Gut shot

[galaxy51]

I got a nice deal on E-bay on an XLT and followed its delivery via UPS tracking. It somehow got sent to Buffalo NY and was out for delivery. I called UPS about the apparent mix up and they said yes indeed there was a problem and they would do what they could to resolve it. Anyway at 3 AM yesterday it was still in Buffalo but somehow they got it delivered to my home in Idaho by 7 PM last night! I anxiously opened the package and it looks great but..... DOA! New alkaline batteries installed correctly didn't change anything. I tested the battery pak for correct voltage in case the new batteries were somehow bad. DOA - zip - nodda - no spark of life whatsoever!
I tried calling White's but today is Saturday so will have to wait until Monday.
Does anyone have advice they would share concerning how to proceed with the E-bay end of things? It was advertised to be in good working condition but without any warrantee or return rights. I paid through Pay Pal and used a credit card.

 

[ramjet2187]

I'm a bit of an eBay and PayPal novice, but I'd certainly get with eBay, and since it was advertised as in good working order, even though there is no warranty or return, surely there is some recourse.

I'd also get with my Credit Card company, and let them know. Maybe leverage from them (the goods did NOT arrive as advertised: in good working order), you might have some options there, too.

Don't take this lying down. You did not get what you paid for. Having paid with a credit card, I think, is going to be a powerful weapon in this battle, I think.

I'm not a lawyer, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!!

Roger

 

[TreasureTales]

Have you contacted the eBay seller and told him that he misrepresented (that's a nice way of saying he LIED) his item? I'd try to resolve things with the seller first. He can issue a credit to you through PayPal and back into your account/credit card. Remember, an item that is misrepresented CAN be returned, especially if the seller is trying to maintain a good rating with his feedback. What was their feedback rating? Anything less than 99.8% for 100+ sales is a seller I'd avoid. This is a good example of why folks should pay a little more and buy from a dealer in or near their hometowns. Good luck with your refund, please let us know what happens.

 

[ramjet2187]

Of course, get with the seller FIRST. I only recommended going to eBay and your credit card company because of the 'no returns/warranty' condition of sale............I guess I didn't know you could resolve things (ie get a refund) with the seller if items for sale are misrepresented. As I said, I'm an eBay novice.

Learn something EVERYDAY on this site. Thanks, Treasure Tales.

Roger

 

[galaxy51]

Thanks very much for the advice. I have sent a message to the sender through e-bay. He has not responded but I realise he is entitled to a weekend off without checking his e-mail, so that is not an issue for me. The seller volunteered to insure the package after the sale. The entire package arrived in good physical condition, including the shipping box. I don't know for a fact, but I don't believe UPS was responsible for any damage to the detector. The detector arrived with the AAA battery pak installed and when I slid back the top of the pak I saw that it contained alkaline batteries so I reinstalled the battery pak into the XLT and pushed the on button. When nothing happened I assumed the batteries were bad and replaced them with new ones and reinstalled the battery pak. Again nothing. I took the battery pak out and rechecked to make sure they were installed correctly and then checked the pak with a multimeter to be sure I didn't have new but faulty batteries. The meter indicated 13 volts which is right because new batteries should be slightly over their 1.5 voltage rating. The detector came with a rechargeable battery pak but no charger. I can only assume that the rechargeable needs recharging as they tend to slowly discharge with time.
The reason I mention all the above is that I consciously make an effort to have faith in people that their word is good. The problem is that in order for the seller to know that the detector is in good working condition is for him to have turned it on and to try it out. I reinstalled the original batteries that came in the AA pak and tested the voltage. 6 volts. Although I can't be sure, I doubt 6 volts would operate the XLT. I want to think otherwise, but I really don't think it was tested and found to be in good working condition.

 

[TreasureTales]

galaxy, in November I bought a pair of mirror extensions for my SUV so I could see better while towing my trailer. The eBay seller said that both mirrors were new in box, and stated elsewhere in her description that the mirrors were unused. When they arrived at my house, one mirror had been used and had the bugs and dirt to prove it. The other mirror did seem to be unused and new in box. I contacted the seller and asker her for an explanation before I took action with eBay and PayPal. She immediately gave me a refund to my PayPal account. Turns out she had only looked at one of the mirrors and ASSUMED the other was just as clean and new. Maybe your seller sold the machine under the assumption that it worked because he didn't know anything about metal detectors. I mean, turning one on doesn't necessarily guarantee it's going to work properly. I understand that in your case, the machine won't even turn on. Check the cable connections for proper contact and tightness, then re-insert the good batteries and try turning it on again. Good luck.

 

[Night Stalker]

Wow Galaxy, sorry to hear about that, just another good reason to shop local. The nearest dealer is about 2 hours from my house - if I need something, I just make the drive. Can't trust too many people now days, especially when they hide behind the web.

Good Luck......Night Stalker

 

[eathabs]

Any update now that the weekend is over?

 

[nc-joe]

I do buy and sell on eBay quite often. I had a situation where a person advertised a 1921 silver dollar. He had a picture of a 1921 peace dollar on the listing. I asked the question BEFORE I bid. Is the coin pictured the coin I will receive? He replied yes. So I bid and won the auction.

A week later, the package arrived. Inside was a 1921 Morgan Dollar. (worth WAY less than a Peace Dollar and WAY less than what I paid) He too, advertised NO RETURNS on his auction. I sent him an email. No response. Sent a second 3 days later. Sent the third email 4 days after that. (total of 7 days) waited 3 more days. No response.

Now the best part. When you pay via PAYPAL and use your credit card, they have a dispute resolution process. You are limited to 2-3 per year. You file your complaint. Be sure to put documention of your attempted contact and/or any response you might get. This process can take upto 20 days. However, since the person had the ability to receive a PAYPAL payment, they freeze the amount of your purchase in their account, or temporarily deduct it from their bank account until they determine if you are owed money back. If the person fails to respond to their inquiry, you get a default judgement and your money back. If they respond to eBay/PAYPAL one of two things will happen:
1) your wrong and do not get a refund (NOT LIKELY)
2) they rule in your favor. Now this is a little scary, but, the REQUIRE you send the package back, insured and with a tracking number. Once you provide the tracking number, they follow the package. Once they confirm the package made it back to the sender, (by delivery confirmation) they credit your account back for the purchase price. Please note: YOU WILL NOT COLLECT BACK THE SELLERS SHIPPING AND HANDLING OR YOUR RETURN SHIPPING/INSURANCE/TRACKING/DELIVERY CONFIRMATION COSTS. This is the COST of doing business.

I can tell you first hand this process WORKS!

I should mention, most of my auctions say "all sales are final, no returns" I do this to weed out tire kickers who bid, get the item and change their mind. I have `100% feedback from all buyers and sellers. I give detailed discriptions of what I sell, good photos and scans and answer all questions honestly. When buying, I asked ALOT of questions BEFORE I bid. I would of course refund any purchase price if the buyer was not really satisfied. (however, that has never happened)

Last, if the other person fails to respond, they will be suspended from using eBAY and PAYPAL.

Good luck. I find eBAY is a great source for may items, and usually at the best price. But it is not the only source. You should come out just fine, and I really think if you explain everything you did to try and get the unit to power up to the seller, he should take care of it. I guess I believe people will do the right thing, until they prove me otherwise.

 

[galaxy51]

When it arrived DOA and was advertised to be in good working condition I just couldn't help but feel that the odds were very good that I was in for a tough time. I sent a message to the sender and the first response was, It was working when sent. Then another message came saying that he would refund my money if I wanted, but I would have to let him know because he would have to get the money back from his mother-in-law. I replied that would work for me.
That night I was awake very late thinking about what the problem could be with the XLT. The next morning I removed a screw from the back of the meter box and popped to two halves apart. I used a wooden pencil to push the cable connectors toward their sockets. Neither seemed to move but when I put a battery in it and pushed the On button it played me a pretty little note and lit up! I was delighted, but knowing the connectors didn't move at all left me thinking maybe there was a cracked circut board or something. This morning I called and talked to a very nice fellow about the XLT. He really could not be sure that something was not amiss but thought that it was reasonable to believe the connectors had worked loose and that I may have solved the problem. If not, White's minimum labor charge was $40.00, and shipping would be about $15 each way as I live pretty close in Idaho. I got into a lengthy conversation with the fellow and forgot to ask about the cost of replacing a bad board.
I e-mailed the seller about the call to white's asked if they would consider refunding $40.00 to help with potential problems instead of returning it and gave my phone number to call if clarification was wanted. I got message asking if he understood my offer correctly. I responded yes, and he promptly refunded $40 by paypal and sent a message that came very close to bringing tears to my eyes. His mother-in-law had very badly needed the money to buy Christmas presents and gave him a message to give to me. She was very very grateful that I would offer to share the liability and that she now would be able to keep the money she needed for Christmas.
I can't help but feel that God played a part in all of this.

 

[nc-joe]

Well, you coulda posted that 10 minutes sooner and saved me alot of typing! LOL

Now, there is small change he played you. But like I said at the end of my long, long post, I believe in people. I think, in gereral, most people are good, honest people that want to do right.

I truely hope your problems are solved and you can start using your new unit soon.

Have a Merry Christmas.

 

[ronald99]

i think u trust this person,an u might need to open Ur eyes,who knows maybe this seller is honest,but remember the battery's were low,any time any one sell's a product they tend to make sure it's in working order,i would send this product back an recover my money,all your doing right now is setting your self up for a big let down,this person probably got this cheap an saw a way to make a dollar,by selling it,now your wantin him to send you forty dollars just to send it back to the factory,the shipping is costing you money an you will have to pay parts on top of any more labor,an yes using the Christmas holiday as a excuse to make you fill sad,about presents,had i sold this detector i would have wanted to make sure it arrived okay,an been checking the email,make your self happy an get all your money back,this item was misrepresented,you have no reason having to send this item in to be repaired,all the seller will say if more is wrong,that you damaged it when you shipped it to the repair place,get your money back an take care of the people in your life for Christmas,instead of allowing these people to take advantage of your kindness,an using the Christmas presents as a leverage ,merry Christmas,an please don't be upset with me,

 

[galaxy51]

nc joe, Sorry, we were typing away at the same time. I appreciate your post as well as all the others. I learned a lot about E-bay's policies here.
Ronald99, The deal is done. I have no regrets about the deal and I certainly am not upset with you. I appreciate your response. You are correct that the seller should have made sure that he was selling exactly what he was listing. I am sure he learned from this, and I will remember this deal too when I list something for sale.
I feel that I came out of this very well. I got a great deal on the detector to begin with. I got an additional $40 off of that price. Having disassembled and reassembled the detector, I now know a great deal more about its construction. I might never have to send it off for repair. If I do have to send it for repair, I know that I took a chance for $40.00. I have a much better understanding of how E-bay works. The deal is done and I don't have to fret over it. I learned a little "inside info" about several of White's detectors by chatting with one of their employees.
Best of all I walk away from this deal without a loser on either end of it!

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

 

[vwayne1]

WoW! Lots of doubters out there. Many jumped the gun and wanted to go crazy on this guy without even hearing from him on the deal. Disappointing. Galaxy: I am glad you had patience and worked this out. That is the proper way of going about it. Congrats on your purchase of a fine machine, and the education that you both recieved. You got a good deal, both parties are happy. Too many people want to bring down ebay and it's users. It's free enterprise. It's one of the things that make America great. Make some fantastic finds with your new md, and shoot us some pics.

 

[Born2Dtect]

In my book PayPal is better than insurance. I have had to use the dispute reolution program twice. Both times with great results. Do not wait too long because there is a time period you need to meet to use it.

Ed D.

 

[Farmercal]

Galaxy glad everything worked out for the best.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

 

[Rob in KS]

As a buyer and a seller......
I think people are too quick to assume the worst and come out with guns blazing. A little communication can go a long way toward keeping things civil. Many times I have had the feeling that I was being scammed only to find that there was another reason for delay in payment or shipping. If the buyer would have emailed, he could have set my mind at ease.
As a seller, I really make an effort to keep the customer happy. Your reputation is soooo important.
As a buyer, I try read the auction CAREFULLY and check the reputation of the seller.

I bought a signal generator. It was sold as-is so I knew I was taking a chance. It came in DOA. I wasn't very happy, but there wasn't anything to do. I was really pissed when I powered it up and smoke came out. I fixed it. But I payed 1/10 of the new price for it.

I'm glad a little patience payed off in this case. I've seen connectors come loose in shipping on other electronic equipment.

 

[privet12]

Hey there I have two XLTs and one of mine had a problem with corrosion on the battery contacts and they will loose their spring and I had to take it apart and make some new contacts and solder them in place and that was over a year ago and it is still working fine now so you mite check into that and since it isnt still in warranty if you cant fix it then take it to someone with a little electronics experence and have them fix it for you prob cheaper than sending it back to Whites

 

[Night Stalker]

Seller first, then ebay...IMO

 

[galaxy51]

Hi all, The XLT seems be be working fine and I have probably cycled it on and off maybe 30 times. The longer I use the XLT the more faith I will have in it. If I drop it or it somehow gets banged around and quits I know where to look first. At this point my attention is focused on learning how to scroll through the various features and learning what the features are and how they all inter relate to each other. After all, I want to be ready to detect several new locations that have come to mind. Here in Idaho the ground is frozen and it is time for me to do my homework for next years detecting. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year to all!