"To be tested": who is right in case of a dispute?
Summary: The discussion focuses on the issue of complaints regarding "to be tested" products. Several participants, including magic.cool, ortofantastico, and sika700, interacted without making a definitive resolution to the issue clear.
Hello everyone!
For some time now, listings for used equipment have been circulating, but with “untested” specified, e.g. this one:
https://www.ebay.it/itm/176069550160
Now, apart from the fact that the user, under another account, has the same item for sale in another auction (oh well...), the description says that they cannot guarantee it works: “NOT tested (due to lack of 5-pin connection cable”.
As a side note, the 5-pin cable would only be needed for remote control and therefore has no effect on proper operation...
In the event of a purchase (and obviously the unit did not work), who would eBay side with?
The unwary buyer (because they bought an item sold as “used” but theoretically working) or the seller (who stated the item was “untested”)
Thanks everyone and greetings to the community!
daxsisko
·1 year agoit seems to me that the eBay rules are clear: an item listed with the condition “used” must be in “good working order”: putting “not tested” in the description is pretty much meaningless....... so the seller who uses these terms does so at their own risk.....
ortofantastico
·1 year agowe don't have differing opinions, even I, if you reread it, state that for me the non-tested status has no influence on the functionality, and I tell you that the description should be: "not working for spare parts", only that I point out that it's just my opinion and as such I take it cautiously, while sika700 compared to me is "a monster" and experience has given him more certainties than I, on the other hand, still need to acquire.
heavenwelkin
·1 year agoThe seller who sells the item as TO BE TESTED could, and I say COULD, be an honest seller who sells in quantity and, due to lack of time, desire, or something else, puts the wording "to be tested", or they could be a user who tested the item, found problems, and therefore can't sell it as 100% working, while still trying to make the maximum profit by LEVERAGING factors unrelated to the item for sale, such as HOPE.
There's a difference between selling an item as not working / for repair / for parts
and
selling the same item as TO BE TESTED.
In the second case you have a better chance of selling the item and making a bigger profit from it.
If you can, try to find out more about the seller, look at the items they sell and have sold, check their feedback too, even the positive ones where buyers may point out some downside.
Also check the sale price because usually sneaky sellers still keep the prices high and don't slash the prices on their items.
Anyway, from experience I can tell you that in most cases you get ripped off.
mocer-75
·1 year agoIt's quite obvious that it's as you say, namely someone who's trying it on...
What, in my opinion, is binding is the condition stated on eBay, as the good sika700 replied to you.
On the other hand, to avoid any possible hassle, I'd do as ortiurbani suggests and avoid buying things “to test” altogether unless you're aware that they will then not be 99% working.
magic.cool
OP1 year agoThanks to those who replied!
But I need to make a few clarifications:
- The listing I posted was just for reference, I'm not interested in the item: the whole “TO BE TESTED” thing also applies to many other auctions on the platform.
- The seller's excuse (I don't have the cable, etc.) is completely unfounded: the device should work perfectly even without it. I've seen, for example, monitors sold as “TO BE TESTED” with similar excuses...
- The obvious doubt, then, is that these items are NOT WORKING but are sold with the note “TO BE TESTED” to pass them off as “used” and therefore, inherently fit for the purpose for which they are sold but which, in practice, are to be thrown into e-waste.
In light of this, I still see mixed opinions: some say the description is just a side note (?) and others, like the excellent Sika, would agree with me in saying that such a clause (TO BE TESTED) is highly uncertain and can be challenged in the event of a dispute.
Thanks again to everyone and best wishes!
ortofantastico
·1 year agoanyway, given the latest feedback, I’d personally leave it alone to avoid a headache.
sika700
·1 year agoHello,
if you buy an item described as "Used" and, for you, the item is not as described, whatever was written is irrelevant.
Different if it states that the item is "For parts or not working".
In this specific case, the seller simply describes it as Used, so if it is not working or not as described you can return it.
Best regards.
ortofantastico
·1 year agoin my personal opinion tested or not tested has no value on the object's functionality. Otherwise put non-working for spare parts or another wording as per ebay tables https://www.ebay.it/help/selling/listings/creating-managing-listings/item-conditions-category?id=4765 then it's just my opinion