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Refurb ripped on ebay

Hey guys
So I ended up buying off of ebay, made the huge mistake of buying from a "newer" seller. It came in the mail, and a few things wrong with it
a) no car charger like the ad said (altho he said he'd put it in the mail asap)
b) it was in a tattered ATT box that was not like the new box from the ebay ad
c) black marker on the box tries to cover the fact that it says "refurbished kit" (I can luckily read through the marker)
So paypal has withdrawn the funds for now (on the circumstance that they actually double charged my credit card and withdrew both funds again until this is resolved). So hopefully this means I got some leverage here.
I basically told him:
"I will credit payment back, however would
like to receive the car charger as per the ebay ad, and at least have
you admit that you did not send me a new phone but rather a
refurbished one, in a box that was not as shown in the ad. We can
then either agree upon a new fair price, or I will delay the payment
until the dispute is resolved through paypal."
What would you guys think is a fair price for a refurbished one? I paid 375USD$ (355 + 20 shipping) or 410$CAN
He is said to now make it 340$?
is it worth it to still be dealing with this guy at all?

?
how much would a refurbished go for in comparison to a used att tilt?

Who was the seller? Do you have a link to the completed auction?
I sold a buddy's old Tilt for about $400 locally, so I think a $375 shipped price for a factory refurb is still a good deal. I still remember selling a brand new one only opened for unlock for $650, but that was awhile ago, haha.
~Cheers~

hi
what are some things i should be cautious of refurb?
i wanna check and make sure everything is working before i continue negotiating/paying him
it seems that sometimes it does not read the touch screen (or is slow to detect)
does this happen normally?

Go90go said:
Who was the seller? Do you have a link to the completed auction?
I sold a buddy's old Tilt for about $400 locally, so I think a $375 shipped price for a factory refurb is still a good deal. I still remember selling a brand new one only opened for unlock for $650, but that was awhile ago, haha.
~Cheers~
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I can't imagine why someone would pay $650 for a Tilt, even when they were brand new they were $549.99 without contract.

it would help if you told us what kind of device you've bought (i've read AT&T and refurb. but no device name)

Xtreme XL said:
it would help if you told us what kind of device you've bought (i've read AT&T and refurb. but no device name)
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It's a Tilt, he says it in 2nd post.
I'd go for between $320-$350 and no higher, non-negotiable! The ad is different from the actual product, your missing parts, and the other crap you have to deal with.
Refurbished should work just as well as a new device, sometimes a refurbished works better than a new. It's a gamble either way since you don't know what the seller has done with it. Pull up some system info on the device and see if it's stock info. Also, is there any physical damage?

TILT
yes its an HTC tilt
there is no physical damage and it looks good
"Pull up some system info on the device and see if it's stock info"
how is this done?
he also claims that their is still a one year warranty....if i send it back to ATT they will send me a new one. Is there a way to verify this?

Samsung Genuine Accessory Hell

Let this be a lesson to anyone before buying new or used accessories off of ebay.
I recently purchased a dock off of ebay and figured that i would share my experience. I have been buying and selling for years on ebay. This time I got bit.
I bought a dock and received it in the mail for my fascinate. The dock was actually the correct dock as well. I have one already at home and bought one for the office. As well the seller said it was covered by Samsung warranty for 1 full year.
I tear open the package, set up the dock, and go to plug my phone in and it will not. After inspecting around with the dock i realize the USB port is loose so the phone will not slide right in as it does on my other dock. and the phone actually sits off the dock slightly.
So it had the "1 year warranty from Samsung" Call up support and the tell my i need the hex number. Pull the hex number out of the phone and the guy tells me i need to power down the phone and get it from behind the battery. Ok. Fine. Hang up. pull the battery, and guess what same exact Hex number except in the phone software it shows an 0x preceding the rest of the number. I laughed and get back on the phone.
Now my experience gets fun... I speak to a rep almost immediately. she gets my hex number to validate i own the phone. Then puts me on hold says they will gladly replace the dock, but I need a receipt and Google payment will not be covered as an acceptable receipt. Ask to speak to a manager. Get put on hold for 25mins (most would hang up by now) Then a American speaking person picks up. He identifies himself as management.
He continues to explain that the policy for samsung states clearly any product must have a receipt to replace. He used the phrase "I must articulate that Samsung return policy states..." about 30 times. I then said you are telling me you do no honor your product. he said we do with a receipt. Back and forth several times, got no where. Ended up hanging up on him.
Moral of the story, if you buy off of ebay, your samsung warranty will not be covered for accessories.
I am highly irritated and amazed they would not honor their own product brand new out of a box because no receipt was with it.
Outcome: Even though the seller does not accept returns, I opened a case with ebay after he did not respond, and he is taking this one back and refunding me my money. So in the end it all worked out.

Honestly, I'm not surprised. With the amount of knock-off electronics products coming out of China, what's to keep people from getting an "OEM" dock off ebay that doesn't work, and getting it replaced with a genuine OEM dock via the warranty, costing Samsung thousands. By requiring a receipt, they can at least go back on the retail outlet you bought it from if they find that it isn't actually a genuine dock, but that's kind of hard to do with ebay.
Also, why didn't you contact the ebay seller about getting it replaced? That is the first thing I would have done, and if they wouldn't do anything, contact Samsung, and last option is dispute it via Paypal.

Yeah i have already contacted the seller and am waiting for a response. If i do not hear back by Friday i will open a dispute with ebay and paypal. His selling page clearly was false advertisement. But oh well it is always a chance you take when buying products off ebay. I am just glad i got it reasonably below retail cost.

Sucks to hear about your negative experience. You should always be careful in ebay and verify feedback and wording in the advertisement.
BTW American is not a language.

FDro said:
Sucks to hear about your negative experience. You should always be careful in ebay and verify feedback and wording in the advertisement.
BTW American is not a language.
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No but it is a dialect. So his statement is true.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Most warranties require the product to be purchased from an authorized retailer, and joe schmo on ebay isn't going to count...
Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

Photoshop my friend, learn to use it.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

Well even though the seller does not accept returns, I opened a case with ebay after he did not respond, and he is taking this one back and refunding me my money. So in the end it all worked out.

Good deal, glad it worked out for you!
Sent from my walkie talkie.

Yea if you buy though paypal and there is a dispute you'll get your money back 99% of the time. Paypal protects the buyers.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using XDA App

How reliable is Swappa.com?

Hey. I've been looking to sell a phone, and I've came across this site. How reliable is this site and are most sellers trustworthy?

bumpo

Swappa is really reliable. I haven't personally sold from it, but most of the sellers seem to be reliable and I've seen some who give their XDA usernames just in case the buyers have any questions.
Of course, there are some shoddy sellers, but that's a given with most sites.

fairly reliable....
most people use their facebooks or equiv. to log in so its rather easy to track. I've listed my previous devices there but to no luck. Its IMHO much easier to sell in forum MP's such as here or other android/computing/reddit forums.

stay away
i cant recommend it and will not buy another phone from it
bought a phone, it was delivered yesterday, seller who has a 7 day return policy, NFC feature doesnt work, and all she is doing is playing games, and hasnt sent me a return label yet
STAY WAY

for those of you who say buy from a seller with good history, i bought the phone from a seller who has 1500 sold listings, below is her reply regarding NFC not working:
"I just read about it. I'm not sure I see any good applications for it, but I'll send the label in the am"
am is over still no label from her and she did reply to my massage. amazing

Ive purchased from Swappa, and have had a good experience. As has been said before, make sure you are purchasing from a reliable seller. If you are making an international purchase, be sure to do your research on the customs laws in your location.
I purchased a Verizon LG G2 at a great price, knowing it works in international GSM markets and was not disappointed!

I just bought a note 3 through swappa. It is defective. Represented as Mint and like new.
Swappa is no help.
PayPal is probably going to be no help.
So it's a gamble.
I'd always buy NEW items and use my credit card on paypal if I ever do it again.
I'd rather use ebay, they at least do something on the buyer's behalf.
As it is I've got a phone that randomly boots about 10 times a day, and out hundreds of dollars.
Yeah, ebay is better for the buyer... and swappa charges the buyer for the privilege of getting shafted.
sent using mobile data only. no broadband in Rural America as was promised by both Presidents Bush & Obama.

I bought a RAZR HD Maxx (Unlocked BL) from swappa about 4 months ago and had a really great experience...the seller replied quickly to questions and shipped the device within a day or two. I cannot vouch for every seller on the site but FWIW I would use it again for sure.

Swappa is kind of hit or miss. There are lots of scams out there. It's actually pretty safe for the buyer as all you need to do is open a claim with paypal. If the buyer says the phone doesn't work but the seller says it does work paypal policy is to side with the buyer, pretty much no questions asked. The process takes time but you'll get your money back. Really not such a good deal for a seller, where you could sell a perfectly good device, the buyer tries to mod it, bricks the device then files a claim. The seller will be SOL with a broken device and no money.

BladeRunner said:
Swappa is kind of hit or miss. There are lots of scams out there. It's actually pretty safe for the buyer as all you need to do is open a claim with paypal. If the buyer says the phone doesn't work but the seller says it does work paypal policy is to side with the buyer, pretty much no questions asked. The process takes time but you'll get your money back. Really not such a good deal for a seller, where you could sell a perfectly good device, the buyer tries to mod it, bricks the device then files a claim. The seller will be SOL with a broken device and no money.
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Swappa is scamsite. I will never ever use it again. I was scammed by http://forum.xda-developers.com/member.php?u=3505755 He says that his identity been stolen and he didnt know that. Yeah sure. He was selling Nexus 6 but it is his current device somehow. Scum.

I don't know where to go but I recently bought a Samsung s5 paid 180$ but when I got it the phone was completely broken screen cracked to all hell and won't power on unlike the pictures submitted on swappa and I cant check the esn as it doesnt charge. Swappa told me to dispute it but seller insists he didn't send me that broken phone. Am I gonna be out all that money or what? Never had to dispute anything before

It's a definite risk. My first and only time trying to sell a phone resulted in the buyer getting a refund 3 or so weeks later. I believe he purchased the phone and swapped motherboard with a broken one and got a refund. Never again will I waste my time. I'll just let my phone die or give them away as it costs less.

My eBay experience (techno.trading.house)

Hi everyone,
I want to share my journey with the Z3, and the experience with buying from eBay, specifically from a seller, techno.trading.house (Steph, Ed). I bought two brand new Z3 (D6603)--a black one for myself, and a white one for my girlfriend. The order was smooth, and the phones came in pretty much brand new (open box though) with their plastic peel-screens on the glass, untouched. After using the two for a few hours, I noticed that my black one had a defective sensor (photo). The seller advertised "hassle-free" exchanges/refunds, so I reported the defect and had the black one exchanged right away.
After a week, the new one came, the same brand new (open box) condition as the previous phones. However, there was a slight manufacturing defect with the USB flap--it closes completely at a slant (photo). I spelled out the issue with the seller, and here was how it went:
SELLER: I'm sorry to hear that! We will certainly replace it for you, I believe that your phone would be damaged underwater if that or any other flap was not closed properly. (I also do strongly suggest to avoid wetting the phone just in case). Please return the phone to...
ME (after 2 days delivered to them): Hi, have you receive the package yet, and have you ship out the new phone?
SELLER: Your return has been received. If you had chosen to receive a replacement, it will be sent within 2 days. If you have opted for a refund, it will be issued within 24 hours minus applicable restocking fee.
ME: Do you have tracking info? Thanks!
SELLER: Our records indicate that we have already sent a replacement. You have reached out to us to let us know that the replacement has the same issue. In order to avoid another occurrence, we recommend that we proceed with a refund for this item. Please let us know if this is okay.
ME: Sorry, I am not sure what you are saying. Are you talking about the previous replacement or the 2nd replacement being shipped out? I am currently waiting for the 2nd replacement. You said "sure" on the second replacement last week.
SELLER: We are talking about the previous replacement. We believe since both- the original phone and the replacement phone- has had the same issue, that a refund might be best. Let us know if this is ok.
ME: That is not correct. First phone had a defective camera. Second one had a manufacturer defect on the flap. You agreed for the second exchange, so I am not sure why you are backing out now? I need the phone as I have been using an old dumb phone for work for a week already.
SELLER: I'm very sorry for the confusion. I just read back through the emails and you are indeed correct. We will have your replacement unit shipped today. Here is your tracking number. Again, I am sorry for the confusion. Have a great day!
ME: Thanks. I just hope the new one does not have any defect--I will be checking it. If it's not shipped out yet, anyway you can inspect these? Thank you.
SELLER: Hello, Not a problem.
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So the 2nd replacement came (third phone), and the phone came in a used/open condition. There were no plastic peel-screens on either side of the glass and the USB wire was laying in there without its plastic wrappers. I knew immediately this was used, so I began close inspection of the phone. I found that the power button had a noticeable dent on one side, as if it was dropped on a table before. At this point, I don't know what to do with the phone. I have summoned the seller to see what they plan to do with this situation.
It appears that the seller recycles their returned phones and try to sell them as new, or whatever it is. I am extremely disappointed with this seller, and I want others to know so they may not fall into the same trap.
I checked the current feedback, and it appears someone had the same situation (photo). Go figure!

To me this sounds like a fair seller and a picky buyer. 832 positive reviews and 6 negative ones in a month is a ratio I would buy at if I wanted to save a hundred bucks by buying without factory warranty.

It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.

abhinav.tella said:
It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.
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remember me?
I'm sorry to hear that. It was really a frustrating moment you went through. If I were you I would probably be really angry.
If you want, just buy it from Sony store. I got mine and it's perfect so far (except some cosmetic minor faults).

I bought two phones directly from the same seller. The price was cheaper on their own site vs eBay or Amazon. Both phones are perfect. They came in non sealed boxes. I've got no complaints.

android404 said:
To me this sounds like a fair seller and a picky buyer. 832 positive reviews and 6 negative ones in a month is a ratio I would buy at if I wanted to save a hundred bucks by buying without factory warranty.
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I may be a picky buyer, but who wouldn't be when you receive a defective product, and even worse when you get a used one on your third one. Feedbacks mean jack when you are on the short end. They are only good for initial decision about the seller, hence I trust them like you would too.
abhinav.tella said:
It could have been an honest mistake. I doubt he purposely gave you an opened one, just work with him to solve the problem. eBay is much harder on sellers than buyers and he would ruin his reputation if he did it on purpose. Looking at his rating I would say it was an honest mistake.
I understand if he wants to refund you, he is just trying to cut his losses. At the same time it was your misfortune to get a bad device/s. Since this phone is known for cosmetic/other issues as its in early production you are better of buying from Sony/carrier making replacement easier.
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I hope you are right on the honest mistake.
bluesky2111 said:
remember me?
I'm sorry to hear that. It was really a frustrating moment you went through. If I were you I would probably be really angry.
If you want, just buy it from Sony store. I got mine and it's perfect so far (except some cosmetic minor faults).
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Yeah, I really regret not buying from Sony store, or even T-Mobile here. At this point, I might just say screw it, keep the phone, and move on with my life. Maybe the Z4 will entice me in few months. :good:

I purchased 3 different Z3 D6603 from Techno Trading, Never-MSRP, and Sony Direct all off ebay.
Techno Trading shipping a Central America version of the D6603 (White) to me and it had no seals whatsoever on the box (US Charger). This model would not show LTE indicator until I flashed a generic TFT. Booting with Encryption shows the Pin Entry text in Spanish but quickly changes to English. Seller Feedack: Shipped very quickly but using subpar shipping materials. Shipped from Miami.
Never-MSRP shipped a Central Europe version of the D6603 (Copper) to me and it HAD seals on the box but also included a Sony Screen Protector (Non-US Charger). This model had the LTE indicator from start. Booting with Encryption shows the Pin Entry text in English. Seller Feedback: Shipped same day and was packaged very well. Unfortunately, they are located in Houston so I had to pay tax.
Sony Direct shipped a Generic North American model of the D6603 (Green) to me. This one had seals on the box but didn't include the Screen Protector. LTE shows from start and includes a US Charger. Plastic on the front and back of phone is totally different than the other two. Its hard to describe but the other phones came with a very very thin plastic protector. This model shipped with much thicker protectors on front and back (still meant to be removed because they have tabs on the side). Additionally, the other two phones were inside a cellophane bag but the this model was not in cellophane. Shipped from Sony in Romeoville IL. Shipped within two hours of purchase using FedEx for free. Unfortunately, Sony charges tax everywhere. Packaged well but not great.
My point...
Sony packages models different based on their intended destination. It might not be that you ever got "open box" devices but rather they were intended for an area which Sony (for whatever reason) chose not to use seals.

mwep said:
My point...
Sony packages models different based on their intended destination. It might not be that you ever got "open box" devices but rather they were intended for an area which Sony (for whatever reason) chose not to use seals.
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That is interesting. Before buying from techno, I bought a white one from tropical_mobile (in which I sold quickly due to being D6653), who stated they were located in Tennessee, but shipped from Singapore. However, the phone was sealed with two white rounded "sealed" stickers on the box. The phone also was sealed in a clear plastic slip and had protective screens on both sides.
This whole Z3 deal has been pretty bad luck for me. Maybe it is not meant to be. But good news--the seller techno.trading.house got back to me, and is willing to refund me $20 for the dented power button, or do another replacement. I'm planning to take the refund, and live with it as I am sick of all the exchanges. Who knows, the replacement might have even weirder issues.

If you spend $500 plus on an item, you the buyer, have every right on this planet to be as picky as you like.
Nobody has to settle for anything less than perfection.
So no, you don't have to accept a defective camera, or flap or indeed a previously returned phone.
As I mentioned before but was lambasted in another thread, Sony may be using premium materials, but they are certainly not using premium construction. Not when some people have to go through six boxes in store to find a unit without light bleed and gaps.
I myself had two exchanges within the first two weeks. My first unit was simply not waterproof and had a leaky flap and my second one didn't charge on the magnetic dock and now I have light bleed but no energy to fight it anymore.
It's almost as bad as an iPhone. All my iPhone friends have had multiple exchanges... Some as many as 5 in a year.
Sent from my D6603 using XDA Free mobile app

More recent feedbacks to prove my point.

stop accepting being called a picky buyer.... ur paying top dollar for the phone, that said u should receive a product good for the purpose, if the camera doesn't work its not good
if the phone isnt water proof it isnt good
if there is a dent in the design it should state it before being bought. so it's not the buyer nor seller (purposely) its a unlucky sale.

I purchased mine at t-mobile. I paid 100% upfront despite being with t-mobile and they unlock it on the spot. When I registered with Xperia Care (sonymobiles product registration) I entered my IMEI and it has till Oct 2016 on warranty.
However on the 2nd day of owning the device The bottom speaker stopped working and was making a static noise. I went to my t-mo store I purchased it and they swapped it out. I didn't even pay a restocking fee. The manager said as long as I get the same phone and since I bought it back so promptly that he would just swap a new one. This one has been perfect since. Sometimes the convenience of having a store near by is better than having to deal with shipping my phone back and forth!
Alot of people dont want the tmobile Bloatwear but like I said, 32 GB + Local customer support outweight > No bloatwear & 16 Gig with mail in issues. (since i have no sony store near by, id still have to mail in for repairs and exchanges)

Me too, I'm glad I bought it from TMO with an EIP, exchanged mine 3 times on my 4th now, no hassles or fees.

Is Repairs Universe a trustworthy site?

I am repairing a Nexus 6 for a friend and figured I would replace the aging battery as well. I contacted Motorola and Google for two painful hours only to be told there is no way they can get me an OEM battery. I have bought "OEM" batteries on eBay in the past and quickly learned that there are more low quality fakes than legitimate OEM batteries there. I came across the site "Repairs Universe" which seems legitimate. They claim to have only OEM parts, and reviews from various sites were mostly good. Some sites praising Repairs Universe, a few slamming it. I placed an order for the battery and received it today. The battery is shaped the same, though the writing on it is completely different and basically generic (model number, caution information, mAh) and lacking any kind of branding. I called Repairs Universe only to get a message about it being faster to contact them online, and then an eventual beep. It was a voicemail! I called again later and actually got a person. He said that all of their products are "OEM compliant" not OEM. He told me this just means it has the same specifications as the original part. This seems obvious to me, as anything would be compliant so long as its the same shape and size.
Obviously, I'm confused. I'm not sure if this is a good, honest company or not. Mainly, I'm worried that my battery could be a knock-off and catch fire or swell up. I can't find it anywhere else however so this is my only option aside from just using the aging original battery. The company does offer a 30 day guarantee, but only for the battery; if it explodes and takes the phone and my friend's hand out with it, they'll refund me 22 bucks...if it happens within the first 30 days.
Does anyone have any experience with this site, specifically, their batteries? I'm not looking for other sites (not yet, only once we figure out what the general consenses of Repairs Universe is.)
Thank you!!

I actually got my answer. I've been testing the battery for a week and it lasts half as long as the original which is almost two years old. I contacted them about it, and they told me I could return it, but I'd have to pay for return shipping plus would not be refunded the original shipping. Once the return is all said and done, I'll have gotten $4 back from the $22 I spent.
Don't shop with them! Turns out OEM and OEM compliant are not the same quality at all.

I know this post is old, but I wanted to share my experience with this company to make others aware. Yes, they provide repair tutorials and whatnot, in my opinion to encourage people to buy from them and it worked for me. I trusted them to send me a replacement for my phone screen. I had performed the same repair on my husband's phone a few years earlier with no problems (Samsung Note 8). The screen they sent did not work out of the box. That's beside the point, though. I did as their website said and sent it back at my expense, no big deal. I trusted them to send a replacement. Nope, they said it was my fault and kept my money AND the phone screen. I again did as their website said and immediately requested for them to send me the defective part back. Email was ignored, even though it went through, so they did not do as their site states. We're talking over $200. In the meantime, the battery replacement I had purchased from them and installed in my husband's phone not 3 mos prior to this, swelled and fried his motherboard. I had to buy another motherboard off of Ebay to fix that. Just wanted to share my experience.
One more thing, I have all the documentation to back this up. Please be aware of Repairs Universe. Make sure you closely read their terms and conditions if you do decide to purchase from them. They hide behind that and make it impossible to return or exchange something.