Etiquette when unsatisfied with an online purchase

[Carlos]

So I got a NES bundle from CTCW (http://www.chasethechuckwagon.com/item. ... 0000168911). I got the bundle in the mail today, and upon opening the package started noticed that the system and controllers were dirty. I thought, no biggie. After hooking everything up though, I ran into more cosmetic and functional issues:

* The system is dirty. The top right ridges and power and reset buttons are covered in what appears to be smoke stains.

*Both regular controllers have deep scratches and marks on the back.

*I have to press down hard on the directional pad and buttons to get a response on the Max controller. Back is also dirty.

*Both Zelda and Zelda 2 are scratched up and look worse that they do in the picture. Zelda 2 also has someone’s name written on the front in big, black marker, and red marker back.

*When a game is inserted into system and powered on, I only get a black screen and the power light stays on, or it continually blinks. Occasionally, after much struggle, I can get the game to work, but if I turn the system off, and then back on, it won’t play the game. However, I did discover by accident that if I insert a cartridge, and leave the tray up, and then turn on the power, I have a better chance of getting the game to work, but it still takes quite a few tries. This happens with the games I that came with the bundle, in addition to TMNT 2: The Arcade Game and Life Force, as well as all other games that I own. I have cleaned the contacts on all my carts and still have the same issue.

None of these issues (both cosmetic and functional) were mentioned in the auction, and the items I received are not in the same condition as the ones shown in the picture. Anyway, I e-mailed him asking for a refund in full and feel I was nice and polite about it. I wasn't rude or made any threats. Anyway, I noticed he had a lot of other NES bundles on CTCW. What if he offers to replace the NES with another one? I really would rather just get a refund instead.

What do you guys think? How should I go about handling this?

[Darryl B.]

If the pics didn't match, I'd say he deserves some kind of a neg (or whatever chasethechuckwagon does), as it seems to be a wee bit fraudulent to me on his part.

[Rob]

Same here. If it were Ebay I would chalk it up to someone that didn't know what they were doing, but on CTCW you're dealing with other collectors who know the faults of the systems they sell and shouldn't be trying to get over on fellow retrogamers. While the two functional problems you have are common on the NES (needing a new 72 pin, the sticky Max buttons) they should have at least been mentioned as well as the overall dirtyness of everything else. I've yet to purchase anything off of CTCW yet, I was hoping dickheads like that would stay on Ebay.

[MaximumRD]

It's your duty to neg and give reason why, it is a lesson to the seller to not pull that crap and a warning to buyers who are considering dealing with him.

[Carlos]

It was a toaster model which supposedly had a new 72 pin connector in it. It took many tries to get my games to work, even after cleaning the contacts on the games. Most of the time I got a blank, black screen and the power light would flash on at off. Other times, I could get the games to work, but the picture would be distorted or have lines. I e-mailed the guy about it and he told me that NES with new 72 pin connectors need a "hour warm-up time". I'm not too familiar with the new pin connector mods, but it sounded fishy.

On the other side, the NES was covered in dirt, grime, and smoke stains, especially in the crevasses. It was a lot worse condition than the NES that was shown in the auction picture. They said that it was "fading/yellowing from sun exposure" which is common in old systems". Only it wasn't. It was clearly dirt and stains. I've been collecting classic systems for years. I know the difference. Same thing with the games and controllers that came with it. They looked clean with a few minor scratches in the auction picture. No biggie. But when I got them, the controllers looked like a dog chewed them up and the games were covered in Sharpie marker.

Anyway, the guy made a big deal that I should not have expected mint condition and this is common for used systems. I understand I wasn't getting mint condition, but there's a HUGE difference between what was shown in the auction pictures, and what I received in the mail the other day.

He has 200+ feedback and all positive and at least he's being cool and cooperative in giving me a full refund.

I don't know how I feel about Chuck Wagon now. When I first joined, I had great experiences and found it to be a very nice alternative to eBay, but the last two auctions I've won (a CDX and the NES), I had problems and the sellers were acting all high and mighty because they have "perfect feedback" and "never had a customer complain about their purchase" until me. I don't think I have crazy high standards. I just think I should get everything as shown in the pictures and as described in the auction description.

I checked the tracking number, and he should be getting it back today. I really hope he's honest and doesn't try to dick me over once he gets his stuff. I've already found a really nice NES top loader bundle from a trusted seller on Neo-Geo.com

[Carlos]

Got my refund yesterday. Bought a nice NES top-loader bundle with a complete Final Fantasy, and some other games from a friend on the Neo-Geo.com forums. Hopefully, I'll have it Wednesday or Thursday.

[megasdkirby]

I don't know how I feel about Chuck Wagon now. When I first joined, I had great experiences and found it to be a very nice alternative to eBay, but the last two auctions I've won (a CDX and the NES), I had problems and the sellers were acting all high and mighty because they have "perfect feedback" and "never had a customer complain about their purchase" until me. I don't think I have crazy high standards. I just think I should get everything as shown in the pictures and as described in the auction description.

Hey Carlos!

I am one of those sellers! Nah, just kidding.

You have all right to complain. If the item does not match what you originally bid for, you have all right to complain, because if it was me, I would be defrauded as well.

Now, I am not defending it, but I would not think of CTC or any online site just because something like this occurs. For example, just recently I had won a GBC game on Ebay. It was complete with box and manual. I specifically asked for the game to be sent in a sturdy box, and what I got was a rushly made box. So of course, the game arrived all squashed and of no use for me.

I was mad, but I decided to send back the game to the seller. I knew that if I had gone through the seller directly, I may never get a response back (loose the item and my money) or just get back the item's value. I then decided to contact him, but he never replied. So I made a PP claim as SNAD. Of course, I knew I had to return the game back to the seller, which I did, with Delivery Confirmation.

He got the game and I got my entire money back. What happened afterwards? The guy decides to do an APPEAL on the entire case. This meant that if he won, I would loose both my money and the game.

He lost in the end, but it still got me very mad. I'm still in the process of whether or not to give him a justifiably negative.

So what is the purpose of my story? Don't let one bad incident affect your view of CTC. I have had a few bad dealings on Ebay (as you already read from above), but overall, I have gotten some incredible items and great transactions.

Just ignore those who have wronged you in the past. CTC is a great site, but there is bound to be a few "bad eggs". Don't let these meanies affect your overall experience.

I checked the tracking number, and he should be getting it back today. I really hope he's honest and doesn't try to dick me over once he gets his stuff. I've already found a really nice NES top loader bundle from a trusted seller on Neo-Geo.com

If he does dare to rip you off, commence a PP dispute. Then immediately elevate to a claim. Make sure you list it as "NOT AS DESCRIBED". Paypal will ask you for a tracking number. Prove the one you used to send the package. You will instantly win.

[Zap!]

He got the game and I got my entire money back. What happened afterwards? The guy decides to do an APPEAL on the entire case. This meant that if he won, I would loose both my money and the game.

He lost in the end, but it still got me very mad. I'm still in the process of whether or not to give him a justifiably negative.

I'm pretty sure if he won he'd have to resend you the game, although you might have to pay for shipping again. What was his reason for appealing anyway? What excuse did he give PayPal?

[Carlos]

Well, I got my refund, and against my better judgment, I still gave him a positive for being cool about the situation with a quick refund and good communication. I wanted to leave a neg, but feared getting one in retaliation like what happened to me with the CDX guy.

I got the top loader in the mail today, but was very disappointed to find out that only half the games worked on it. I don't think it's the system though, as all my other games work on it fine. I'm not gonna fuss about that though as it was from a friend on Neo and he said he only tested a few games, and still gave me a phenomenal deal. I paid way less than what everything is worth.

Still though, I'm a little discouraged and bummed out about classic gaming now. I'm probably overreacting, but with all the issues I've had the last few weeks on CTCW, and now this, and all the used game stores charging ridiculous "collector's prices" for old games and systems, I think I'll leave my classic gaming to Nintendo's virtual console and the Playstation Network.