For Parts Only Listings

[riverrat373]

The trend in electronics, especially CB radios, is saying that the item is in working condition then stating in the listing that that the item is being sold as not working or for parts only. The reasoning for this, those sellers claim, is that there have been many buyers swaping out parts then wanting to return the item for a refund. It seems like at least 50% of the listings make this claim. I doubt that the problem is that rampant. If you, as a seller, are concerned about parts swappers there are security labels available for very little cost that you can apply to your item to ensure that the returned item has not been tampered with.

 I for one will not buy any item that is listed with the type of listing discussed here and I have talked to others for feel the same way. If you are listing in this way you are losing potential buyers. Use the security labels if you are worried about "parts swappers" and you may find more buyers and better prices for your items!

[orangehound]

A security label would be of no use with a thief returning that "doesn't work" item with a SNAD claim.

If I were out to scam you, I would simply say it doesn't work and send it back to you.  You get back the pilfered unit, and I get back my money.

Even if you were to send in photographs to eBay showing broken seals, eBay would know know who broke those seals - it could just as easily have been you who broke those seals.  This is why eBay doesn't use photographs in making their decision on a case.

[tunicaslot]

I don't shop electronics here - but we've had many new sellers who come to the boards feeling they've been scammed as they've listed an item that is not working as used and are surprised to get a return req opened after the buyer receives it.

[mikeystoyz]

Parts only, powers up.   Does not work.  For parts only.  I price how I want then. I have never had a return this way.  

[rolenboy01]

Only an idiot would list it like that because it opens them up for a SNAD.

[blueberryjellyfish]

---

@mikeystoyzwrote:

Parts only, powers up.   Does not work.  For parts only.  I price how I want then. I have never had a return this way.  

---

How do you handle SNAD claims when the buyer says they bought it for parts but xyz part is bad and that was not mentioned in the listing? If something doesn't work it should be obvious that there could be a problem with one or more parts and you can't always know which parts are bad if the item won't power on.

[muttlymob]

The trend in electronics, especially CB radios, is saying that the item is in working condition then stating in the listing that that the item is being sold as not working or for parts only.

This is an eBay policy violation - conflicting info in the listing.  Those sellers may learn the hard way that it's not a good way to list.

Once they state that it works, then no disclaimer can negate that statement.  The buyer should expect to get something that works and will have the Money Back Guarantee to fall back on should the seller try to defend his position.

[mikeystoyz]

What I say exactly is For parts only, Item powers on, Item is broken, I do not have any idea of what is broken and what works.  You buy this at your own risk.  If you are looking for certain parts be warned it might be broke.  All I know is item powers up, nothing else is known.

I have sold broken computers this way.  I also get more explicit if the item costs more.  I do not know if hard drive, video card, motherboard, ram, sound card, power supply or whatever works.  All I know is when you push on there is a red light that goes on in the case.

Many times people buy these for the rare metals inside.  There is anywhere from 5 to 100 dollars worth of gold and other rare metals in a broken computer.

[*eponymous*]

---

@mikeystoyzwrote:

Parts only, powers up.   Does not work.  For parts only.  I price how I want then. I have never had a return this way.  

---

SNAD claim:  Does not power up.

or

Missing the part I bought the unit to get.

^^^That is why selling as "non-working, for parts only" is not a defense against a SNAD claim.  It just isn't!

[southern*sweet*tea]

I've sold more than a few computers and radios in various states of disrepair - some working but not correctly, some not working at all. I sell them not working/parts only even if they work. I make no mention of what works or doesn't work. I sell them fixed price with best offer.  Naturally I don't get top dollar, but at least they don't come back and I keep the money I make.

[mikeystoyz]

Actually it is.  Powers up means something turns on.  Nothing more.  If someone says the power supply isn't working then I go from there.  I have had 0 returns and have maybe sold 30 or 40 items in total.  I have pictures of all the parts in their place and if it powers I show a picture of the light.  My stuff also is not expensive.  If something was expensive I would go for parts, broke.  I would not mention anything else.

[luckythewinner]

---

@riverrat373wrote:

If you, as a seller, are concerned about parts swappers there are security labels available for very little cost that you can apply to your item to ensure that the returned item has not been tampered with.

---

The seller does not need a security label to prove an item was tampered with. And when he provides that "evidence" to eBay, they will not consider it and will grant a buyer's return request.

The problem for sellers is not the parts swapping - the problem is losing the Not As Described case that follows the parts swapping. 

IMHO your suggestion will not stop parts swappers from swapping parts, and will not stop parts swappers from winning SNAD cases after they do it. 

Do you have any first-hand evidence that eBay will take a seller's word that a security label was broken and rule in favor of a seller? 

[threshold.sales.group]

The only real defensible approach for the seller listing the item as parts - not working and make no claims whatsoever about the item in the description (other than repeating that it's being sold as parts not working.  Plus use all the 12 pictures. 

Trouble comes when there is any sort of  additional claim in the description that can be used as a basis for SNAD. 

[sandmansales]

A for parts auction doesn't imply that there are working parts, only that there are parts. It is easy to protect yourself on a parts auction.

Item does not work. I am not the original owner and don't know what kind of functionality you will have if you do get it to work.

Or

Item powers on but nothing else functions. Please keep in mind, this is a defective unit and the power could fail at any time including during the shipping process.

This device is sold as defective, non-working for parts as-is with no returns.

I've had my share of return attempts for parts auctions. They all lost.

[riverrat373]

I want to be clear that I'm not talking about listings that are listed as "parts only" or items listed as "parts only, not working". I'm talking about those sellers who claim that the items "works" or "works fine" and then in the listing says:"for parts only, no returns".