Unsatisfied buyer - need advice

[mysticaxe]

So I sold my hotplate on Craigslist the other night. About an hour after the buyer got home, he told me that the pot that goes from -16 to infinity is a little scratchy over part of the range, making it defective, and is asking for a full refund. I did tell him that I didn't know of any scratchy pots prior to the sale, which I do feel bad about (if the pot is indeed bad).

I suggested he hit it with contact cleaner and see if that resolves the issue, but he has refused and insists on a refund. I offered him $20 for his trouble to get the part fixed or replaced, but said that as a condition of a full refund, I wanted to hook it up and check the scratch and whether contact cleaner would fix it. He still refuses and wants his money back.

I'm wondering whether it is just a case of buyers remorse and he's hanging his hat on a little bit of noise on part of the sweep of a pot that is IMO past the usable range of the unit - I never attenuate that far and wouldn't know whether the pot had any issues. I also thought I remembered that, when sweeping that pot, the act of varying attenuation did cause some noise in a different hotplate that I had a few years ago.

So, what would you do?

 

[Mudder]

I would have him pay to ship it back to me, once I receive it then I'd refund him his money less shipping.

 

[mysticaxe]

I would have him pay to ship it back to me, once I receive it then I'd refund him his money less shipping.

It was a local deal, so there would be no shipping involved.

 

[ratter]

I would have him pay to ship it back to me, once I receive it then I'd refund him his money less shipping.

Sounds like a good idea. I've taken some things back and eaten some dubious repair costs over the years. It's not worth risking your reputation as a seller to argue with a buyer even if the buyer is wrong. Especially on a small-ticket item. IMO.

Just saw that it was a local deal. Refund. Check out the pot situation, relist. Wash your hands of him.

 

[Slaytallica]

I would just give him the refund especially if he's local, who knows what kind of creep he could turn out to be.

Signed!!

Unless he doesn't know your full name and address than screw em.




JK

give the guy his money back, re-list and sell it again.

 

[degenaro]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

 

['63-Strat]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Nice, buyer's remorse pwnt.

 

[Digital Jams]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Ed OWNS!

 

[Anonymous]

It is clear to me that the guy just wants his money back and that there is nothing wrong with the Hotplate. Maybe his wife told him he can't have it and that he needs to get his money back, who knows? My procedure in these cases is to refund the money once I verify that the item is in the condition I sold it in. The customer is always right (IMO), even when they are wrong...

Steve

 

[mysticaxe]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Ed, you rule. I quoted this in an e-mail response to the guy. I will PM you his e-mail address.

Thank you.

I guess that adds a second question - if someone has buyer's remorse, would you refund their money?

 

[Mokaccino]

Who, in the name of God, uses a Hotplate @ -16?

Tone is awful at that level.

 

[degenaro]

Who, in the name of God, uses a Hotplate @ -16?

Tone is awful at that level.

Lets see... I do, as well as Paul Gilbert.

 

[mysticaxe]

Who, in the name of God, uses a Hotplate @ -16?

Tone is awful at that level.

Between -16 and infinity! My question is who changes the load on the fly to where a scratchy pot would be an issue???

 

[degenaro]

Who, in the name of God, uses a Hotplate @ -16?

Tone is awful at that level.

Between -16 and infinity! My question is who changes the load on the fly to where a scratchy pot would be an issue???

Well a scratchy pot can be annoying, but when it scratches only when in motion it really isn't that big a deal...

 

[chakosh]

In a live setting I have used the HotPlate as a volume boost when using my Purple People Eater (100W Marshall)... I had it set on -8 dB and would jump back real quick for solos and put it at -4. Worked ok, but definitely not the intended use.

After reading Ed's post, I'd tell him to GTFO.

 

[mysticaxe]

Who, in the name of God, uses a Hotplate @ -16?

Tone is awful at that level.

Between -16 and infinity! My question is who changes the load on the fly to where a scratchy pot would be an issue???

Well a scratchy pot can be annoying, but when it scratches only when in motion it really isn't that big a deal...

That was what I tried to explain to him.

 

[Anonymous]

I guess that adds a second question - if someone has buyer's remorse, would you refund their money?

My answer to this is that it is irrelevant because no one having buyer's remorse is gonna tell you they do. They are gonna make up some other semi-legit reason for getting their money back. Bottom line is that I always refund no matter what the reason if the request is made quickly...

Steve

 

[JTyson]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Wow, did not know you could not spray those with contact cleaner. Why not?

 

[degenaro]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Wow, did not know you could not spray those with contact cleaner. Why not?

Because it won't do any good.

 

[JTyson]

Have him e-mail me. ed AT thdelectronics.com the continous ontrol is a rheostat (a wire wound pot), so in motion it HAS to be scratchy simply because you drag the contact across the rails of the wound wire, in other words onoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoffonoff so to say...
Nothing defective. And do NOT spray it with contact cleaner!

Wow, did not know you could not spray those with contact cleaner. Why not?

Because it won't do any good.