Opinions on private after-sales electronics support

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Mehrts

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#280594 27-Dec-2020 10:27

Morning fellow Geeks,

I'm after your thoughts and opinions on what (if any) after-sales support you'd provide after privately selling an electronics item, and then the buyer says that it no longer works.

Background:

Back in October, I sold a PSVR setup on Trademe which was in full working order at the time. I had it couriered it to the buyers address.
Fast forward to Yesterday (Boxing Day), and I receive an email from them saying that they gave it to their kids as a Christmas present, and that it worked for 30mins and then turned off, never to turn on again.

I replied with some basic fault-finding steps in order to make sure it wasn't something basic. I suggested the power supply might have died too.

This morning, I receive another email from them asking if I could cover the cost of a new power supply, or if I could refund their money if they return the PSVR to me.

I'm of the opinion that it's a second-hand electronics item, which can die at any point in time, and it shouldn't be my issue since it was working when they bought it. I also don't know why they wouldn't have made sure everything was in working condition as soon as they received it back in October 🤷‍♂️

I also feel a bit bad for them since it was a Christmas gift to their kids, and it's unfortunate that they couldn't get much use out of it.

tripp

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#2627116 27-Dec-2020 10:32

You're not a shop. It's a private sale. You have no idea if they used it before giving it to their kids (i.e. are they just saying they gave it to xmas so it did not sound like they have been using it). It was working when you sent it and was working when they first used it.

SirHumphreyAppleby

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#2627128 27-Dec-2020 10:59

Mehrts: what (if any) after-sales support you'd provide after privately selling an electronics item, and then the buyer says that it no longer works.

Nil.

I say nil, because that's the extent of my obligations, but in reality I would probably assist with basic fault finding as you did. Beyond that, they're on their own. The only exception would be if you sold the item with a known or suspected flaw and did not disclose it.

driller2000

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#2627133 27-Dec-2020 11:19

As a private sale you have limited obligations to the buyer.

Doesn't mean you cant refund them if you want to - but you also can't be certain that they haven't broken it either...

So yeah - tough for them I guess....

https://www.consumerprotection.govt.nz/general-help/ways-to-buy-and-pay/private-sales-and-second-hand-goods/

sleemanj

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#2627142 27-Dec-2020 11:49

You have no obligation, not only was it a private sale, but it's months ago.

A quick google indicates that there are a few common problems with these things, overheating, bad connections, fan failures, I'd send them some google links, some people are not good at googling to solve problems.

Now, I'm pretty soft, and could afford to so personally if I was reasonably convinced they were not pulling a fast one, I might come to the party and accept a return for at least a partial refund because of the sob story.

---
James Sleeman
I sell lots of stuff for electronic enthusiasts...

Mehrts

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#2627146 27-Dec-2020 12:06

Thanks for the responses, they're resonating with my thoughts as well.

I'll politely get back to them saying that while I'm sorry they couldn't get much use out of it, I won't be accepting any responsibility that it has failed. The Trademe feedback time period has expired as well, so they can't go posting bad feedback if they're that way inclined.

Cheers.

esawers

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#2627149 27-Dec-2020 12:46

Slightly off topic but I purchased a second hand Lenovo Yoga laptop for my son for school next year, 2 months ago.

It came with a 3 month warranty, gave it to him on Christmas Day and it has intermittent graphics problems (something to do with the lcd cable being too tight). I’m lucky it was still (just) within the 3 month warranty as we had turned it on when it arrived then it sat waiting for Christmas Day.

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Zorg2000

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#2627157 27-Dec-2020 14:45

I was on the receiving end of something similar when I purchased a 2nd hand paint sprayer from trademe. I tested it with water when we got it home and it appeared to work but about 1 month later due to the weather when we went to paint the fence (what we originally purchased it for) it was leaking paint badly. I took it to a repair shop and they said it was non repairable (wouldn’t even put it back together as it might be a fire risk with solvent based paints). I contacted the seller and after a bit of back and forward we settled on a 50% refund. I offered to send it back to them with the repair report but they didn’t want it back.

You are correct that there is no obligation for a refund in these situations.

gehenna

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#2627184 27-Dec-2020 16:02

If you do decide to refund, make them send it back to you.

Rikkitic

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#2627205 27-Dec-2020 17:14

My 2 cents? You have no obligation to the buyer but if it was me, and they were decent about it, I would probably offer a 50% refund to share the pain. Nobody's fault they had bad luck, so why not go halves on it just to be kind?

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Linux

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#2627206 27-Dec-2020 17:23

If they wanted a warranty they should of purchased from a retailer

Quinny

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#2627233 27-Dec-2020 19:01

I normally will do 3 months if a private sale to a friend (don't sell on Trade Me). But October to now, no. Unless they said is a gift and putting away they had plenty of time to test it.

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Mehrts

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#2627313 28-Dec-2020 10:01

Linux: If they wanted a warranty they should of purchased from a retailer

Exactly this.

It's not my fault they didn't research the prices of new VR units, because if they did, then I'm sure they wouldn't have paid as much as they did for a second-hand unit.

For not much more, they could have purchased a new one complete with warranty.

Stu1

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#2627323 28-Dec-2020 11:03

It also depends on how you described the goods when you sold them, if you said they were in good quality and it fails on the first day they use it then they could take you to the disputes tribunal. I would be p** as well as the buyer purchasing something that breaks after 30 mins and would be wanting a refund as well as the good are not as described. The family obviously brought it for a Christmas gift so of course wouldn’t use it till then, they may of tested it when it first arrived and thought it works fine. I would personally just get them to send it back the pay for postage and refund

Mehrts

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#2627459 28-Dec-2020 17:01

I described the item as in very new condition but clearly used, because I'd only used it for a few hours in total myself, and cosmetically there were no scratches or marks etc. I think that was an accurate description given that it was all working when it left me.

Electronics can die at any point in time, and if they had tested it all out at the time of receiving it after purchase and it crapped out, or if it wasn't working at all when they tried to use it, then I'd be more on their side to help out, or meet halfway etc.

Since they've left it for two months before trying it out, anything could have happened in that time. Even the courier trip might have caused the fault for all I know.

It sucks to hear that it was for their kids' Christmas present, but if they wanted to avoid disappointment, they could have bought a new one.

As always with second-hand purchases, caveat emptor stands true.

1024kb

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#2627701 29-Dec-2020 11:59

Linux: If they wanted a warranty they should of purchased from a retailer

Should have, not should of. Modal verbs are never immediately followed by the preposition of.

If in doubt, remove the modal verb from the sentence (should, would, could, might, will, shall, can & must are the modal verbs) & see if it makes sense. So:

....warranty they of purchased from a retailer - nope, doesn’t work and therefore is wrong.

vs

....warranty they have purchased from a retailer - yes, that works & is correct.

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