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

An0maly_76
By An0maly_76
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Go to solution Solved by 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.

 

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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.

 

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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.

 

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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.
Posted
10 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

That's all in your perceptions.

When people tell you how the way you act is perceived by others, it sometimes pays to take it to heart. 

 

10 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

I never said anything about nailing anyone to the wall

Again, it's the impression you give off. 

 

Have you ever heard the saying about what it means when you meet one jerk, versus what it means when everybody you meet is a jerk?

 

10 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

A moderator has already gotten involved and made it clear that if it's not helpful to the thread and does not contribute, it doesn't need to be said.

Again, the report button is there. 

 

10 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

And I think referring to me as "Karen-ish" applies.

But I guess basically calling everybody who's responded to you jackasses is cool. 

 

10 minutes ago, An0maly_76 said:

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.

I take it this means you won't be randomly hitting me up with PM's asking for hardware advice anymore then? 

Corps aren't your friends. "Bottleneck calculators" are BS. Only suckers buy based on brand. It's your PC, do what makes you happy.  If your build meets your needs, you don't need anyone else to "rate" it for you. And talking about being part of a "master race" is cringe. Watch this space for further truths people need to hear.

 

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Posted (edited)
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Seller has reached out, looks to be getting resolved without major collateral damage.

 

7 hours ago, Middcore said:

But I guess basically calling everybody who's responded to you jackasses is cool. 

 

I take it this means you won't be randomly hitting me up with PM's asking for hardware advice anymore then? 

#1 -- And how many times was I catcalled and cajoled before even saying anything about that? 99% of what has been said here was unnecessary, or at least could have been less snarky. And let's have a look at who started that, shall we? I said nothing about anyone else until it was inferred that my situation was "laughable", even though my question had more to do with whether this part was used. I would have been just fine with expanding to the hypothesis that it could have been unintentional -- but really, how many piled on, making me out to be the jerk?

 

In the beginning, I was referred to eBay Resolution tools, what I found ran me directly to reporting with no other options. Some of you were quick on the draw and looking for any excuse to blame me when the seller was clearly in the wrong. Theorized mistakes aside, there seemed much more understanding for their mistake than mine. So I'll call that for what it is -- a double standard. I'll say this, if anyone thinks they are owed an apology here, chances are I'm owed one as well.

 

#2 -- I'll refrain from responding to that, seeing as it very much appears that no matter what, I'm going to be branded the jerk here, even after showing evidence after the fact that the seller has done this before. Not to mention, the response I got from the seller has all the earmarks of "didn't think they'd notice".

 

I truly do not come here to fight, I think I've proven that. Am I perfect? No, and I don't claim to be. Nor do I want to cause anyone undue trouble, but simple mistake or not, I am not one to tolerate being branded a jerk, Karen or whatever else has been said here, for asking a simple question about appearances. And anyone can see that was my original post -- all for the purposes of determining if the item was truly used and whether this was intentional. I've seen plenty of people respond without even reading a post, making assumptions based on the title.

 

I may come off as a bit defensive, but it was hardly unwarranted in this case. Also, not only am I finding out late in life that I have a neurological disorder, I am also finding out that crucial information regarding this was withheld. As a result, I have been through much more unnecessary grief than anyone can imagine. And this is not a disorder anyone can understand unless they are living it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Edited by An0maly_76
Revised, more info

I don't badmouth others' input, I'd appreciate others not badmouthing mine. *** More below ***

 

MODERATE TO SEVERE AUTISTIC, COMPLICATED WITH COVID FOG

 

Due to the above, I've likely revised posts <30 min old, and do not think as you do.

THINK BEFORE YOU REPLY!

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Posted
6 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

I may come off as a bit defensive, but it was hardly unwarranted in this case. Also, not only am I finding out late in life that I have a neurological disorder, I am also finding out that crucial information regarding this was withheld. As a result, I have been through much more unnecessary grief than anyone can imagine. And this is not a disorder anyone can understand unless they are living it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

 

Dude, you can only get so far with "Woe is me, my life is hard."

Millions of people live on the spectrum every day.  I've got friends, and had roommates who live on the spectrum every day.  It's far from something I'm not used to dealing with.

 

Is it different for everyone?  Yup.  Everyone's got a different set of issues to work with, and that's part of life for them.  

Is it the world's responsibility to go out of its way to accommodate them?   A little, yes.  But also, it's up to the individual to make life work for them in the larger framework of the world around them.  

 

Back to the original post:

You got a clearly used heatsink, when it was advertised as new.  Simple solution:  Contact the seller and work it out.  If they're not being cooperative with a good solution, THEN go to ebay.  

 

I've been using ebay for over 20 years now.  (Jesus fucking christ I'm god damned old.) And in that /entire/ time, I've only ever had to go to ebay a single time directly for a problem.  Anything else that's been an issue has been simple communication between me and the seller, and it was eventually resolved well.  

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You are completely missing the point. That was not a "woe is me" in the least. I was responding to someone else about my original post being twisted into something it wasn't, the obvious disproportion in understanding of my mistake versus the seller's, and the fact that I'm being called out for reactions that were clearly provoked with incendiary remarks. I, too, have been on eBay for over 20 years, and this is the first time I have had a problem.

 

Just because you know one or two people on the spectrum doesn't mean you know everyone on the spectrum. Some of us function better than others, and some of us are just functional enough to fool us into thinking we are more capable than we are.

 

Posts exactly like yours are exactly what made this much more than it had to be, and I doubt any of those making such posts actually even read the thread. The post was a simple question, but somehow no one can leave it at that. And I don't appreciate being labeled a jerk for responding to people who clearly were just looking for any way to place me at blame here, when I simply wasn't familiar with the process in the first place. What is it with this trend of pushing at someone until they react, then acting like they are to blame?

 

 

I don't badmouth others' input, I'd appreciate others not badmouthing mine. *** More below ***

 

MODERATE TO SEVERE AUTISTIC, COMPLICATED WITH COVID FOG

 

Due to the above, I've likely revised posts <30 min old, and do not think as you do.

THINK BEFORE YOU REPLY!

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Posted
4 hours ago, An0maly_76 said:

You are completely missing the point. That was not a "woe is me" in the least. I was responding to someone else about my original post being twisted into something it wasn't, the obvious disproportion in understanding of my mistake versus the seller's, and the fact that I'm being called out for reactions that were clearly provoked with incendiary remarks. I, too, have been on eBay for over 20 years, and this is the first time I have had a problem.

 

Just because you know one or two people on the spectrum doesn't mean you know everyone on the spectrum. Some of us function better than others, and some of us are just functional enough to fool us into thinking we are more capable than we are.

 

Posts exactly like yours are exactly what made this much more than it had to be, and I doubt any of those making such posts actually even read the thread. The post was a simple question, but somehow no one can leave it at that. And I don't appreciate being labeled a jerk for responding to people who clearly were just looking for any way to place me at blame here, when I simply wasn't familiar with the process in the first place. What is it with this trend of pushing at someone until they react, then acting like they are to blame?

 

 

It may not be "woe is me" but you are absolutely going on the defensive by having your diagnosis in your footer of everything you post. You are using it (right or wrong - not my place to comment) as an excuse for any future conflict that you may find yourself in. Many people who don't have the same affliction don't appreciate that style of manipulation. It may not be what you intended,  but that is the reality of it. 

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@An0maly_76 just out of curiosity, when you were first attempting to resolve the issue - did you go into My eBay Purchase History? That's typically where you would find refund/return options to initiate a refund case with eBay.

 

If you've purchased anything else recently, you can go in there to see how the system works.

 

I'm not going to attack or blame you for your situation, I'm just here to educate you on how the platform works so if this happens again, you know the way to proceed without reporting the seller themselves.

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