Not much to say, really, it's pretty straightforward...

Per the eBay rules (Computers/Tablets & Networking, Electronics):
"Used: The item was previously used. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but it is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that was used. See the seller's listing for full details and a description of any imperfections"

If the item is faulty (i.e. not fully operational & functioning as intended), you can easily open an "Item not as described" case, which you will undoubtedly win - even if the seller has written all kinds of idiotic sentences like "Refunds not accepted", "You buy this item at your own risk", etc. If he wants to sell a faulty item, then he should sell it as "For parts or not working" (and, even then, you could still manage to get a refund in some specific situations, but that's a whole different topic).

Make sure that you properly describe the problem (and depending on the situation, add photos if necessary). If, after you opened the case, the seller refuses to refund and take the item back (for which he must pay the return shipping, btw), after ~ 3 - 5 days you can escalate and eBay will issue a full refund.

In situations like this, I respond to the seller with the problem and all of the diagnostics I attempted to resolve the situations. I DO NOT trash the seller.

95% of the time, I get the money refunded completely right away; usually they don't want the item back. 4% the seller suggests some things to try and then refunds the money when all else fails; sometimes they want the item back. 0.5% seller doesn't respond at all, and the last 0.5% seller gives me a hard time; both of these situations result in my favor through the eBay escalation process. Unless it's International, eBay makes you return the item at the seller's expense.

Above all, don't be a jerk. Maintain cordiality throughout the process and the results will take care of themselves.

If it is listed as used but fully functional and I receive a dead or unusable product, of course I return it. Paying money to receive the product as described is part of the contract.

Every once in a while, like two weeks ago, I run into a seller who is a jerk and points out their policy of "no returns". I received a SCSI CD-ROM that was stone dead and wouldn't be recognized by any PC I have. The seller kept the case open for a week and a half arguing with me about it, saying there's no possible way it doesn't work. I posted tons of pictures showing how it wasn't seen in the SCSI chain, showed my jumper settings, showed it in multiple computers, showed trying it with brand new cables, etc. Finally I got him to refund me and I sent it back. I kept my cool the whole time though, and remained professional about it. I block sellers like that when I come across them because I don't want to deal with the type of seller who probably just grabs scrap stuff from ewaste and plops it onto their Ebay store untested but claims it was "pulled from a working system".

wiretap wrote on 2023-06-04, 02:12:

If it is listed as used but fully functional and I receive a dead or unusable product, of course I return it. Paying money to receive the product as described is part of the contract.

Every once in a while, like two weeks ago, I run into a seller who is a jerk and points out their policy of "no returns". I received a SCSI CD-ROM that was stone dead and wouldn't be recognized by any PC I have. The seller kept the case open for a week and a half arguing with me about it, saying there's no possible way it doesn't work. I posted tons of pictures showing how it wasn't seen in the SCSI chain, showed my jumper settings, showed it in multiple computers, showed trying it with brand new cables, etc. Finally I got him to refund me and I sent it back. I kept my cool the whole time though, and remained professional about it. I block sellers like that when I come across them because I don't want to deal with the type of seller who probably just grabs scrap stuff from ewaste and plops it onto their Ebay store untested but claims it was "pulled from a working system".

Off topic, but I just learned (thanks to a tip in another forum) that the NEC SCSI-CD I thought was dead with the same issues you have described - turns out it doesn't support parity. When the fellow disabled parity on the HBA it worked! Something else to try, if you haven't already.

Worth to be mentioned that when you can't get a refund via eBay you can still get it by opening case via PayPal (for those who pay with PayPal).

Meatball wrote on 2023-06-04, 02:35:

wiretap wrote on 2023-06-04, 02:12:

If it is listed as used but fully functional and I receive a dead or unusable product, of course I return it. Paying money to receive the product as described is part of the contract.

Every once in a while, like two weeks ago, I run into a seller who is a jerk and points out their policy of "no returns". I received a SCSI CD-ROM that was stone dead and wouldn't be recognized by any PC I have. The seller kept the case open for a week and a half arguing with me about it, saying there's no possible way it doesn't work. I posted tons of pictures showing how it wasn't seen in the SCSI chain, showed my jumper settings, showed it in multiple computers, showed trying it with brand new cables, etc. Finally I got him to refund me and I sent it back. I kept my cool the whole time though, and remained professional about it. I block sellers like that when I come across them because I don't want to deal with the type of seller who probably just grabs scrap stuff from ewaste and plops it onto their Ebay store untested but claims it was "pulled from a working system".

Off topic, but I just learned (thanks to a tip in another forum) that the NEC SCSI-CD I thought was dead with the same issues you have described - turns out it doesn't support parity. When the fellow disabled parity on the HBA it worked! Something else to try, if you haven't already.

Yep, tried that. It was just complely dead. No drive lights at power up, wouldn't even make a sound with hitting the eject button.

Ever had to open a not received case for a seller who is ghosting you ?

Just had to do this today, bought a NIB EVGA PSU nearly three weeks ago and the seller refused to provide any tracking or postage details and was ignoring any communication. Within 5 mins of opening a refund case the seller had provided both tracking and postage to eBay, yet was still ignoring my communication.

Funnily enough the posted date was today ..nearly three weeks after being paid in full.

I guess Ill get my PSU but how do you guys deal with sellers who do this ? Ignoring messages from customers just comes across as incredibly rude.

Is it common for sellers to simply ignore messaging from buyers ?

Trashbytes wrote on 2023-06-05, 01:23:

Ever had to open a not received case for a seller who is ghosting you ? […]
Show full quote

Ever had to open a not received case for a seller who is ghosting you ?

Just had to do this today, bought a NIB EVGA PSU nearly three weeks ago and the seller refused to provide any tracking or postage details and was ignoring any communication. Within 5 mins of opening a refund case the seller had provided both tracking and postage to eBay, yet was still ignoring my communication.

Funnily enough the posted date was today ..nearly three weeks after being paid in full.

I guess Ill get my PSU but how do you guys deal with sellers who do this ? Ignoring messages from customers just comes across as incredibly rude.

Is it common for sellers to simply ignore messaging from buyers ?

Normally, I select "I want a refund" and not "I still want the item." It's not common, but for the sellers which ignore communication, I almost never receive the item.

Even though tracking is submitted, it doesn't mean the item was actually dropped off at USPS/UPS. Check the level of service, first - Normally scammers ship First Class or Priority Flat Rate for items that are obviously over the weight limit (or size, for that matter, no power supply is going to fit in a flat rate envelope, heh!) If the level of service checks out, make sure you are checking on the USPS (UPS, etc.) website for activity. A lot of these kinds of sellers, if they do ship, still don't ship for several more days.

Whatever you do, DO NOT close the case until after you have the power supply and it works - and keep the case open for as long as eBay rules allow until you are completely satisfied. Make sure you escalate as soon as possible if tracking isn't updated, otherwise.

Good luck!

Meatball wrote on 2023-06-05, 02:01:

Normally, I select "I want a refund" and not "I still want the item." It's not common, but for the sellers which ignore communi […]
Show full quote

Trashbytes wrote on 2023-06-05, 01:23:

Ever had to open a not received case for a seller who is ghosting you ? […]
Show full quote

Ever had to open a not received case for a seller who is ghosting you ?

Just had to do this today, bought a NIB EVGA PSU nearly three weeks ago and the seller refused to provide any tracking or postage details and was ignoring any communication. Within 5 mins of opening a refund case the seller had provided both tracking and postage to eBay, yet was still ignoring my communication.

Funnily enough the posted date was today ..nearly three weeks after being paid in full.

I guess Ill get my PSU but how do you guys deal with sellers who do this ? Ignoring messages from customers just comes across as incredibly rude.

Is it common for sellers to simply ignore messaging from buyers ?

Normally, I select "I want a refund" and not "I still want the item." It's not common, but for the sellers which ignore communication, I almost never receive the item.

Even though tracking is submitted, it doesn't mean the item was actually dropped off at USPS/UPS. Check the level of service, first - Normally scammers ship First Class or Priority Flat Rate for items that are obviously over the weight limit (or size, for that matter, no power supply is going to fit in a flat rate envelope, heh!) If the level of service checks out, make sure you are checking on the USPS (UPS, etc.) website for activity. A lot of these kinds of sellers, if they do ship, still don't ship for several more days.

Whatever you do, DO NOT close the case until after you have the power supply and it works - and keep the case open for as long as eBay rules allow until you are completely satisfied. Make sure you escalate as soon as possible if tracking isn't updated, otherwise.

Good luck!

Im not in the US but will certainly keep the case open till it arrives and is tested, Aus Post tracking does say they have received the item, it does look like the seller only just sent it out today.

Hopefully its not just an empty box 🤣

So recently I've started selling a load of stuff on ebay, been buying stuff for years of course.

DOA Items.
If the item is marked as used the seller is taking the risk of DOA items, your entitled to a full refund even if marked as no returns but remember old hardware is going to fail eventually.
Take the approach it died in transit and not the seller is trying to rip you off.

Contact the seller first letting them know what troubleshooting steps you have tired.
This shows the seller your not an amateur that doesn't know how to use the part and they may have a suggestion that you didn't think of.
If your polite, something along the lines of I'm really sorry but I received xxx but it doesn't seem to work. I've tried .....
I've never had any trouble with refunds.
Not sure in other countries but in the UK the rules state seller needs to refund both the item and shipping costs (including returns)
I only found that out few months ago when I sold my first DOA item, not sure how long that has been the case. Dude got a bit upset when I said I would refund the cost of the item and left off shipping and pointed this out to me, but once I double checked and said yes he's right, I'm wrong and new to this he was very friendly even offering tips, etc now he knew I wasn't trying to rip him off.

Items in the spares/repair category are often simply untested. I put this in the heading but now the risk is on the buyer, items will always sell for less but it's a risk as no returns does mean no returns.

Partial refunds
I've only experienced as a buyer. I'll contact the Seller saying item works but xyz is wrong how do you want to proceed? The seller may give you a better deal then you were expecting. If its a worse deal then counter offer with your own or return it.

Missing Items
This is actually where I've had the most trouble both as seller and buyer.
As a buyer typically I contact the user 2-3 weeks after the items ETA. typically they refund no questions but it's been small value items.
Once I had to open a case from a part arriving from Canada as ebay's 30 day window was about to close. I had already messaged the seller so told him this is what I was doing and sure enough the package arrived within the week.
As a seller I've had 2 items go missing. I'm using eBay's tracked service from Evri so can quite clearly see the item hasn't arrived. Both times the buyer has contacted me first.
I'll reply letting them know I can confirm it's not arrived and going to open a case, pass on any updates I receive, then ultimately just have to refund the buyer, with Evri giving me at least a partial refund.

Hi everyone, thanks for all the great replies and feedback so far.

I have one more question... I'm dealing with another DOA Quadro card, a 900 XGL. The seller insists it was working before shipping, but it arrived inside plain white bubble wrap without an antistatic bag. Do you think I should use this to push for a full refund? Seller is asking me to ship the card back in exchange for a $100 refund, but my total out of pocket so far is $230.

I think I'm gonna stop buying high end cards on eBay for a while... it's too much hassle. 3 of 4 Quadro cards have been DOA.

Cosmic wrote on 2023-08-18, 17:11:

Hi everyone, thanks for all the great replies and feedback so far.

I have one more question... I'm dealing with another DOA Quadro card, a 900 XGL. The seller insists it was working before shipping, but it arrived inside plain white bubble wrap without an antistatic bag. Do you think I should use this to push for a full refund? Seller is asking me to ship the card back in exchange for a $100 refund, but my total out of pocket so far is $230.

I think I'm gonna stop buying high end cards on eBay for a while... it's too much hassle. 3 of 4 Quadro cards have been DOA.

Full refund. Stop talking with the seller and open a case.

Meatball wrote on 2023-08-18, 17:20:

Cosmic wrote on 2023-08-18, 17:11:

Hi everyone, thanks for all the great replies and feedback so far.

I have one more question... I'm dealing with another DOA Quadro card, a 900 XGL. The seller insists it was working before shipping, but it arrived inside plain white bubble wrap without an antistatic bag. Do you think I should use this to push for a full refund? Seller is asking me to ship the card back in exchange for a $100 refund, but my total out of pocket so far is $230.

I think I'm gonna stop buying high end cards on eBay for a while... it's too much hassle. 3 of 4 Quadro cards have been DOA.

Full refund. Stop talking with the seller and open a case.

Thanks Meatball. I think I just struggle with trying to be nice with sellers, haha. Everyone's experiences here are helping push me in the right direction as a buyer.

Cosmic wrote on 2023-08-18, 17:11:

Hi everyone, thanks for all the great replies and feedback so far.

I have one more question... I'm dealing with another DOA Quadro card, a 900 XGL. The seller insists it was working before shipping, but it arrived inside plain white bubble wrap without an antistatic bag. Do you think I should use this to push for a full refund? Seller is asking me to ship the card back in exchange for a $100 refund, but my total out of pocket so far is $230.

I think I'm gonna stop buying high end cards on eBay for a while... it's too much hassle. 3 of 4 Quadro cards have been DOA.

Well, in such cases there are several factors you have to take into account when considering what to do:

1. Whether the item was advertised as returnable or not.
2. Whether the item was advertised as New / Used or For Parts Only.
3. Whether there was a contributory negligence at your side.

If it is a returnable item which was sold as being in working condition and you also provided the seller with all needed information about how to package this item, then the answer is - of course to demand a full refund.

Meatball wrote on 2023-06-03, 18:15:

In situations like this, I respond to the seller with the problem and all of the diagnostics I attempted to resolve the situations. I DO NOT trash the seller.

95% of the time, I get the money refunded completely right away; usually they don't want the item back. 4% the seller suggests some things to try and then refunds the money when all else fails; sometimes they want the item back. 0.5% seller doesn't respond at all, and the last 0.5% seller gives me a hard time; both of these situations result in my favor through the eBay escalation process. Unless it's International, eBay makes you return the item at the seller's expense.

Above all, don't be a jerk. Maintain cordiality throughout the process and the results will take care of themselves.

It's amazing how many people don't realize that when dealing with customer service getting angry very rarely helps and very often hurts them in ways they're not informed about.

I only request a refund if the item is completely dead. But a very common case is: Buying something for cheap (< 20€) from a non-tech savvy seller, and you receive it and it's only half-working, but still usable / repairable. Then I usually keep it and deal with it. Mainly because I would not expect most sellers to have the knowledge to thoroughly test old hardware.

chinny22 wrote on 2023-06-05, 10:08:

So recently I've started selling a load of stuff on ebay, been buying stuff for years of course.
etc

+1 to all of that.

Doesn't matter about a no returns policy, that only really covers changes of mind: if it's defective and messaging the seller doesn't satisfy you, open a case with ebay. They usually want photos and you will need to describe the steps you took, but if you can't come to an amicable solution ebay will make a full refund and if the seller wants their item back they need to provide postage.