SoSpacey

I posted my beloved HSU VTF-2 MK1 on Craigslit and 1 day later it was sold. Met the guy at a local Barnes and Noble parking lot and we exchanged the cash for the sub.

The weekend before I watched Iron Man on Blu-ray and my inlaws asked if I would turn DOWN the sub and I did. During the week I never turned it back up and never even thought about it.

When I sold it I unplugged it, disconnected it and put it in my wife's suv. The light on the amp was on when I unplugged it.

The day after I made the sale I get an email from the guy that the sub wasn't working. Power goes on but he gets no signal.

I sent the guy through some troubleshooting steps and he is supposed to get back to me today. He insinuated that he would like to return the sub to me for a refund. I am confused about what to do.

1- I gave him a working sub. How do I know he didn't drop it on his way home?
2- I waited until I sold it to buy my new sub and can't return it without losing the shipping which is $100 each way.

So who is responsible here?

kaze0

I wouldn't give him the money back. It's craigs list. Buyer beware. He should have asked for a demo during the exchange.

Spiky

Maybe you should go plug it in for him. What kind of warranty does Hsu offer? When my used SV arrived, the amp was bad. Warranty replaced it.

SoSpacey

I bought it in 2000. I would think the warranty is over. I think it's like 2 years on amp and 7 on the electronics.

he says the light goes on but there is no signal. i told him to try a different sub cable.

another odd thing...
he said the guys from "Harvey Electronics who are installing my surround system...". Harvey Electronics went out of business around here. click their website and you get a couple of phone numbers.

http://www.harveyonline.com/




and my newly ordered HSU VTF3 MK3...

Mikael79

Does the guy know how to turn it back up? I'm hoping it's not something that simple!

And why in the hell are the inlaws telling you to turn it down in the first place?

Superman07

Tough bind. Glad to know you have a conscious , but I'm inclined to feel the burden is on the buyer here. He was the one forking over the money for the item. If he didn't feel the product was sound (no pun intended) then he shouldn't have paid for it. Plus if he didn't ask for a test that's his fault. Saddly if you refuse the refund it makes you come off like a <insert word of choice> that was trying to rip him off. At least that's probably what I would think/feel if I were him.

Plus, why didn't he try it out when he got home? I'd say offer to help him in person, but that you put you in an akward/unsafe situation.

SoSpacey

I doubt it's that simple. I wish it was. He said he tried 2 receivers and had his installers try it as well.





I definitely do have a conscious. I was surprised when he didn't ask to come to my house to see it when it was hooked up so he knew it worked but didn't care much since I knew it worked. Now it seems like it is biting me in the ass. I am even starting to question if it worked before I gave it to him. I mean maybe it got screwed up in that week.

I thought about going to his house to see if I can get it to work, but if I can't, and I refuse to refund his money, who knows who is lurking in the back room waiting to force me to refund him.


Funny how no one will vote in the poll. Which means you all know you wouldn't return the money, but don't want to admit it. Pretty much where I think I am right now.

Superman07

Exactly!

I knew I hesitated for a reason.

In all seriousness, maybe offer to give him 1/3 back? <shrug> I feel like I'd be feeling a little guilty as well if I was in your situation.

SoSpacey

I feel terrible. But I know if this was the other way around I never would have even heard back from the guy. When he emailed me Friday night he had to use the craigslist link since he already deleted my email address....and i STILL got back to him. I could have totally ignored him and he would have NO INFO on me.

at the same time I am assuming the best about this guy. what if i return his money, take the sub home, and find out it works fine? that all he wanted was his money back? or maybe i open it to see he cut a wire in order to return it by saying it doesn't work?

Pistol Pete

I would offer to either try to help him hook it up or pick it up and refund his money. Treat him how you would like to be treated.

If you take it home and find out it works, just list it again.

SoSpacey

but for all i know he could have dropped it as he brought it into his basement. then i am screwed.

i get the whole "treat him like you would want to be treated", and i think i live my life like that. the dilemma comes from me not knowing this guy or what he did to the sub after we exchanged goods for cash. he could have plugged it into something that surged the amp or something. anything.

Mikael79

Offer him a 75% refund, contingent on the item being in the same physical condition (nothing visually altered/broken). This way you'll get some cash out of the deal, and it's possible that the sub is still in working condition and you can sell it again.

If he bitches about that solution - tell him you're moving to the Yukon and will no longer have email access.

Just an idea....

clckworang

I don't think anyone wants to vote in the poll because I'm sure no one feels like they have all the facts, which is not meaning to say that you are keeping anything from us. I just mean that we don't know what the sub was like before you sold it, we didn't talk to this buyer or see him. Hard to really know how to approach it. I think the buyer was dumb to not either go to your house to hear the sub in action or insist on you dropping it by his house so he could test it.

I don't think you have an obligation to refund his money. If you decide to offer some type of refund, I know I wouldn't offer a full one.

DVD Polizei

SoSpacey, I wouldn't offer him any kind of refund. You're gonna have to tell him you have no idea if he damaged the sub or improperly hooked it up. He should have knowledge of what he purchased.

Regardless of the condition of the sub, the buyer should have requested a test. I would have. Common sense. I don't understand why people buy shit from others and then want a refund like this is some kind of retail store we all have going on in our homes. NOT. For fuck sakes, people. You buy something from a guy out of a car/van/suv via CL, it's yours. If you didn't test it, it's your dumbass problem now.

Best-case scenario for this guy? Re-sell it on CL and see if anyone else is as dumb as he is.

That's why if I buy anything off of CL, I request a test and/or demonstration to see if the sucker works. Know what you're buying. Common sense. Test what you're buying. Common sense. Once you exchange cash for product, the sale is done. Over. Bye-bye.

SoSpacey, the HSU VTF3 MK3 is my choice for a sub as well. A rather decent price for such performance. Love the Rosenut color. Definitely will be on my list for HT upgrades next year (It's been about 6 years and I need to get rid of my big speakers and get separates).

SoSpacey

He never contacted me yesterday so I am hoping it realized he did something wrong and fixed it. If not I think I am going to do everything in my power to help him fix it but not refund his money. If by chance there is an issue with the amp or something I may offer to split the cost of the new amp.

Pointyskull

SoSpacey

Buyer says the resistors are shot and that HSU wants $100 to fix it plus shipping the sub back and forth to CA.

Chrisedge

I voted: He should have tested it before he bought it...it's his problem now

Superman07

So how much did he pay for it? How much did you buy it for?

If he paid anything over $200 (I really have no clue) tell him to get it fixed and then you'll cover a percentage (20-25-33%??) once see a copy of the invoice from HSU?

DVD Polizei

Shipping is going to be a bitch for that thing. Might be looking at $80x2 for both ways. Maybe more even, because I just got a nice email from UPS on their new rates. Oh joy. And for heavy merchandise, they kill you on shipping.

SoSpacey, that is very generous of you to help out. Totally not necessary, but you're a good man.

SoSpacey

I wont send him any money without seeing an invoice. He paid $300 for it. I listed it as an HSU VTF2 MK1 right on the listing. I even put that it was the 2000 Sound and Vision ...Award. I never hid it's age.

I dont really remember what I paid for it. I think I paid $550, maybe $500 + shipping.

Thanks.

It was $100 to ship the VTF-3 to me from cali so it is probably $80. I think he is going to take the amp off and just send that in.

I am also thinking about just having HSU ship a new amp to him and have him put it in himself. How tough can it be? If all they are going to do is change the amp anyway, why not?

Also, I think Dayton makes the amps for that sub. Maybe he can just pick up a new one direct. I would even share the cost with him.

Pistol Pete

If he was having trouble hooking it up, how the hell would he troubleshoot it to this level? (And I think he may have meant transistors.)

SoSpacey

he called HSU and they walked him through a few steps.

it is actually the capacitor that is shot.

beebs

Sounds like you might have sold him a bad sub. Why not take it back...? Golden rule. Treat people as you would like to be treated.

-beebs

bwvanh114

This is wrong! If it was me:

I, and most sane/normal people, would not have been a dumbass to buy stuff out of a van in the first place without testing it. I would never have been in that position in the first place. So, there is no, "treat people as you would like to be treated in that situation." The situation of buying expensive used things without testing it would not have occurred to me. Furthermore, if it did, I would understand that I took the chance, so it's my fault for being a dumbass.

OP owes him nothing. I would not entertain for a second going to the buyer's place to help troubleshoot. Like someone else eluded, what if the buyer is scamming him, planning on intimidating him, or just plan planning on raping him, I don't care, and I won't entertain those hypotheticals for a second. It's not worth my time.

The treat people as you would like to be treated concept is ONLY applicable if you would possibly be in that situation. I wouldn't be, and therefore I can NOT sympathize.

For example, imagine you're in a wheelchair and can't reach the door handle, wouldn't you appreciate if someone holds the door for you? This I understand. I may get hit by a bus and become wheelchair bound.

Another example, someone you know forgot their wallet and needs $5 for lunch. I can imagine forgetting my wallet/money and needing to borrow $5.

Buying anonymous used shit without knowing it's working off of craigslist? Will never happen.