Square Trade warranties...anyone experienced

[Ron Temple]

I've got to decide today whether to exercise my option on a 2 year extended warranty through ebay vendor Square Trade. It looks too good to be true.

Anyone have any experience????

Thanks.

RT

[reeltrouble1]

My one experience was not good, but it is only one experience.

RT1

[Ron Temple]

Thanks RT

Can you explain?

Carver Repair wants $250 + to rebuild the TFM 35. I'm looking into other sources to fix this dirty channel. If the extended warranty is good, then I can take my time. If it's worthless, then I've got to play hardball with the seller.

[reeltrouble1]

A piece of gear did not work as promised when received, I had to jump through hoops sending things to e-bay/paypal, it stayed in the "investigation" stage for months, when I disputed the charge with my CC company another 30 days went by before I got in this case a refund, so it about 4 months all tole to settle.

I am of the opinion they sell the warranty to help make the deal, put you through there "procedure" to file the claim then pin any costs on the original seller. I am just to old to have to fool with all of it.

RT1
RT1

[Ron Temple]

I just got off the phone with a local repair shop. He tells me that since the amp is cutting off at half power the problem is probably transisters in the amp. He'd probably be less than Carver Repair, but only give a 90 day warranty. What to do?

I'm going to ask the seller for half a refund and see what he says, then decide on whether to go back through ebay/paypal.

It sounds like the Square Deal thing is garbage. The $35.00 wouldn't cover the diagnostic. The place would go broke on the first warranty claim. It sounds like you concur.

[univera]

Ron, what method did you use to pay? If you used Paypal and used a debit or credit card, you can really cause a problem for the seller if your credit card company has a chargeback protection. I, unfortunately, found this out as a seller myself. I have learned a great deal about this of late, so answer my inquiry and I can give you more info if it pertains.

[Ricardo]

I purchased a square trade warranty for a digital camera close to a year ago; I never received the policy that they said they would mail; at least 10 emails requesting them to send it and always get a different answer. I have not had any problem with the camera (knock on wood...), but I can just imagine the hassle to get service....was the seller eligible for Paypal buyer protection? I had a similar issue with a used Xbox that had a broken DVD tray; made the claim through Paypal and after a couple of weeks they decided on my favor; had to ship the Xbox back and am now waiting for refund.

[Ron Temple]

Ron, what method did you use to pay? If you used Paypal and used a debit or credit card, you can really cause a problem for the seller if your credit card company has a chargeback protection. I, unfortunately, found this out as a seller myself. I have learned a great deal about this of late, so answer my inquiry and I can give you more info if it pertains.Paypal/CC, but I don't know if I have chargeback protection on that card, don't use it very often.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Ron Temple]

I purchased a square trade warranty for a digital camera close to a year ago; I never received the policy that they said they would mail; at least 10 emails requesting them to send it and always get a different answer. I have not had any problem with the camera (knock on wood...), but I can just imagine the hassle to get service....was the seller eligible for Paypal buyer protection? I had a similar issue with a used Xbox that had a broken DVD tray; made the claim through Paypal and after a couple of weeks they decided on my favor; had to ship the Xbox back and am now waiting for refund.This is my 3rd purchase off of ebay, so I'm pretty ignorant. The seller is a Power Seller. The auction stated "very good condition", but also "as is". He's replied to a semi threatening email with a qualified "let's see what Carver says and take it from there"

This is what I wrote...

Well Gary,

The item arrived in good condition, but I've got some issues about it's utility. About 2 dbs down in the left channel, distortion seems to be inherent, since my current amp and ICs aren't giving me the same problem. I'm going to have to decide on the Square Deal offer or come back at you through ebay and paypal. "As is" when described in good condition means it works. I didn't pay below market...so we'll see. I've got some questions going out to Carver experts online. Hopefully, we'll both end up happy.

Ron
It looks like my options are to fix it...be out at least a couple hundred more and get a refund of some sort with this fella...or...contest payment through my CC/paypal and send the sucker back...if ebay/paypal approves that it's warranted.

Am I understanding correctly?

[univera]

Ron, if your company allows you to file a chargeback, you can really screw up the seller's account. When you file a chargeback with your CC company, they will in turn demand that Paypal refund the money until the CC can "resolve" the complaint. Paypal will in turn take the money from the seller. If the seller has already transferred the funds to his account, Paypal will take him into the negative. He will not be able to use his account until he replaces those funds.

If this guy sells reguarly, this will mess him up. The CC company can take I believe 80 days or so to respond and rule on the complaint. According to Paypal, most of the time, CC companies rule in favor of their clients (surprise.) I am currently waiting a situation out that was filed against me. The buyer, while nice enough, is wrong in his complaint, but I still may lose out. So...

First thing you should do is file a complaint through Paypal. Click on your "My Ebay" page and look down the left side until you see something that says "Dispute Console." Follow the links in order to file a complaint.

Secondly, if it were me, I would email the seller and tell him that you are planning on filing a complaint with your credit card company which could result in Paypal locking up his account. I would tell him that since you know this is a misunderstanding, you don't want to have this happen to him. Perhaps he will do the right thing. You may want to file the Paypal complaint first. If that doesn't work, go with the credit card chargeback if you can. The guy that did the chargeback on me had 4 months to do so and did it in the 4th month. He tried to previously file with Paypal, but it was past the 45 day window Paypal requires.

[univera]

Ron, post a link to the sale if you don't mind so I can read the listing. FYI, even if he says "As Is," chances are your company will find in your favor. Another option is asking for a partial refund and meeting half way on repair cost. Will he not just take it back? Tell him you will agree to help him get a refund on his listing and final value fees. All he has to do is file with Ebay and say that you both mutually agree to not fullfill the terms of the auction. Also, be prepared to eat the shipping cost since he isn't going to want to lose any money. The best you should hope for is refund of the item cost. I'd plan on paying for return shipping and eating the original shipping cost. I've been on both sides and know the routine.

[Ron Temple]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=006&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=160046834295&rd=1&rd=1

Thanks guys. This is what I love about this forum. You can get detailed help on just about any subject...

Take my wife...please.

univera,

Thanks much for your advice. I'd prefer to get compensation and have the amp repaired, but I'll go the return route, if that's the way this plays out. What a hassle though :(.

[MikeC78]

I would email the seller and tell him that you are planning on filing a complaint with your credit card company which could result in Paypal locking up his account.

I had to threaten an Ebay "Power Seller" in the past like this and it worked to my advantage. He sent me the funds very quickly!

[univera]

Ron, glad to help. I looked at the listing and have a few Ebay observations/suggestions. First of all, make sure you check a seller's feedback history. 97 or 98% isn't always a good rating, especially if the seller has a limited number of transactions. Over the course of hunderds and thousands, 98% isn't too bad. If they have negatives, read what they are for and see if they have a general theme. And, see if the seller responded politely to the negatives or acted like a jerk.

Secondly, look at the tone of the listing. I don't think this seller has a friendly demeanor. He tells you more about what he won't do than what he will do. I like warm and fuzzy when sending cold, hard cash, and if the seller sounds like an ass, he probably is.

Third, make sure to ask every possible question you can think of AHEAD of time. In his defense, he might think AS IS is alright and he states it clearly. He never says it works, although most human beings would assume so unless stated otherwise. I do agree that "AS IS" could be interpreted as working but no guarantees after shipment since shipping is unpredictable and it could just decide to break the day after you buy it. If it doesn't say that it works, ASK.

I looked at the other items he tends to sell, and my gut feeling is that he owns a pawnshop. Scuba gear, musical equipment, and A/V gear, mostly used. You have to be careful with these types of sellers as they tend to do high volume and may not take the time to check stuff out. That's why its always best to buy from someone who is currently using an item and is really into the gear. Your seller doesn't likely know a thing about it other that what he got off the web.

Bottom line: Take a good look at all these factors and get a good feeling about the type of business they run. Just because one is a Power Seller does not mean a thing. I have seen PS's with thousands of feedbacks and hundreds of negatives. They do such huge volumes of business that their rating still stays high enough to meet PS requirements. And, I believe, Ebay has to review an account or have a complaint filed in order to take action. Many people just leave a negative and don't bother to file a complaint. I am a Power Seller myself, and to be quite frank, a negative or ten wouldn't really hurt me at this point, so I could hose all kinds of people if that was my game.

[univera]

Last thing. Log into Ebay. Go to the top of page where you type in search words. Below that it will say "Advanced Search." Click that, then look down to the bottom, left of the screen and click on "Contact information." Enter his seller name and the item number of your transaction. You will then be emailed his phone number and he yours. It's easier to deal with a voice than someone hiding behind a computer. Most seller's don't realize this is possible and don't realize that people know how to dot this. This forum is a prime example. People saying things they normally wouldn't say to someone's face...

I'd explain to him over the phone that you don't want to the chargeback because of what it will do to his account. Make it like you are looking out for him. Plus, if the CC finds in your favor, you will likely get to keep the amp unless he raises an issue. Paypal initially ruled with the buyer in my dispute until I pointed out that I never got my item back. Then they decided to fight it.

Oh, and bag Square Trade. Ebay and Paypal are way too big and you will likely have to fight tooth and nail for anything you need down the road.

[Ricardo]

"You are bidding on a Carver TFM-35 Magnetic Field Power Amplifier that is in great condition."

That's enough for you to claim the description was wrong; he is eligible for Paypal protection, so go ahead and file a claim.

[reeltrouble1]

Lest we forget Paypal Sucks.

RT1

[Ron Temple]

univera, great advice from the seller side. I was watching several Carver amps over a couple of weeks. Had my sights set on several, but there's a guy buying up Carver's all over the place. He kept topping my reasonable bids within minutes. I saw the TFM 35 which he was bidding on and swooped to take it, won it. I wasn't doing due diligence with every seller. After the fact, I saw that this guy is either a distributor with sideline ebay business or a pawn shop and did look at his feedback. His wasn't that bad and I rode him fairly hard after I sent payment. I just sent this off to him...maybe I'm being too nice.

Gary,

I contacted a local certified Carver repair service. After describing that the amplifier has cut out a couple of times at half power and the distortion on the left channel, he feels that there is definitely a problem with transisters in the amp and possibly with the driver. He wants $40.00 for a diagnostic which would apply to the overall parts and labor repair costs which could reach the $249 number that Carver Repair quoted to rebuild. I'm not adversed to having it fixed if you are willing to support the cost of repairs up to an agreed amount.

Let me know. The ball is in your court.

Thanks.

Ron

[reeltrouble1]

No, not to nice, just to the point, I would say just about exactly right.

RT1

[univera]

Yea, kill him with kindness first, then threaten the hell out of him. He won't like getting a phone call, either. If he knows you can get him on the phone, he may comply...

[Ron Temple]

He's agreed to pay for repairs.

I would be willing to pay for the repairs however I just will need a copy of the bill faxed to me when its all done so I can show my receipts

I'm going to call him. His response is too open ended. Maybe I'm suspicious, but if I were him, I'd ask a bunch more questions and ask for more guarantees.

My preference is to send this up to Carver Repair or the other folks that amulford recommended. Though they haven't sent a reply back. The local repair shop might be great, but I don't want to get burned.

[Ricardo]

Sounds good....ask him for a partial refund that covers repairs; ask Carver for a written estimate so that you can send it to him, or he might not want to give you the refund; once you have the money, proceed with repairs.
If you repair it first, and then he does not come forward with the money, you'll be in a worse situation than you are today...

[reeltrouble1]

You are obviously not recently off the turnip truck. I am not getting a good feeling about him. No way to really tell if he will pay the bill when the repair is made unless you get it upfront. I suppose his responses are better than telling you eff you or something like that though.

RT1

[Ron Temple]

I suppose his responses are better than telling you eff you or something like that though.

RT1My thoughts exactly :D . In going through his feedback, it seems he's worked it out equitably with some of the folks that left positive feedback, but had problems. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I won't.

[surfntomm]

get the estimate for the repairs from carver like you have and wait to get the money from him first. in his auction it states that the items was tested so therefore you are entitled to a fully working item upon delivery which it was not. i think if you dispute the claim through paypal they will refund your money till the situation is settled. i have sold items in the past and turns out the buyer was using someone elses cc and committing fraud so i lost my payment during the investigation and ended up losing about 500 bucks due to that.

you have more power than you think on ebay with these power sellers. dont take shit from them and play hardass and more then likely they will just end the bloodshed and give you your refund and continue screwing other people.

[heiney9]

Jumping in a bit late here. I had an issue with a purchase where I sent funds via paypal but never received the item. I filed a dispute to which the seller never answered and I ended up getting a refund (from paypal) and the item. I did try to contact him, but his contact info was incorrect. I ended up reporting him to ebay and his account was frozen until he provided current info. By the time he provided current info the deal had been resolved in my favor.

He was only a few cities away and was able to find out where he lived and I was drawing up a demand letter to send to him via registered mail advising I was going to take him to small claims court over the issue. It never had to get that far, but that was my next step. I’d suggest taking that approach if all else fails. Depending on where in the U.S. you live you can force him to show up for court in your jurisdiction and if he doesn’t that can be an automatic default.

There are several examples of demand letters on-line that can be sent.

H9

[Ron Temple]

There's a shop in my area that called me back yesterday. He'll do a diagnostic and repair, but what tempts me is that he's got a fairly large trade in/vintage business going and can offer me a trade possibilities into Adcom, Parasound, Nad, etc., maybe even a loaner while the Carver's being fixed. Do any of you guys think that one of these options would be a better match for the SDAs? Notwithstanding the guy wants to sell me something, but I could send the Carver back, cut my losses and go with something else.

Maybe I'm overthinking, I like the Carver sound and when fixed it definitely has the guts...:confused:

[fredv]

Hi Ron,

I will try to get a definite answer (and repair $$) from the seller asap. If not receive anything in next 5 days, file a refund to Paypal (you must do that within 30 days from the payment date). Most of the time, the sellers will respond and settle once Paypal sends them the refund notice.

[Ron Temple]

Seller's balking at the $170 repair estimate...wants me to send it back for full refund. Guess that's best, though I do like the look and sound of the amp (except the fuzz freqs and cutoffs).

Maybe I'll find a 1.5t like Shizelbs tried to move on the FM for $280 and sold on ebay for $480. Man, that's snoozing and losing.;)

[Blownrx7]

Ron Temple,
Dont worry, you didn't miss out.
One thing I've learned is that another deal ALWAYS comes along and with past experience, it is usually better too.
Good luck:)

[Ron Temple]

Update...

Turns out the seller's a pretty good guy. After talking with him he's giving me the option of fixing the unit with the ex-Carver folks up in Wash. or sending it back with a full refund. He is a pawn shop. A tough business, but he's pretty fair.

Anyway, now I'm torn, I've been offered a 4.0t in great condition for what most consider a high, but not unreasonable price of ~ $500...or, I can get the TFM 35 fixed.

What would you do? Am I going to notice the additional headroom/sonic quality of the 4.0t. I'll never use all of the 35, but I won't mind spending the money if it's just that much better.

[Ron Temple]

UPDATE:

The seller...gryeatn...credited my account $197 today. This covered the repair and return shipping for the TFM 35. I've got to say that he is a very stand up guy and I'd do business with him again. I really appreciate all the helpful advice on bringing this matter to a successful conclusion, but what helped the most was just talking to the guy and working things out.

Buy with confidence from this seller...yes it's a pawnshop, but he keeps his word.

RT

[reeltrouble1]

I have a twin.

Glad it worked out, so you diggen the carver??

RT1

[Ron Temple]

I have a twin.

Glad it worked out, so you diggen the carver??

RT1
Thanks RT1, :D. I sign most of my personal emails RT, but noticed you've pretty much staked out those initials here...must have slipped thru.

Haven't heard very many amps to compare, only 3 here, but it's a huge step up for the SDAs. It more the doubled the soundstage, width and depth. I can't play it loud enough to run out of headroom and the warmth and detail is pretty amazing. I was anxious to swapout the tweets before, but with the Carver I hardly notice sibulance(sp?)...not harsh at all.

Yeah, I'm diggen it...

[reeltrouble1]

Cool, and sign away however you like, its a big board, besides I use RT1.

The Carvers and Polks are noted for pretty good synergy.

Enjoy the tunes.

RT1