I have on two occasions been troubled when buying surplus electronic
items that in both cases have been mis-advertised. Do others get this
problem, and how do you resolve it?
The first was here on the amps mailing list nearly 7 years ago, when
someone stuck up a post for some 24kV diodes, which were in fact nearer
a quarter of that voltage rating.
(If you really want to, it is detailed in the archives, as I had to make
a public statement about it, since he was making up lies about me -
http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/amps/1998-August/006175.html
)
His error cost me a lot in bank charges. Overall I lost $59 and the
diodes were so useless I eventually put them in the bin, after giving
him about 5 years to pick them up. Postage was high, as I'm in the UK
and he was in the USA.
I don't think this guy actually knew they were rated around 3 to 6 kV
(repetitive, peak etc) and thought he would trying selling them as 24kV,
but he was rather stupid in finding something in a book which looked
similar, had a completely different part number, and thinking "oh, that
is what they must be". A 555 timer and a 741 op-amp look the same, but
the part numbers tell you they are not and they perform quite different
functions.
More recently, I have this problem with an eBay seller Raymond Mahoney
( todoelmondo) on this HP 10811A oscillator
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7505853855
advertised as "HP 10811A Quartz Crystal Oscillator Hewlett Packard". The
item sent looked similar, had a similar part number, but its
specification is poorer. The HP 10811A has a phase noise of -90dBc at
1Hz offset, -120dBc at 10Hz offset. As some of you may know, these are
high specs for an oscillator.
Again, I don't think this guy meant to sell a lower spec oscillator as a
better one, but was on the mistaken belief they were all the same, as
they had similar part numbers.
He wants me to pay return postage, and now refuses to answer any emails
or phone calls, although I have his work phone and fax numbers now, so
have FAXed him at work (United States Patent Office).
In both cases, the sellers seem happy to take them back, but want me to
pay the return shipping costs. In both cases, they are in the US and me
in the UK, so shipping is not cheap.
Am I the only one to think that if someone else sends the wrong item, he
should expect to pick up the costs of returning it to him? If it was a
low-value light item, I'd just stick it in the post, but on items which
are expensive to ship, I'm not so keen.
You would not buy a piece of furniture, get sent the wrong (poorer)
item, and the shop say you will have to pay them to collect it. If they
did, you would say it is your mistake, pick it up asap and deliver the
item I have paid for.
Getting sent the wrong item does not happen often to me, but each time
it does, the spec is lower than what I ordered.
Do others find this happens. Would you be happy to repay the shippings
costs to another country on a 5 kW tube if you ordered a 15 kW one, or
would you expect the seller to pick up the cost of returing the item to
him?
-------
David Kirkby,
G8WRB
Please check out http://www.g8wrb.org/
of if you live in Essex http://www.southminster-branch-line.org.uk/
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