you'll know soon enough on its return when the MLB SN doesn't match what you sent. If that's the case, a suggestion of a fraud charge ought to send the rat scurrying for cover.
Ominously, you don't appear to have stated your warranty terms in your listing - bad idea. Any item you sell, unless sold as-is, is presumed to be usable. If the buyer finds it is not, you are on the hook to make good unless you've provided (as part of the sale terms) an escape clause.
How do I know? Just last month I had to refund a buyer's money when he blew up the perfectly good TiBook MLB I sold him. Yikes!
As for getting your shipping company to cover a non-working-but-un-damaged item . . . heh, yeah right! Sure, that could happen! Not.
dan k
That's most likely a scam. I'd advise against allowing them to return the machine...if you do, I'd be willing to bet money that they'll send you back a different iBook (one that really is dead) than the one you sold them.
I'd keep along the lines of having them try to claim insurance through the postal service...assuming this isn't a scam, if you know the iBook worked before you shipped it, it was either roughed up enough in shipping to have caused these problems, or you have a very, very unlikely coincidence that it would fail after being shipped.
And in the future, state warranty and return policies in your auctions. I use something along the lines of "item is offered without any warranty, express or implied, and no technical support will be offered. Also, all sales are final -- no returns."
Good luck!
thanks guys. havent heard anything yet so heres hoping i scared him off! if he had switched the laptop, i could definately tell. there is one particular scuff that is pretty unique. i will remember the tips for my next auction!
Thanks!!
Hi,olikicksmacs,
Wow, that is SO weird that it happened to you as well. You can never be too careful, even with a good return policy listed, especially with people with few feedbacks
I can relate to your experience because I had a similar problem come up with a buyer just recently and a powerbook 540c I was selling. My situation was slightly different because I offered a "no returns unless item comes DOA" clause in my return policy. Tested it before I shipped, and also packed the laptop so that even a malicious UPS guy couldn't destroy it, double boxed with foam peanuts and all.
The item was paid ok, shipped out, and I recieved a feedback message from the guy saying that I was "best ebayer". I took this to mean the item made it okay since MOST people wait until they receive the product they bought and test it to see if it works.
The day after he ends up calling and asking if he can return the item. Had a hard time understanding the guy as english wasn't his mother tongue. Later he gives the phone to another guy who adds that the LCD and keyboard were broken.
I contacted him later using ebay's email system and said that I will look into filing a claim with the shipper to see what happened. Haven't heard back from the guy in awhile so I suspect something fishy.
-iDweeb