Need advice on a shady graphics card deal on ebay

[jon319315]

I need help, I sold my old graphics card on Ebay and the buyer is saying it arrived damaged. The only problem is a bent capacitor, of which I think it will still work AND/OR they could just gently bend it back. It seems like the buyer is trying to make excuses to keep both the card and get their money back.

Message from buyer:
"When the package arrived, by the looks of the box I knew I was gonna need to start taking pictures of the damage. First off the box was smashed and had a hole in it. Then when I opened the box one of the screws from the i/o shield fell out of the box as I pulled the card out. I cant believe it didn t fall out of the hole. Right away after I got the card out of the static bag I noticed smashed capacitors... The only thing protecting the card was, 3 out of 5 bubbles filled with air and a piece of foam. VERY poorly packed!!! Not only that, I feel like this card wasn t very well taken care of. All of the i/o screws were loose and the one that connects it to the card is missing. The backplate for the water cooler is missing a spacer underneath it on one of the screws. And to top it all off the tubes on the water cooler were not routed right and it gets in the way of one of the power ports, making it impossible to plug power into the card without crimping the tube. The tube is basicly ruined, and that plus the broken capacitor make me afraid to even put this card in my computer to test it. What a mess....."

I packaged the card with my own anti static bag and both foam and air bags, the box was also in pristine condition when I shipped it, and I have photos of the card in working order in my case, with plugs and all. I also have photos of the card with no bent capacitors before shipping. He mentions a screw which could just be screwed back, a missing plastic spacer (was always like that has no effect on the card whatsoever), and tubing that is apparently "wrong". The way the tubing is physically how it LITERALLY is designed, there is no other way they can go, it sounds very scammy how he is coming up with this stuff. It's also very suspicious as to how that one capacitor was bent, despite it not having anything that could have come in contact during shipping, the buyer may have simply bent it a bit themselves. 

photos from buyer: http://imgur.com/a/qNOrW

photo of the card plugged in perfectly fine and working before selling: http://imgur.com/a/0IBl2

[Zondaa]

First off,

 

What an asshole.

 

Now, what you want to do is call ebay and inform them of the situation. As the buyer has most likely escalated this to a claim and is trying to scam you it's always best to give them a call. I hate selling on ebay especially after my own personal experience similar to yours but with a mobile phone instead of a GPU. Just provide enough evidence of the card being operational beforehand to ebay and you should be okay

 

But keep me updated.

 

PS

 

At the end of the day, Ebay will just advice the buyer to return the card with them covering postage costs and they won't refund them until you provide evidence that you received your card. I mean it should still be operational as the capacitor is still seated

[Guest]

eBay would probably decide in their favour unfortunately. Unless you can prove the capacitor wasn't like that before, and the rest is just nit picking, they'd probably advise you to claim it with the courier. At the end of the day though, if you can't actually show it wasn't like that before, eBay would probably advise you to refund the buyer.

 

You would be required, if it were deemed the item wasn't as described by eBay (try and fight your corner of course) to refund the cost of the item, plus the original and return postage. You get the item back though, that's a given. 

 

You could also offer them a partial refund to shut the fuck up (nothing massive, just if you don't want to have to try selling it again). I wouldn't do this personally, as it seems that's what their goal is here. I'd be salty about it and make them return it, even If I take a loss in postage costs 

[TopWargamer]

More so sounds like an issue with whichever shipping company you chose, in which case, not really your fault. The loose screws though, not sure about that.

[Zondaa]

Just now, TopWargamer said:

More so sounds like an issue with whichever shipping company you chose, in which case, not really your fault. The loose screws though, not sure about that.

I mean how do screws even get loose during shipping? Sounds like a standard scam to be honest. Creating problems and stacking issues to show ebay 

[Guest]

He or she is fishing for a partial refund 

[TonyKramer]

I've sold stuff on Ebay for a pretty long time and sometimes you just unlucky with who ends up clicking the Buy It Now button. You can claim fraud, but as been previously stated, it would be much easier (unfortunately) to just give the refund and take the item back. I wish I had better news, but Ebay is almost always on the side of the buyer. 

 

Good luck

[TopWargamer]

3 minutes ago, pasha786 said:

I mean how do screws even get loose during shipping? Sounds like a standard scam to be honest. Creating problems and stacking issues to show ebay 

If what the dude is saying is true, then it's more than likely the shipping company's fault. OP, did he even show you the pictures he took?

[Zondaa]

Just now, TopWargamer said:

If what the dude is saying is true, then it's more than likely the shipping company's fault. OP, did he even show you the pictures he took?

The buyer took these:

 

 

[DildorTheDecent]

That's not even an issue. Just bend it back. 

 

Since you're the seller you're probably going to lose the claim anyway  

[ARikozuM]

Did you allow refunds? I would advise you take pictures next time so that you can prove how the package was shipped and that you dropped it off at a post office.

[TopWargamer]

8 minutes ago, pasha786 said:

The buyer took these:

 

 

Thanks. Honestly, I can believe the buyer. From personal experience, USPS has messed up some packages. @Vitalius Sent me a motherboard a while back in a regular USPS box, and the box came hella damaged and also had a bent capacitor. The other things I've bought from him never had this issue. As much as it may suck, the buyer may have a valid claim. USPS's boxes are hella flimsy.

[yathis]

You should always take close up pictures of EVERYTHING

[Andreas Lilja]

2 hours ago, ARikozuM said:

Did you allow refunds? I would advise you take pictures next time so that you can prove how the package was shipped and that you dropped it off at a post office.

Ebay buyer protection is on even if you don't allow refunds and clearly state so in your listing.

 

OP will have to pay shipping to get it back. as well as refunding the card and the original shipping.

[ARikozuM]

Just now, Raskolnikov said:

Ebay buyer protection is on even if you don't allow refunds and clearly state so in your listing.

Did you purchase insurance on the package? You're given $50 from the get-go, but did you get more?

[Andreas Lilja]

5 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

Did you purchase insurance on the package? You're given $50 from the get-go, but did you get more?

I'm not OP but good luck claiming damaged package. It's going to be a long process. 

[ARikozuM]

1 minute ago, Raskolnikov said:

I'm not OP

Whoops...

[jon319315]

Yeah, I even tried to say that the card should work fine, but his response,

 

"As far as the bent capacitors go, these are not like motherboard capacitors that can just bend back and forth. The pin is literally ripped out of the capacitor still soldered into the board. Iv'e tried pushing it back into place and it pops right back up to how it looks in the picture. So this card does not still work. It would be a fire hazard if i plugged it in."

 

So he also isn't looking to return it for full refund, as some have thought. I was thinking worst case Ill bend the capacitor back into place or re-solder it. Of course now he is silent that I said Ill give a full refund and he ship it back. He wants whatever money from the USPS investigation.

 

On a side note, since you are all being wonderful and helpful, anyone here happen to know what type of capacitor it would need, in case I do get it back and I have to replace it?

[Andreas Lilja]

1 hour ago, jon319315 said:

Yeah, I even tried to say that the card should work fine, but his response,

 

"As far as the bent capacitors go, these are not like motherboard capacitors that can just bend back and forth. The pin is literally ripped out of the capacitor still soldered into the board. Iv'e tried pushing it back into place and it pops right back up to how it looks in the picture. So this card does not still work. It would be a fire hazard if i plugged it in."

 

So he also isn't looking to return it for full refund, as some have thought. I was thinking worst case Ill bend the capacitor back into place or re-solder it. Of course now he is silent that I said Ill give a full refund and he ship it back. He wants whatever money from the USPS investigation.

 

On a side note, since you are all being wonderful and helpful, anyone here happen to know what type of capacitor it would need, in case I do get it back and I have to replace it?

Why would he prefer USPS' money over yours? 

 

It's going to take a mountain of paperwork and months. And it's not sure they'll pay. 

[asand1]

That's a Polly cap and normally mounted flush to the board. The buyer is correct l, the lead is pulled out of the cap and ruined. However the damage was clearly done in shipping. Idk how to proceed with shipping damage with USPS, but that is where I would start. No scam here from what I can see.

[MadyTehWolfie]

Offer return shipping and upon receiving the card and making sure it's the same one you sent issue a full refund and next time pack it better and in a better box.

[Columbo]

It's worth your time, effort and money to pay for the return shipping. Lesson learned. Is that a pic of the original card in the image the buyer sent you? The box doesn't look that bad. I am guessing you didn't ship it in the original packaging or didn't pack it well.