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Dissapointed buyer, item malfunctions experience?

I sold a nice CD player that functioned perfectly up to the time I shipped. Buyer plugs it in and only one channel works. Box looks like no mishandling occured during shipping.
I spoke to the buyer, ( really nice guy). I also felt really bad about the item not functioning properly. I was going to refund all ship cost and payment.

He actually wanted to keep the unit so we agreed to have the unit fixed at my cost and I pay for ship to and from authorized repair shop.

This is the first time I have had to pay to have anything fixed that I have sold. I have been lucky and should be grateful because every transaction is a gamble.

I am curious as to what others have done in this situation and what possible pitfalls might occur during the repair process.

What has been your experience and is there actually a set of rules we should follow when this happens?
thanks
Matt
shoe

Showing 3 responses by alextychkin

alextychkin
87 posts
 
I not bright enough either to understand what SC53 is trying to say, except that what I get is that s/he is laying the foundation to get out of resolving the problem, if something is potentially damaged in transit. And the argument that will be used is this : I AM NOT A DEALER!
alextychkin
87 posts
 
In conclusion: the Musical Fidelity CD Player that I bought was repaired @ Signal Path in Charlotte in less than 2 days, shipped to me almost immediately, and now functions perfectly. My cost, as a buyer was zero. Problem resolved. Both the buyer and the seller exchange positive feedbacks and shake hands over the phone. Case closed.
alextychkin
87 posts
 
I happen to be the unit's buyer. When buying a used piece of equipment, as someone stated, one assumes the risks involved in the process. Obviously, one doesn't look forward to the hassle of repairing the unit, playing the phone-tag with the tech and being in the limbo, but that's what buying used gear sometimes involves. From now on, however, I will be buying new and covered by warranty equipment only (it's clear to me that not having to deal with the gamble aspect of used equipment is worth the extra investment).
Has it ever happened to me as a seller? It did. Due to some cosmetic damage, the buyer got half of his money back and then stated that he could live with some dings and dents.
Obviously, I find amusing the Sc53's statement about the seller not having any responsibility for the unit's proper operation upon arrival. It's one thing when it goes bad after some time of usage, another when it doesn't work properly from the start. It's called DOA. A claim with a shipping company would've been legit if there was a sign/evidence of mishandling or damaged packaging, which wasn't the case in this instance.
So, what one has here is the unit that doesn't work as advertised. I am not interested in speculating about whether it was operational when shipped, or something undetectable happened during transit. Based on the seller's perfect feedback and my gut-feeling I made a decision to resolve it the way I did. It's not because I am a "nice" guy, but rather because it seems to be a sensible way do it, and keep this site and our relationships civil and responsible.
That said, had I detected in this seller even a trace of Sc53's attitude(it's your problem now!), rest assured, this situation would have taken a totally different direction.
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