Need help with moral delima about a game I sold

Wow, 70 hours? That's quite a marathon for something so old.

I agree with what others have said--you are in no way obligated to refund this guy. I also agree with Arc--you should make an all or none decision. Don't do anything, or take the game back completely. Otherwise the guy will be under the assumption that he has just bought a 30 year old game with a lifetime warranty.

If you take the game back, you should get whatever it earned on location during those 70 hours!
 
You're a good seller to even care. All I can do is put myself in the situation of that buyer and know that if the game worked at your location, after the cash is exchanged it is my problem.

Even if it didn't fire up as soon as I got it home let alone a week or more later, I would accept and fix it rather than call the seller. The fact that it sounds like he's running it on location and still expects you to offer a warranty on it tells me the dude doesn't have a clue.

This guy is a douche. If you do anything for him this time, I think he's going to be calling every time it craps out.
 
TonyH said:
I sold my defender for (350.00) which was in my personal collection for several years. Never had any trouble the monitor was gone thru again not a quick flip or anything shady. I'm out of town with the family for the weekend. I get a call from the buyer he states it now has a ram error. I told him it was probably just a chip or socket said there very easy to reseat. He begins to over talk me which makes me crazy but what ever then begins to say it's on location and has only been on for 70 or so hours since this past wed. Then says how it would really suck to have to spend a bunch of money on this game this soon after buying it and asserted that it was faulty even though he brought a very well known and respected pinball tech which was a friend of his to help check it out. This was a craigslist buy with no return offered. I don't know the buyer but I do sell several games a month locally. So my question do I offer to refund and pick up my game which I don't want back or repair the board by means of third party so it doesn't get personal or just forget the thing and say sorry it's a 30 yr old game.
Thanks for the honest input.
Click to expand...

I don't care how nice the guy or the tech is (though it sounds like the guy is a bit of an ass on the phone), but he bought it AFTER inspecting it and finding it to his liking. It's too bad that it's giving him trouble, but beyond pointing him to the right info if he wants to fix it himself, I wouldn't do anything. He's obviously got a tech, if he really wants it fixed he'll pay his guy to do it.

DO NOT fix it for free. If you do so, you'll never see the end of this guy.
 
It's a RAM error? Just walk him through it on the phone. Have him swap some chips around and see if the number changes. If it was working solid for 70 hours, and then crashed, I'd say he just needs a replacement 4116. It happens.

I'd be nice to him, help him over the phone, see what you can get sorted - but at the same time, he did buy a 30 year old video game. He knew what he was getting in to. If he has a tech, then he should have no problem fixing it.

Honestly, most games can handle running all the time. That's what they were designed to do. Just, sometimes they may need repair. And running them solid - sooner rather than later. Especially things containing 4116's or Williams power supplies. Heh.

-Ian
 
RetroHacker said:
It's a RAM error? Just walk him through it on the phone. Have him swap some chips around and see if the number changes. If it was working solid for 70 hours, and then crashed, I'd say he just needs a replacement 4116. It happens.

I'd be nice to him, help him over the phone, see what you can get sorted - but at the same time, he did buy a 30 year old video game. He knew what he was getting in to. If he has a tech, then he should have no problem fixing it.

Honestly, most games can handle running all the time. That's what they were designed to do. Just, sometimes they may need repair. And running them solid - sooner rather than later. Especially things containing 4116's or Williams power supplies. Heh.

-Ian
Click to expand...

That is a huge mistake. The guy said it was broken before it was sold. The guy is bad news and if he messes it up more by swapping chips around ( you would be surprised how hard that is for some people) then it will just never end. The part where he accused you of selling him a broken game is where he blew it.

I still vote all or nothing.
 
If he checked it out and played it, found it acceptable, and you made no verbal or written warranty (to the effect of "if you have any problems, let me know"... or similar) then I say be empathetic but do not give him his money back and do not take it back.
 
ArcRevival said:
That is a huge mistake. The guy said it was broken before it was sold.
Click to expand...

I didn't realize he was trying to play that crap. He saw it work when he bought it, and it obviously worked for 70 hours. I didn't see that he was trying to claim it was broken as it was.

Yeah. No warranty.

-Ian
 
You have no idea how he treated it after it left your place. Pulled it out of a truck, slammed it down, ect. But if it is something simple I'd try to give him suggestions, unless he was being a prick.
 
You owe this guy NOTHING. Your buyer brought a 'qualified' tech with him when be bought the game? What more proof do you need that he was satisfied the game worked when purchased? No warranties, express or implied here. You drive away, you own it, and all future issues.

The same way my dealership will not fix your jacked transmission 4 months after you bought your 100,000 mile car from us. Old shit breaks. Deal with it.

I'd be polite to him on the phone, but remind him that he bought a working game from you. Offer to fix it at a rate of $50 per hour. Other than that, you owe him nothing.
 
kstillin said:
on second thought- just tell him that this is probably something simple and can probably be fixed by jiggling some connectors- leave the game on so he can see if something changes.

Start with the red connector plugged into the tube
Click to expand...

Oh now you KNOW that earned you some rep ;0
 
Unless you told him there was some kind of warranty, there isn't.
When you buy old stuff at bargain prices, you buy the problems that come with it.
He probably had to pay that tech to come out with him, and now he is too cheap to pay him more to fix it.
That, and his 70 hours probably made him a disappointing 1.75.
 
RetroHacker said:
I didn't realize he was trying to play that crap. He saw it work when he bought it, and it obviously worked for 70 hours. I didn't see that he was trying to claim it was broken as it was.

Yeah. No warranty.

-Ian
Click to expand...

Ya, i might try and help the guy out if he hadn't implied it was faulty when sold, but once he plays that card I think it's a big mistake to deal with him.
 
Always tough Tony! Left on for 70 hours WTF. I have sold many games and have had something like this come up of course. I am not a tech or a handy man as the locals all know. I tell this to folks I sell games to. I also tell people that it is an old game and that when moved it can knock something loose and cause problems.(Tell them about my experinces)
When something like this comes up, I generally try to help diagnose the problem with them. "with what little knowledge I have" If that doesn't help them, I refer them to KLOV and tell them to post a thread in the tech section. If still no dice I refer them to Arcade Odyssey! "Sorry Edward" I know you will fix it correctly and no BS.

In your case Tony you know how to fix games. I would probably try to help him to save yourself further headache. Maybe have him pay for any parts needed and you do the labor. I would have him bring it to you of course! Maybe have him sign something after this repair stating "as is". Or just say fuck it and tell him to go to hell. The first would be my choice.

Tough for sure Tony. I worry what people think about me to much maybe!

JJ
 
ArcRevival said:
Ya, i might try and help the guy out if he hadn't implied it was faulty when sold, but once he plays that card I think it's a big mistake to deal with him.
Click to expand...

You nailed it on your first post. If you help him you will be married to him like you said.

Either take it back or tell him to shove off.
 
Brick Top said:
He probably had to pay that tech to come out with him, and now he is too cheap to pay him more to fix it.
That, and his 70 hours probably made him a disappointing 1.75.
Click to expand...

Is he also pissed at his tech for giving the machine a "good bill of health". I say it's the tech's fault;).

Edward
 
That happens to everyone, I paid $1000.00 for a pin that was working 100% only to have it break a couple weeks later. I never expected a refund, its cl.
 
I sold a Robotron and a Defender a long time ago to some guys. They called me a few days later and said there were ram errors on the Roboton but were nice about it. I hadn't changed the ram out on the Roboton so I offered to just replace the ram. Had them drop the cpu by my front door. Replaced the ram left it back there and they picked it up and I never heard from them again. It's a tough call but I would be pissed if they tried to accuse me of something. Had this happen with a Tempest too, for some reason one of the transistors on the cage died. I just talked him though finding and replacing the bad one. Same thing happened with a pin I sold, I just replaced the connector, I think he paid me $50 to come out and do it. Bottom line is these machines need maintenance and you need to communicate that they may need to learn something about them to own them because you're not going to support the machine for life after the sale and the machine is going to break down sooner or later.
 
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