Did I Just Catch A Scammer? (What SHOULD a BRAND NEW Intel cooler look like?)

[An0maly_76]

Since I was upgrading a workstation from an i3-2100 to an i7-2600, I thought I'd do it right and get the proper copper-core cooler that is made for it. Now before I go further, I'm not accusing anyone just yet, nor am I necessarily making a federal case of this, but it's the principle of the thing. That said, I put this item on my eBay watchlist while I pondered other sources.

 

Before long, I received an "offer" from the seller, lowering their price to $4.00 plus shipping. I think it might have originally been $10.00 plus shipping, I don't have any way to go back and find out. However, I decided to take the offer. This is what arrived, and it hardly looks brand-new to me.

 

 

 

Even without the obviously bent mounting push pin, the label on the fan motor shows obvious signs of exposure to heat and other working conditions as installed. In addition, the thermal paste looks old and I'm not even sure it is where it is supposed to be (other pics I've seen show a neat little pattern drawn on the copper center). The topside doesn't even resemble the picture in the listing.

 

Now, before anyone starts hollering that this is my old cooler and I"m trying to scam someone to get something for free, my ACTUAL stock cooler is pictured below. As you can see, it is obviously not the same, apparently stock Lenovo units do not install the same way as stock Intel. Obviously, this cooler I just bought is not going to work for this machine's board anyway. I've not had to deal with an Intel cooler before, so I had no reason to think I had anything but a stock cooler.

 

 

Obviously, I can't even use the cooler I just bought with this motherboard's screw-down arrangement. But in light of the evidence, it very much appears that I was sold a working pull-off under the guise of being brand-new. The reduced price doesn't matter to me, it's the idea that someone can get away with peddling used parts with no guarantee as to their remaining service life as brand-new. And if I'm right, how many other people have they scammed like this? I might also add that I made payment the same day (6/24) and tracking history shows it was not shipped until 6/28, and I had to rattle the seller's cage when no updates were made in the next two days. I get that the USPS makes mistakes on occasion, but this actually seems a little sketchy from start to finish.

 

So before I do anything, I want to know from others with more experience if this thing looks used to them, or if there's something I'm not aware of somehow.

Edited July 4, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised

[Levent]

I dont get the point of your entire thread. If you dont like the item you received, file a complaint with ebay and return it. Bent mounting pins are totally fine, as you can put them back to their original shape back gently. I installed 50 or so of these coolers over the years, that type of damage happens to best of us. I also wouldnt give two shits about any cooler I bought for $4 as long as it works.

[An0maly_76]

6 minutes ago, Levent said:

I dont get the point of your entire thread. If you dont like the item you received, file a complaint with ebay and return it. Bent mounting pins are totally fine, as you can put them back to their original shape back gently. I installed 50 or so of these coolers over the years, that type of damage happens to best of us. I also wouldnt give two shits about any cooler I bought for $4 as long as it works.

You're missing the point. You obviously didn't read much of this thread, because I show that I can't use this cooler anyway, due to a difference I wasn't aware of. I also wanted clarification from others that this cooler is, in fact, used, before I go making complaints or anything. Your response more or less placates lying to people in selling used parts as new, which is fraud. And in a lot of cases, that is a felony.

[SansVarnic]

-= Topic Cleaned =-

 

Ok so this thread went down the proverbial rabbit whole.

If you plan to contribute please use the etiquette this forum has always expected from its members and answer the question asked.

 

The OP is asking for confirmation of their deduction, not asking for arguments on how rhetorical this is. Remember if you can't contribute don't post just move on, not need to antagonize someone with a question.

59 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

So before I do anything, I want to know from others with more experience if this thing looks used to them, or if there's something I'm not aware of somehow.

Edited July 4, 2022 by SansVarnic

[aisle9]

1 hour ago, An0maly_76 said:

Since I was upgrading a workstation from an i3-2100 to an i7-2600, I thought I'd do it right and get the proper copper-core cooler that is made for it. Now before I go further, I'm not accusing anyone just yet, nor am I necessarily making a federal case of this, but it's the principle of the thing. That said, I put this item on my eBay watchlist while I pondered other sources.

 

Before long, I received an "offer" from the seller, lowering their price to $4.00 plus shipping. I think it might have originally been $10.00 plus shipping, I don't have any way to go back and find out. However, I decided to take the offer. This is what arrived, and it hardly looks brand-new to me.

 

 

 

Even without the obviously bent mounting push pin, the label on the fan motor shows obvious signs of exposure to heat and other working conditions as installed. In addition, the thermal paste looks old and I'm not even sure it is where it is supposed to be (other pics I've seen show a neat little pattern drawn on the copper center). The topside doesn't even resemble the picture in the listing.

 

Now, before anyone starts hollering that this is my old cooler and I"m trying to scam someone to get something for free, my ACTUAL stock cooler is pictured below. As you can see, it is obviously not the same, apparently stock Lenovo units do not install the same way as stock Intel. Obviously, this cooler I just bought is not going to work for this machine's board anyway. I've not had to deal with an Intel cooler before, so I had no reason to think I had anything but a stock cooler.

 

 

Obviously, I can't even use the cooler I just bought with this motherboard's screw-down arrangement. But in light of the evidence, it very much appears that I was sold a working pull-off under the guise of being brand-new. The reduced price doesn't matter to me, it's the idea that someone can get away with peddling used parts with no guarantee as to their remaining service life as brand-new. And if I'm right, how many other people have they scammed like this? I might also add that I made payment the same day (6/24) and tracking history shows it was not shipped until 6/28, and I had to rattle the seller's cage when no updates were made in the next two days. I get that the USPS makes mistakes on occasion, but this actually seems a little sketchy from start to finish.

 

So before I do anything, I want to know from others with more experience if this thing looks used to them, or if there's something I'm not aware of somehow.

So a few things to unpack here:

• That stock cooler is definitely used. Full stop.
• Lenovo, Dell and others don't use a true Intel stock cooler. They use a semi-custom cooler, as you saw. The Intel stock cooler won't fit. There are a few aftermarket coolers out there that work with the mounting mechanism of Lenovo or Dell prebuilts, which usually involve screwing the cooler right into the case. That said, your best bet (and cheapest) for replacing a prebuilt stock cooler is to buy another prebuilt stock cooler from the same company.
• An eBay seller taking a few days to ship is not unusual and probably not a big deal. Check the handling time before you buy. If it's going to take them too long to get to the post office, buy from someone else. If you need it yesterday, pay a premium to order one from Amazon with Prime shipping. As an occasional eBay seller, it's terrible etiquette to "rattle the cage" of your seller unless it's past the end of the handling time shown in the auction. You making payment does not mean that a seller is obligated to rush down to the post office the same day. All paying for the item does is start the clock on handling time. It's not "sketchy", and as a seller I'd be pretty damned annoyed if you were to say that me holding to my handling time was. So much so that I'd probably find the "problem with buyer's address" button and cancel the order, because buyers who are that high maintenance before the thing even goes in the mail are probably going to make up a reason to return it...
• You not doing your homework is not reason to return an eBay purchase unless the seller accepts returns.
• The seller shipping you a used cooler in a listing that represented it as brand new is. Did the cooler really arrive in that envelope? A bent pin I could see happening if shipped that way, but there's no way the thermal paste is cleanly wiped off like that, and definitely no way the copper plate is scratched up like that in transit. Absolutely a used cooler, and I would return it.

[An0maly_76]

1 minute ago, aisle9 said:

So a few things to unpack here:

• That stock cooler is definitely used. Full stop.

Thanks, it seemed so but I wasn't sure if I was assuming, and didn't want to make trouble for myself if I was wrong and made accusations.

 

As to handling, no mention was made other than "Standard Shipping" which can give estimates of anywhere from 2-10 days, depending. I'm usually pretty easygoing as long as everyone's on the up-and-up and doesn't go out of their way to be a jackass, so I probably didn't 'rattle their cage' per se, I simply asked if they could check to be sure there wasn't an issue with the label, as this sort of thing kept a previous purchase stuck in limbo for two weeks before actually leaving the original PO. While it wasn't imperative I have this machine back up and running ASAP, I didn't want to be waiting two weeks for parts, either.

 

I have reported the seller as fraudulent and awaiting eBay's procedures.

[aisle9]

Just now, An0maly_76 said:

Thanks, it seemed so but I wasn't sure if I was assuming, and didn't want to make trouble for myself if I was wrong and made accusations.

 

As to handling, no mention was made other than "Standard Shipping" which can give estimates of anywhere from 2-10 days, depending. I'm usually pretty easygoing as long as everyone's on the up-and-up and doesn't go out of their way to be a jackass, so I probably didn't 'rattle their cage' per se, I simply asked if they could check to be sure there wasn't an issue with the label, as this sort of thing kept a previous purchase stuck in limbo for two weeks before actually leaving the original PO. While it wasn't imperative I have this machine back up and running ASAP, I didn't want to be waiting two weeks for parts, either.

 

I have reported the seller as fraudulent and awaiting eBay's procedures.

Reporting a seller as fraudulent over something like this is kinda BS. I have, on a few occasions, put the wrong item in the wrong box, or put the wrong labels on the wrong boxes and sent two different people the wrong thing. Accidents happen, and it's possible that he threw a used cooler into your envelope completely by mistake. The right answer would be to contact the seller and let him know that it looks like there was a mistake with the order, and you received a used CPU cooler. If you're not a dick about it, lots of sellers will tell you to just keep the cooler then issue a refund anyway. It's not worth the price of shipping to get back.

 

If the seller's a dick or refuses the return, open one up as "item not as described". That will force them to accept the return. Reporting a seller as fraudulent can completely screw them over and get them booted from the platform for life. Before you do it, ask yourself if they might have made a stupid mistake with a $4 cooler, or if they're genuinely trying to steal your money by listing an RTX 3090 at an unrealistic price, then shipping you a brick.

 

You might want to get in touch with eBay and let them know that you meant to open a return, not report the guy as fraudulent. You could potentially get his business taken from him for life over a stupid mistake he made when packing a $4 cooler.

[An0maly_76]

6 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

Reporting a seller as fraudulent over something like this is kinda BS. I have, on a few occasions, put the wrong item in the wrong box, or put the wrong labels on the wrong boxes and sent two different people the wrong thing. Accidents happen, and it's possible that he threw a used cooler into your envelope completely by mistake. The right answer would be to contact the seller and let him know that it looks like there was a mistake with the order, and you received a used CPU cooler. If you're not a dick about it, lots of sellers will tell you to just keep the cooler then issue a refund anyway. It's not worth the price of shipping to get back.

 

If the seller's a dick or refuses the return, open one up as "item not as described". That will force them to accept the return. Reporting a seller as fraudulent can completely screw them over and get them booted from the platform for life. Before you do it, ask yourself if they might have made a stupid mistake with a $4 cooler, or if they're genuinely trying to steal your money by listing an RTX 3090 at an unrealistic price, then shipping you a brick.

 

You might want to get in touch with eBay and let them know that you meant to open a return, not report the guy as fraudulent. You could potentially get his business taken from him for life over a stupid mistake he made when packing a $4 cooler.

And that's exactly what I was trying to avoid doing in this. Unfortunately, because eBay site staff can't leave well enough alone and keep rearranging the site, nothing I found would allow me to simply open a return as "not as described", it only gave me an option to report the seller. I don't like causing trouble for others like this, but while I understand mistakes, this seller also has another similar listing "Brand New" in the description, but then condition is listed as "Open Box"... Smacks of a bit of truth-stretching.

 

That said, I think there are people who count on exactly what you're talking about -- not worth the hassle and cost of return shipping, etc., as a cover for being sketchy. Not saying for sure that's what happened here, but it has the earmarks of it.

Edited July 4, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[aisle9]

Just now, An0maly_76 said:

And that's exactly what I was trying to avoid doing in this. Unfortunately, because eBay site staff can't leave well enough alone, nothing I found would allow me to simply open a return as "not as described", it only gave me an option to report the seller. I don't like causing trouble for others like this, but while I understand mistakes, this seller also has another similar listing "Brand New" in the description, but then condition is listed as "Open Box"... Smacks of a bit of truth-stretching.

Here's the thing though: reporting the seller as fraudulent will not get you a refund. It'll just get the guy suspended/banned. If the option that lets you return the item because it's not as described isn't there, call eBay and they'll open a return for you over the phone.

[Needfuldoer]

23 hours ago, aisle9 said:

Here's the thing though: reporting the seller as fraudulent will not get you a refund. It'll just get the guy suspended/banned. If the option that lets you return the item because it's not as described isn't there, call eBay and they'll open a return for you over the phone.

Yup. Always message the seller first. If they don't give you a satisfactory resolution, open an INAD (Item Not As Described) return request. eBay will either force their hand to take a return, or just refund you and you don't have to send it back.

[Beerzerker]

8 hours ago, Needfuldoer said:

Yup. Message the seller first. If they don't give you a satisfactory resolution, open an INAD (Item Not As Described) return request. eBay will either force their hand to take a return, or just refund you and you don't have to send it back.

Agreed - Message them and if they don't respond favorably, bring it to fleabay's attention and go from there.

[LogicalDrm]

11 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

Your response more or less placates lying to people in selling used parts as new, which is fraud. And in a lot of cases, that is a felony.

Getting scammed of $4 is not even worth going to police about. Just complain to eBay and you will get your money back. Plus the account banned.

 

Now, after you have been scammed over $100, then we can chat about felony.

[Needfuldoer]

13 minutes ago, LogicalDrm said:

Getting scammed of $4 is not even worth going to police about.

For that price it's not even worth mailing the thing back. The seller would probably just refund and everyone moves on with their lives.

 

Messaging the seller first might get a "whoops, sorry" and a refund or replacement, or it might get a "tough luck" that calls for an escalation to eBay dispute resolution. As the buyer, you'll win almost every dispute unless you do something really boneheaded like return a rock instead of the heatsink. (And even then, it's 50/50. eBay customer satisfaction is weighted heavily in the buyer's favor.)

[An0maly_76]

Yeah, I don't think this cat deserves any mercy, apparently it isn't the first time and they are shady / slippery in other ways as well. From their feedback page.

 

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, An0maly_76 said:

Yeah, I don't think this cat deserves any mercy, apparently it isn't the first time and they are shady / slippery in other ways as well. From their feedback page.

 

 

With feedback like that you still decided to buy from him?

[IkeaGnome]

2 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

Yeah, I don't think this cat deserves any mercy, apparently it isn't the first time and they are shady / slippery in other ways as well. From their feedback page.

 

Looks more like you didn't do your due diligence before buying and the scammer caught you.

[An0maly_76]

26 minutes ago, Blue4130 said:

With feedback like that you still decided to buy from him?

 

9 minutes ago, IkeaGnome said:

Looks more like you didn't do your due diligence before buying and the scammer caught you.

Had a 99.8% rating, folks... Why is it that people are so determined to make this 100% MY fault? That's basically the same thing as saying it's okay to scam people as long as they don't figure it out.

[Blue4130]

2 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

 

Had a 99.8% rating, folks... Why is it that people are so determined to make this 100% MY fault?

Nope, not saying it is 100% your fault, but really. Is this your first time buying online? Read the seller reviews.

[An0maly_76]

33 minutes ago, Blue4130 said:

Nope, not saying it is 100% your fault, but really. Is this your first time buying online? Read the seller reviews.

Hardly my first time buying online. However, it IS my first time dealing with an Intel cooler, hence I was looking for confirmation that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. But why is it that when things like this come up, everyone is so quick to blame the buyer? I doubt anyone else would have looked at the feedback that deep at 99.8% positive either.

 

You know, most of the responses I've gotten so far indicate that it's perfectly okay to scam people as long as they don't figure it out -- moreover, that it's the buyer's fault. There's something very wrong with that. And that's exactly why these idiots get away with this. Whatever happened to the seller being responsible for what they sell and ship?

 

I didn't post this looking for sympathy -- as stated earlier, I was looking for confirmation that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing, because this is the first Intel cooler I've ever dealt with. So I can do without such snarky responses. As has been mentioned previously, by a moderator, no less.

Edited July 4, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revision, more info

[Arika]

33 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

Had a 99.8% rating, folks 

OK, but you're also saying

 

2 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

Yeah, I don't think this cat deserves any mercy, apparently it isn't the first time and they are shady / slippery in other ways as well. From their feedback page.

So a 0.2% negative experience means they are shady and now deserve to be banned from ebay..... for $4?

 

I've seen brick and mortar stores with lower ratings than that, seems more likely that it was a mistake by someone doing the packaging. looking at the screenshot, they seem to be one of those stores that sell a bit of everything, so they are bound to get things wrong sometimes. I've had Amazon send me the wrong thing before.

 

I haven't seen you mention that you have messaged the seller, you should always do that before going the nuclear option. 

 

34 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

I didn't post this looking for sympathy, I was looking for confirmation that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing, because this is the first Intel cooler I've ever dealt with

I would struggle to think of anyone being able to look at that and think "I'm not sure if this is new or not" is very clearly not. You don't have to have dealt with an Intel stock cooler before too know its not right

[An0maly_76]

32 minutes ago, Arika S said:

OK, but you're also saying

 

So a 0.2% negative experience means they are shady and now deserve to be banned from ebay..... for $4?

 

I've seen brick and mortar stores with lower ratings than that, seems more likely that it was a mistake by someone doing the packaging. looking at the screenshot, they seem to be one of those stores that sell a bit of everything, so they are bound to get things wrong sometimes. I've had Amazon send me the wrong thing before.

 

I haven't seen you mention that you have messaged the seller, you should always do that before going the nuclear option. 

 

I would struggle to think of anyone being able to look at that and think "I'm not sure if this is new or not" is very clearly not. You don't have to have dealt with an Intel stock cooler before too know its not right

 

It's not the percentage, it's the fact that it's right there in another user's feedback that this has happened before. Apparently they have a habit of this, just most people let it go and don't speak up. While I'm willing to concede that this could possibly have been an honest mistake, I really don't get the insistence to put this on the buyer rather than the seller -- they're the one that made a mistake, not me -- something for which a moderator has already gotten involved. All I asked was whether I was seeing what I thought I was seeing, as this is the first Intel cooler I've dealt with.

 

People seem to want to harp on me for "not reading the feedback" -- when I accepted that with a 99.8% rating, there are likely to be some folks who aren't happy with anything, rather than acknowledge that the seller is the one who made the mistake here, NOT ME. But it seems no one is reading my signature, indicating that I am autistic and am not likely to see things as others do. But no, let's gang up on the guy who asked a simple question as to whether they were right about this thing not being what was listed.

Edited July 5, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[Arika]

39 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

People seem to want to harp on me for "not reading the feedback" -- when I accepted that with a 99.8% rating

and those people are wrong. every single one of them would have done the same thing "99.8% positive? great"

 

39 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

there are likely to be some folks who aren't happy with anything, rather than acknowledge that the seller is the one who made the mistake here, NOT ME.

The seller is in the wrong, but i think people are harping on you for not handling it the right way.

• you receive a very clearly used/not new intel stock cooler for the price of $4
• you post here on the forum saying you may have "caught a scammer" something that people are getting tired of, not everything that isn't perfect is a scam
• you got told it was definitely used
• you immediately report them as fraudulent
• you then blame ebay for moving things around which is why you had to report them as fraudulent instead of an item not as described.

everything after that up until the feedback section was "you shouldn't of reported them, why didn't you contact the seller?"

 

39 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

But it seems no one is reading my signature, indicating that I am autistic and am not likely to see things as others do. But no, let's gang up on the guy who asked a simple question as to whether they were right about this thing not being what was listed.

Please don't use this as a defense. You're autistic, OK, then you should know that everyone who is autistic is autistic to a different degree (hence why it's a spectrum) some of the people who replied might also be on the spectrum. People are treating you just like they would treat any other person who is in this situation, whether that is a good thing or a bad thing. Bringing up your autism in this case is just trying to dodge criticism and shut down conversation, even autistic people need to be told when they're in the wrong.

 

[An0maly_76]

As stated previously (and in my sig), I am autistic and do not see things as others do. Therefore, what's obvious to you, may not be obvious to me. When I went to the resolution center, the only option I saw was to report the seller. Considering this topic has already been moderated once for exactly this sort of response, I really don't understand why some insist on continuing to make it a dogfight versus a simple answer to the question that was originally asked. But since that seems to be a trend, allow me to retort.

 

Put yourself in my shoes for moment, if you can. I asked a question, and people launched into "you got scammed, stop whining, use the eBay tools" -- with absolutely no thought as to whether I might understand that process. I have been quite clear in making it known in my sig thus far, that I have a neurodevelopmental disorder that severely impacts my focus, retention, executive function, motor skills, and sensory perception.

 

This means that what others see as obvious, may be completely innocuous to me, or vice versa. It also means that I may not find it as easy to navigate certain processes. This has been further exacerbated by COVID fog. I shouldn't have to disclose that, but I do it in the interest of helping others to understand me, as I do not come here looking for a fight, as it seems some others do. You call me out for using autism as a defense (which I'm not), when you're using ableism as a clear means of blaming me, when the seller is clearly at fault, as you have admitted. Would be you so abrasive or callous towards someone you know better? I think not.

Further, while it may mean that I may find it difficult to do what anyone else can do, there are situations in which I see or can do something that someone else can't. It's frustrating enough to live with without the ableist dogma that just because someone else understands something, I'm somehow inferior because I don't. But this topic was moderated for this sort of response just last night, the moderator themselves even saying in a nutshell that if it wasn't useful or productive, it didn't need to be said.

 

That said, there are a number of people on this site who insist on being snarky or otherwise provocative and incendiary in their responses to a great many threads, as opposed to actually being helpful. Just because something is obvious to you, doesn't mean it will be obvious to everyone -- a commonly ableistic attitude, I might add. And if you don't know what ableism is, maybe you should educate yourself -- both about autism and about ableism.

Edited July 5, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

[Middcore]

1 hour ago, An0maly_76 said:

But this topic was moderated for this sort of response just last night, the moderator themselves even saying in a nutshell that if it wasn't useful or productive, it didn't need to be said.

 

There's a report button on every post, dude. If you think somebody said something inappropriate, use it. This "The mod said, you guys..." thing as if you think the mods declared nobody is allowed to disagree with or criticize you isn't going to win you any good will. Discussing mod action is actually itself against the forum rules, you know.

 

Now, the reasons you've been getting a frosty response in this thread: 

• You come off like you think you've struck some great blow for justice in a transaction worth $4, which is rather silly; many of us have literal piles of the stock Intel cooler sitting around we would give away if anybody wanted the damn things, the idea of some criminal mastermind making their fortune with not-as-described Intel stock coolers just makes us roll our eyes.
• You didn't do research to begin with or you would have known the Intel stock cooler wasn't what you needed.
• Your complaints about the handling time even before you received the controversial item make you seem, shall we say, high-maintenance? You paid on a Friday, and the item shipped two business days later, that's more than acceptable. 
• You say you "don't want to make a federal case out of it" while doing the eBay equivalent of just that; you say it's because you didn't understand the UI, essentially, but the overall impression you give frankly makes it seem like you were just eager to nail somebody's ass to the wall for "scamming" you. 

The item you got is definitely not what was described, but the item you were trying to buy wouldn't fit your needs anyway. It was probably just a dumb mistake on the seller's part because as a purposeful grift it's laughable, and your Karen-ish attitude over such a small amount of money which you'll get back anyway makes it difficult for people to feel any sympathy for you. 

 

[An0maly_76]

42 minutes ago, Middcore said:

 

There's a report button on every post, dude. If you think somebody said something inappropriate, use it. This "The mod said, you guys..." thing as if you think the mods declared nobody is allowed to disagree with or criticize you isn't going to win you any good will. Discussing mod action is actually itself against the forum rules, you know.

 

Now, the reasons you've been getting a frosty response in this thread: 

• You come off like you think you've struck some great blow for justice in a transaction worth $4, which is rather silly; many of us have literal piles of the stock Intel cooler sitting around we would give away if anybody wanted the damn things, the idea of some criminal mastermind making their fortune with not-as-described Intel stock coolers just makes us roll our eyes.
• You didn't do research to begin with or you would have known the Intel stock cooler wasn't what you needed.
• Your complaints about the handling time even before you received the controversial item make you seem, shall we say, high-maintenance? You paid on a Friday, and the item shipped two business days later, that's more than acceptable. 
• You say you "don't want to make a federal case out of it" while doing the eBay equivalent of just that; you say it's because you didn't understand the UI, essentially, but the overall impression you give frankly makes it seem like you were just eager to nail somebody's ass to the wall for "scamming" you. 

The item you got is definitely not what was described, but the item you were trying to buy wouldn't fit your needs anyway. It was probably just a dumb mistake on the seller's part because as a purposeful grift it's laughable, and your Karen-ish attitude over such a small amount of money which you'll get back anyway makes it difficult for people to feel any sympathy for you. 

 

That's all in your perceptions. You might want to re-read my original post. I think it's pretty clear that while I thought this thing might be used, I was asking for clarification in case I was wrong. And it's been a dogfight ever since because no one seems to get the simple concept of answering a question without being a jackass about it or implying that it's my fault. I never said anything about nailing anyone to the wall, I just wanted clarification that it did in fact appear used before I did anything. And I have no problem with a simple return and refund. Unfortunately, the only option I initially found was to report.

 

I don't know where anyone got the idea I was looking for sympathy here, but someone has twisted into that and just will not let it die. As I stated to someone else, put yourself in my shoes. Would you not feel some sort of duty to put a stop to someone who appears to get by with this when they can? Because if you don't, you're part of the problem. I find it ludicrous that people who would no doubt be irritated at this sort of occurrence are the very same ones throwing shade. But if you got scammed in such a manner and knew someone else had knowledge of the seller they didn't share with you, you'd be angry at them for not sharing it -- don't lie.

 

I didn't want to to make any accusations without confirmation, which is what my original post states - no more, no less. It's already been made clear that if it's not helpful to the thread and does not contribute, it doesn't need to be said. Yet people just keep on going against that. I'm pretty sure referring to me as "Karen-ish" applies. This thread has turned into a ----show, but I'm glad in a way, because it has shown me a few individuals I need not interact with. If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem.

 

As for goodwill, I have sent a few parts to people who needed them without any real profit other than the shipping costs, and in a couple cases have foregone that. So maybe you should swing that judgmental pendulum back the other way.

Edited July 5, 2022 by An0maly_76
Revised