[time-nuts] Bad batch of HP10811's

Jason Rabel jason at extremeoverclocking.com
Wed Jan 17 10:51:40 EST 2007


Yep, I try to be a cautious buyer... I *maybe* have a issue with one out of
40 transactions on eBay, but even that rarity usually gets resolved without
any fuss. When I buy some from individuals via newsgroups or forums, so far
I haven't had any issues.

Here's a good story (I wish I had pictures still, I'll try to dig them up).
I bought an old Alteon switch, weighed at least 50 lbs. This was being
shipped from CA to TX. They shipped it in the flimsiest cardboard box that
was falling apart, used *some* foam packing, but it all got compressed from
the weight so that was worthless, and the rest was loose foam peanuts. It
had a non-doa guarantee so I was not too worried. When it arrived, the
chassis was all bent up to heck, and nothing worked on it. So I sent it back
in the same box but packed it all better and taped the heck out of it.
Watching the tracking, it went all the way back to CA, then back to me in
TX! Package arrives at my door step bleeding foam peanuts and falling apart
at the seams. It looks like they drove over it, lit it on fire (serious,
there were charred areas), then doused it in water to put it out.

I finally got the whole situation resolved, but I've never seen a package so
mis-handled. If the shipper only took the time to pack it properly initially
I (probably) could have had a working switch, but now it's only good for
scrap (I think UPS ended up keeping it).

When I shipped a 5345A up to John, I double boxed the thing and wrapped it
all up good and tight, and I was still sweating the journey way up to him.
But it arrived in perfect condition. :)


Jason

> Dear All,
> 
> Luckily I haven't had anything to do with the "she" from 
> Ebay. However, 
> working on the university, sometimes with a low budget, we 
> once bought a 
> second hand spectrum analyzer. We didn't buy through Ebay, but from a 
> well known professional second hand seller in Europe. When the unit 
> arrived, one of the handles was bent in such a way that someone must 
> have noticed before shipping. There was no shipping damage on the 
> outside of the box, so it must have happened at the seller.
> When I contacted them, they said it was impossible an 
> instrument would 
> have left their shop with such damage.... I didn't want to 
> start a big 
> discussion and agreed on getting a "new" handle. The 
> instrument itself 
> worked perfect (luckily :-) ).
> My point: There is no warranty when buying second hand 
> equipment. (Not 
> even new equipment, which sometimes arrives working not at all (no it 
> wasn't cheap "China-made" stuff)). Even professional sellers make 
> "mistakes". So always be carefull, and check carefully what you get!
> 
> Regards, Jeroen




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