[time-nuts] caveat emptor: eBay t&m seller warning

[Dave Andersen]

Christopher - sorry to hear about your bad experience with this seller.

I purchased a counter from them in December 2003.  It wasn't a very good 
experience.  They made a "mistake" on the shipping calculation (and 
increased it by $20 after the sale), which seemed legit for shipping a 
moderately heavy counter.  The item was defective.  It took them about a 
month and a half, and three increasingly strongly worded emails, before 
they issued a refund.

On the bright side, they *did* issue a refund eventually, but I won't 
purchase from them again, and would advise others to avoid them given a 
choice.  I do suggest that you keep on them, since they did pay eventually.

   -Dave

Christopher Hoover wrote:
> Folks,
>  
> Heads up on this eBay seller: Test Equipment Surplus, eBay id
> <http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/s.gif>
> <http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=jtsele&ii
> d=7614062550&frm=284&ssPageName=VIP:feedback:1:us> jtsele, aka
> jtsele at pacbell.net aka Joon Kyong.
>  
> Although I have satisfactorily done business with him on eBay several
> times, I got ripped off in my last transaction.
>  
> I recommend you do not do business with him.  To substantiate this
> recommendation, here's the story.
>  
> I bought an  HP 5065A RUBIDIUM VAPOR FREQUENCY STANDARD, item
> #7614062550, from the seller for $555 + s/h.    The unit arrived in
> great cosmetic shape but with a  suspicious rattle.   I popped the top
> to find the physics package missing.  The rattle was the bracket for the
> package.
>  
> I was annoyed but unworried.   The item was advertised with the
> following guarantee:
>  
> "This item is in good working condition and is guaranteed to work. If
> you receive the item and it does not function, please let us know and we
> will give you a full refund including shipping."
>  
> No physics package == not good working condition, right?
>  
> I contacted the seller, and he agreed to take the item back.  He gave me
> his FedEx number.   Great, I'm thinking, I don't have a working 5065A,
> but at least I'll get my money back and I don't even have to spot him
> the return shipping.
>  
> It took me a few weeks to get the package back to him -- we had a baby
> at that point -- but I sent it the week after we got back from the
> hospital.  I have confirmation that the item was received and signed
> for.
>  
> I have yet to see my refund, even after many messages asking him to pay.
> It's been long enough that PayPal won't do squat about it.   Short of a
> small claims action, which I am seriously considering, I am out > $500.
> ('though I understand I may be able to get $200 back from eBay ...
> haven't looked into this in detail yet.)
>  
> -ch
>  
> 
> 
> 
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