Ebay Advice

[chazus]

I don't use ebay all that much, and I've never had any issues in the past, so I'm not sure what 'proper' protocol is on this.

I purchased an "As Is" laptop. The description stated it was missing the power cord, so the seller didn't know if it turned on or not. I figured I might get lucky and it just needs an AC adapter, however if the motherboard was in fact dead, that's fine too since I can replace that and still resell it for a decent profit. It also stated it was in "Good" condition.

So, I get the laptop, and several things I notice.
-The hard drive is 250gb, auction said 320gb. Not a huge deal, but still, not what I bought.
-The hard drive adapter (the 90 degree part that connects the sata port on the drive, to the sata connector on the mb) is missing
-The AC port, the port that the power cord would go into, is completely missing. There's literally a hole there.
-The bottom panels covering the RAM, HD, and WiFi cards are broken and taped back together. All of the screw holes have been torn from the chassis. The WiFi panel is literally glued back on.
-Two of the keys are broken. Even worse, the keys are glued back onto the keyboard.
-Several bits and pieces of plastic from inside the chassis fell out, parts of screw mounts and other unimportant parts

The laptop is otherwise in functional condition. I took the hd connector and battery from my other laptop (same model, part of the reason I grabbed this one) and fired it up and installed Win8 on it and it runs flawlessly, outside the fact that I can't charge it. I already ordered a new hd connector ($2) and the bottom chassis with all the panels is only about $13.

My main gripe is that this thing is NOT in 'good' condition. Do I have any leverage on this, or does the "As Is" label act as a legal coverall for any damage? I'd rather not return it, as that will cost me money, and I can actually FIX all these things relatively cheaply. I just feel like I didn't get what I was sold.

[docterfreeze]

I would go through normal protocol, "As is" or not, that guy ripped you off and you should report him.

[Keller]

You didnt and you can take it to paypal and tell them that this is not what you expected, and give him some negative feedback while you're at it. Paypal usually favors the customer, just provide some sort of evidence, and seeing how everything about the laptop is a ripoff, you can basically get your money back.
Check if the case of the laptop has the MAC adresses and take a photo of that, then take a photo of the mac adress stickers on the motherboard, that should nail it.

[Acarlee]

My main gripe is that this thing is NOT in 'good' condition. Do I have any leverage on this, or does the "As Is" label act as a legal coverall for any damage? I'd rather not return it, as that will cost me money, and I can actually FIX all these things relatively cheaply. I just feel like I didn't get what I was sold.

I can understand the "As is" part of your problem. But there's some faulty advertising right there as well. Its stated as a 320GB hard drive. Its not. That's pretty much faulty advertising right there. If you have a screen shot of that and can prove it. You can more than likely report them as a bad seller.

[-aiko-]

Even in the As Is condition, the seller needs to describe in their description precisely what condition the item is in. If they don't, then in situations like this eBay will side with the buyer.

In fact, eBay almost always sides with the buyer. Sellers will be banned from eBay in the blink of the eye if there are issues with customer service. If push comes to shove with the seller, just threaten negative feedback and they'll be scared into submission.

[Cyanotical]

ebay almost always sides with the buyer, they will most likely tell you to destroy the laptop and then refund your money

[gutnbrg]

you can definitly get ur money back and keep the laptop if u go thru paypal

[Kosic]

As I'm always using eBay.

This item has been miss advertised. The way to deal with the issue is to open a case saying "item is not as described."
That's if you're wanting to get 100% of your money back.

http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/buyer-protection-faq.html

I’m not sure if my item qualifies as “Significantly Not As Described?
An item is Significantly Not as Described if it is materially different from what the seller described in the item listing. Here are some non exhaustive examples of what would be considered to be Significantly Not As Described:

You received a completely different item. For example, you purchased a book and received a DVD or an empty box.

The condition of the item is wrong. For example, the listing said "new" and the item has clearly been used.

The item is missing parts or component and the seller disclose this in the listing (e.g., camera kit was supposed to include a tripod, but you didn't receive it).

Item defective during first use: The first time you tried to use the product, it didn't work (e.g., HDTV did not turn on).

The item is a different version or edition than the item displayed in the listing.

The item was described as authentic but isn't.

The item is missing major parts or features, and this was not disclosed in the listing.

You purchased three items from a seller but only received two.

The item was damaged during postage.

Some examples of what wouldn't be approved:

The defect in the item was correctly described by the seller.

You refused to accept delivery of the item.

The item was accurately described but you didn't want it after you received it.

The item was accurately described but didn't meet your expectations.

The item has minor scratches and was listed as used.

You opened a case due to buyer remorse rather than due to a genuine dispute. If you purchased the item from a business seller, you will likely have rights under the Distance Selling Regulations. For more information, see Know Your Rights.

http://resolutioncentre.ebay.co.uk/
http://resolutioncenter.ebay.com/

Return a item:

If you go through the resolution center, and you win your case. Paypal will refund you every bit you paid on the auction, this includes your fee of postage to receive the item.

eBay in the UK have a free return stamp, I'm assuming it's the same in the USA (would need to check on it). So you wouldn't be out of pocket on returning the item.

eBay will also not do anything, if you're wanting to keep the item. All you can do is ask the seller for a particle refund due to miss advertising the laptop. Or give them bad feedback. eBay won't step in to cover any repair costs, this is down to you and the seller.

Edit

You can also open a case, and explain the item isn't as described. They will ask you how you would like to resolve this issue, and you can ask for a small refund to cover repair costs. But if I were you, I'd speak to the seller about it first, if they refuse or don't reply, open a case, take photos of the laptop before repairing it, and wait 10 days for a reply from eBay (since they give a 10 day waiting period on cases to let the seller reply).
If eBay feel that you are in the right, they could pay you or force the seller to cover the costs, eBay and Paypal work together and have full control of the money that is transferred from their transactions.

---------- Post added 2013-02-01 at 05:12 AM ----------

you can definitly get ur money back and keep the laptop if u go thru paypal

You wouldn't be able to keep the item, the only time you can keep the item if you return it, and the seller refuses to collect it from a delivery deport, and the delivery company returns it to the sender (being yourself). This is the only time you are legally allowed to keep the item while getting a refund.

eBay will sometimes side to let both parties win, and they will pay you the auction fee and tell you to keep the item, while letting the seller keep the money the item sold for. eBay will be out of pocket, but this way it keeps both members happy. This is usually down to items being in such a poor state, that it isn't worth the effort in resolving by return to seller.

[aztr0]

The fact that you mentioned the HD space right there, is the sign you need to report it to eBay. As is, doesn't cover false advertising. If he says its a 320GB, you expect it to be a 320GB, not anything else. I don't know about you, but usually "as is" auctions that I see, tell people the problems that are associated with the product, such as, missing keys, screws, panels etc. But report the guy for the HD issue, not sure if you can do anything about the other stuff.