Ever sell a game? Help me out here.

gozer5454

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So I finally (after 2 weeks) land a buyer at my house to buy my multicade. Everything is going great. I'm showing him how it works, showing him all the new arts, showing him the boards and guts, etc, etc. Then I baby step it over to the SUV to load up. Just before I go to slide it in, I give it one last plug in to feel safe. I fiddle with some other stuff on my workbench, then I hear "Uh, something is broke." I freeze in my tracks.
Sure enough, despite the thing working 100% perfectly for the two weeks that I've had it assembled and playing at home, the monitor's blue levels are way off the hook. My heart drops. I've already got cash in hand. I fiddle with a few wires, and same thing. The blue will come on heavy, then after you shake the machine a bit, screen goes back to normal. As long as you don't shake it too hard, everything is fine. I couldn't find the problem, didn't have the energy or the time to pull the chassis and look closer. I tell him, "Sorry but it looks like you've come along way for nothing, let me give you you're cash back." But then he says, he'll take a gamble on it. We agree on reducing the price another $60 (after I've already reduced the price $40 for his gas about 1.5 hours away).

I guess my question is: do you guys feel $60 is an appropriate amount of money to reduce for the K7000 that had intermittent blue levels going crazy? I was more than happy to reduce to sell on the spot, and I'm also satisfied with the end price of the sell. But do you think I should have lowered even more? Less? Fair? Do I need to divulge pics or final seling price for accurate opinions from you guys?

I guess I just feel super bad. Because I really wanted this thing to be sold as 100% perfect (especially after the monitor was just freshly capped). Now it was sold with a known issue.
 
So I finally (after 2 weeks) land a buyer at my house to buy my multicade. Everything is going great. I'm showing him how it works, showing him all the new arts, showing him the boards and guts, etc, etc. Then I baby step it over to the SUV to load up. Just before I go to slide it in, I give it one last plug in to feel safe. I fiddle with some other stuff on my workbench, then I hear "Uh, something is broke." I freeze in my tracks.
Sure enough, despite the thing working 100% perfectly for the two weeks that I've had it assembled and playing at home, the monitor's blue levels are way off the hook. My heart drops. I've already got cash in hand. I fiddle with a few wires, and same thing. The blue will come on heavy, then after you shake the machine a bit, screen goes back to normal. As long as you don't shake it too hard, everything is fine. I couldn't find the problem, didn't have the energy or the time to pull the chassis and look closer. I tell him, "Sorry but it looks like you've come along way for nothing, let me give you you're cash back." But then he says, he'll take a gamble on it. We agree on reducing the price another $60 (after I've already reduced the price $40 for his gas about 1.5 hours away).

I guess my question is: do you guys feel $60 is an appropriate amount of money to reduce for the K7000 that had intermittent blue levels going crazy? I was more than happy to reduce to sell on the spot, and I'm also satisfied with the end price of the sell. But do you think I should have lowered even more? Less? Fair? Do I need to divulge pics or final seling price for accurate opinions from you guys?

I guess I just feel super bad. Because I really wanted this thing to be sold as 100% perfect (especially after the monitor was just freshly capped). Now it was sold with a known issue.

$60 seems fair, He can buy a used working chassis for that. He might have more trouble if the problem in in the tube. I would not reduce anything for gas, no one have ever reduced price for gas on any deal I have done!!
 
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A deal's a deal. And acually, the buyer made that price for you from what you describe. Forget about it and move on. If he calls back he bought it AS-IS. Maybe you can help him with the monitor issue but bottom line, deal is done and the game is his now.
 
Unfortunately for you, you didn't get to experience the "tailight warranty" You reduced it $100 overall and if he can't get it going, you may wanna walk him through on how to get the chassis out and have him send it to someone else for repair. Beyond thati'd say your part in the transaction is over.
 
I imagine guys who know much more than me have an idea or several ideas to the problem. I have found when moving, or shifting the game makes the color change like that, it's solder connection on the neck board that weren't perfect.

And to answer your question, if you guys agreed on a price, you have nothing to worry about. Though you could be his "go to guy" when it comes to getting it replaced at a fair price down the road.
 
Yeah, I totally feel its a done deal. Even wrote up a small contract saying XXX cash for machine in AS IS condition. Known problems: blue levels intermittently come off to hot.

He's the one that actually mentioned the "Well, would you take $60 more off? Would that be fair for you?" And I was of course, fine with that. I was just pleased that a (in my opinion) huge potential problem like this was only going to cost me $60 less.

Now, I could have easily lost this guy tonight, grabbed another 19" K7000 from my buddy the next day, and kept the price the same, but I would have lost that buyer who was right there to seal the deal. In my opinion, it was WELL worth the $60. I just hope he doesn't turn into one of those constant call-back guys who constantly keeps picking your brain for advice 10 years down the road. ;)
 
I imagine guys who know much more than me have an idea or several ideas to the problem. I have found when moving, or shifting the game makes the color change like that, it's solder connection on the neck board that weren't perfect.

And to answer your question, if you guys agreed on a price, you have nothing to worry about. Though you could be his "go to guy" when it comes to getting it replaced at a fair price down the road.

My initial thoughts as well: must be a lose solder on neck board resisitor or something. But couldn't find one.
 
I missed the point. I think $60 is reasonable. I would have considered offering a little more but, hey, buyer came up with a better number, that would have worked for me. If a simple shake of the cabinet makes it go away it could be something really simple, like a bad connection somewhere.
 
I think you did everything right Goz! You were honest and flexible! A buyer can't complain about that! Hell,I'd bought it from you as well if I was in the buyer's shoes.
 
I think you did everything right Goz! You were honest and flexible! A buyer can't complain about that! Hell,I'd bought it from you as well if I was in the buyer's shoes.

Thanks Guts.

To be honest, I'm glad to get rid of it. It was built solely for resell, and the only reason I ever bought it in the first place was to rob the video converter out of it for another game. Now I've got some extra cash to pay Uncle Sam.
 
Thanks Guts.

To be honest, I'm glad to get rid of it. It was built solely for resell, and the only reason I ever bought it in the first place was to rob the video converter out of it for another game. Now I've got some extra cash to pay Uncle Sam.


I hear ya! I'm in the process of restoring my Frogger which was turned into a Time Pilot 84 for the sole purpose of reselling it....or trading it.
 
What, only $60 off!? Man, you bent that guy over! How can you sleep at night?

Lol, just kidding Gozer... I think you did a very stand up thing by initially telling him that he came a long way for nothing and offering his cash back. I think $60 off is more than reasonable for something that's probably a simple fix.
 
See...that's were my OCD comes in. There's no way I would have been able to give them the machine knowing there was a problem. I can see the guy having people over to play and hearing 'What's up with the monitor' then...yeah...
"the guy sold it to me that way"

Not that I have a problem with what you did..I just couldn't do it
 
After you had a deal, and you had cash in hand it is no longer your issue. I would have loaded it on his truck and sent him on his way. "Checking again" was asking for a problem, and you got it. Not that you are being shady or anything, but these games can be very sensitive when moved and at this point it was officially not your problem.

I purchased a game got it home and poof nothing, and I know more than a few people have had that happen. My friend purchased a Star Wars, he had it a week and game was broken, monitor and power supply issues. Was that the sellers fault? I don't think so. If your buyer has a problem in a year, is your expectation that he will call you for help? If the guy is a friend or if you feel like helping him that is one thing, but responsible?

I guess it depends on what the terms of the deal are, honestly if you say used game as is, no warranty express or implied. It is what it is, if you say new and warranty, well thats different.

For the record, I am glad that you helped the guy out and you tried to make it right for him.

As long as you are honest about what it is, I think your gold.
 
Thanks guys. Makes me feel a bit better about the deal.

And Monsterbash is right too. That's why I feel so bad about the whole thing, is because if it pops up when someone's playing it, they'll be like "well this thing sucks, how much did you pay?" I really wouldn't want that to happen.
 
Well, not everyone has the resources to do this, but if it had happened to me (selling it and a monitor issue popped up that I couldn't fix right away), I would have told him to wait an extra 15 minutes, then pulled one of the monitors from one of my keepers and swapped it in. That way he has a reliable machine, I have the full price, and I can check out the monitor problem at my leisure...
 
Well, not everyone has the resources to do this, but if it had happened to me (selling it and a monitor issue popped up that I couldn't fix right away), I would have told him to wait an extra 15 minutes, then pulled one of the monitors from one of my keepers and swapped it in. That way he has a reliable machine, I have the full price, and I can check out the monitor problem at my leisure...

Yeah thats what I would have done . That way you still get full price and the buyer gets a reliable game .
 
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