First of all, Merry Christmas! Secondly, Help! The major purchase for Connor and Logan was done on Ebay and doesn't work. We bought them a PS3 and got it from a seller with 100's of transactions, a 100% rating and it appeared to be new in the box. We used Paypal and sent the seller an email already trying to resolve the problem so we're off to a good start on our own. The problem is that the PS3 doesn't work. It doesn't read a disc, and after updating the software, nothing, nada, zilch. I've since gone on line and noticed a slew of complaints about PS3's not working and not noticing the disc at all. From what I've seen, it seems to be a common problem and costs about $150 to fix. (Half the price of the unit!)
So here's where you can help, can you advise me on any tips to resolve this problem? Any Ebay, Paypal tips and as a second option if the whole Ebay deal doesn't work out (Oh, I dread that thought...) any help on where to get a PS3 fixed.....Merry Christmas, I have to remind myself, it's not about the gifts, it's about the giver of the gifts. Any help would be appreciated!
Hey Pastor Rob, so sorry to hear about your PS3 issue! What bad timing huh?
I know that you are protected in several ways if you used PayPal to pay for something on eBay. Contacting the seller was the first thing to do but if you haven't already, also go to the eBay resolution page here:
http://pages.ebay.com/securitycenter/index.html
and choose the "Resolve a Problem" button. Then follow the steps and choose "I received an item that didn't match the seller's description" (i.e. a working unit).
I would also look up the original item page and print out all of it. Sometimes there will be a return policy that might favor you and I've heard of sellers going back in and changing their terms in a situation like this. You want to have proof of what the original ad said.
Bottom line is that you certainly want to give the seller the opportunity to respond and resolve the problem for you but it pays to be proactive and get the ball rolling in case they are uncooperative. Because of the holidays it may be a while to hear from someone especially if they are a retailer.
If the buyer is at 100% feedback then they are usually an honest person who will genuinely try to fix the problem. The reality is that in the best case scenario, it may be weeks before you get a working unit. I don't know if it's an option but buying another one retail and then selling the repaired/replaced unit when you get it back might be an idea? You might be out a few more dollars but it would get you (the boys) going now.
Feel free to email me if I can help further.
Hope this helps some!
Jeff Hathaway
Posted by: Jeff Hathaway | December 25, 2009 at 10:30 AM
As long as this is a legit seller it shouldn't be too hard to have this resolved. Specially if the seller has good ratings and tons of transactions. Trying to contact the seller is definitely the first step, then depending on his reaction you might have to contact eBay or Paypal...Many sellers have return policies too, did you check if the item had a return policy?
Posted by: Leo | December 25, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Yes, you are off to a good start in contacting him through Paypal. At this point the ball is in his court (its a basketball analogy) if you don't hear from him in a day or two I would recommend filing a complaint with Paypal, they usually side in favor of the buyer. The bottom line is since you payed with Paypal the item is covered, is just a matter of how long it will take to get resolved.
Posted by: Tom Poch | December 25, 2009 at 12:11 PM
Here's an update. The guy we got it from has been in contact woth us and sent us a copy of the original receipt so we're moving forward. He got it at Wal-Mart for $80 less than we bid and our bid was a really good price! So we're trying to see if a return can be done or if Sony will cover it. Thanks for your help.
Posted by: Pastor Rob | December 25, 2009 at 03:44 PM
According to a good friend of mine who is a manager at the Apple Valley store; as long as the copy of original receipt shows the transaction # (either above or below the barcode) clearly, Customer Service shouldn't have a problem doing an exchange with the copied receipt.
He also mentioned making sure the serial number on the receipt, box and PS3 itself all match.
He didn't think you'd have any problems doing an exchange if you had all of that information.
Posted by: Matt Shiek | December 25, 2009 at 10:26 PM