sealed rare 50 year old audio tubes opened buyer wants money back

[krabafcent1]

I am very careful to describe all my items so there are  absolutely no misinterpretations. I recently sold three  factory sealed audio tubes. 50 plus years old.  I also put in the description since these were sealed I have no idea of which specific model of tube or there performance. These are sold as is. No returns clearly indicated. These sold in less than 6 hours for over $1400 Now the buyer is claiming one is not working. Wants $500 returned or he'll ship them all back and file a claim under buyer protection. If I accept  What will be returned? The value was the rarity of the intact seals, Its like a fifty year old Barbie on an unopened box or bidding like storage wars. Once opened the value is gone. To me this is straight **bleep**. Buyer received exactly what was described. I been on eBay for decades as a buyer and seller.  Now Of course buyer will open  case PayPal freezes assets you know the rest.  Should I not receive exactly what I delivered? 

[a_c_green]

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@byrd69er wrote:

I sell a lot of tubes.

I can't comment on this person's listing because I don't know how to view it.

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See if this link will get you directly there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/272737059589

If that doesn't work, plug its listing number of 272737059589 into your Search window above. You'll need to be searching Sold listings for that number, not active listings, so when the result page comes back, you may need to check the Sold checkbox on the left side of the page and search again. Once it finds the item for you, click the "See original listing" link to open up the original photos and description. You'll find it.

[byrd69er]

snip:  It very common for a vacuum tube to lose vacuum, that's why testers were made

First...it is not common for a tube to lose its vacuum.

Second...if a tube has lost it's vacuum, you won't be needing a tester.  lol

[coolections]

NOS = NEW. If a NEW item does not work it is not NEW. I have paid extra for NOS items because I wanted to MAKE SURE they worked. There have been other sellers with the same items at a lower cost but "used" and did not want to "take a chance". If you are going to sell something NEW it had better work or the buyer deserves a complete refund and an apology for the seller wasting their time and troubles buying your NEW item. Who in their right mind would pay $500 for a tube that does not work ?

[byrd69er]

I have rare NOS tubes I will never or use. Tube users/collectors would buy them from me just to have, and not use. I have vintage audio gear kits that are not assembled.  Some buyers would buy them to put together while others, such as me, will only keep them on a shelf.

This seller encountered a buyer who wanted to use the NOS tubes. 

I would immediately provide the user with the $500 refund.  I suspect the OP has still done quite well financially even if that's the chosen route....which it should be.

[krabafcent1]

It is the very nature of being in a vacuum that preserves an electron tube. It is why old "old" vacuum tubes that are sealed in factory boxes command such high prices. A good analogy is fine wine. That said I myself have never opened a sealed box. I prefer a tested tube to an unknown. It is like the fore mentioned fine wine, an asset that appreciates with time. I've heard from a fellow tube collector it is like a lottery ticket in some ways. Both the seller and buyers are never 100% sure of the contents. So if you buy lottery tickets are you aware you might not win and if you don't do you insist on refund. Try that in Vegas amigo.

[gramophone-georg]

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@coolections wrote:

NOS = NEW. If a NEW item does not work it is not NEW. I have paid extra for NOS items because I wanted to MAKE SURE they worked. There have been other sellers with the same items at a lower cost but "used" and did not want to "take a chance". If you are going to sell something NEW it had better work or the buyer deserves a complete refund and an apology for the seller wasting their time and troubles buying your NEW item. Who in their right mind would pay $500 for a tube that does not work ?

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100% false. What does the "O" stand for?

[phcd1]

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@byrd69er wrote:

snip:  It very common for a vacuum tube to lose vacuum, that's why testers were made

First...it is not common for a tube to lose its vacuum.

Second...if a tube has lost it's vacuum, you won't be needing a tester.  lol

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1st, This web site seem to differ in your opinion.

http://electricalnote.com/reliability-of-vacuum-tube/

Note the tube in the photo.

2nd, if it lost ALL of it's vacuum, you'd have a photo flash instead of a vacuum (a poor one at that).  

[phcd1]

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@coolections wrote:

NOS = NEW. If a NEW item does not work it is not NEW. I have paid extra for NOS items because I wanted to MAKE SURE they worked. There have been other sellers with the same items at a lower cost but "used" and did not want to "take a chance". ...

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Funny how the mind works. I would prefer a used item that "works" (or worked) vs a new item. The samsung note 7 comes to mind along with a bunch of cars I can think of. At least you know it worked. New, you never know. The only thing that new has over used is a warranty, typically not valid with eBay purchasers.

[phcd1]

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@krabafcent1 wrote:
It is the very nature of being in a vacuum that preserves an electron tube. It is why old "old" vacuum tubes that are sealed in factory boxes command such high prices. A good analogy is fine wine. ...

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Many a "sealed" (NOS) fine wine has been found DOA.

[siayan]

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@hawgryders wrote:

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@phcd1 wrote:

What is so hard for anyone to understand NOS does not mean working. z50, I'm not saying you are, I just picked your comment.

For example, I just sold a D Cell Battery (yes, those things that go into a flashlight) from the late 1940's. No one in their right mind would expect that battery to work (I hope). I will admit, I listed it and said "YOU ARE BUYING ONE DEAD VINTAGE BATTERY. The battery is for SHOW only. Does NOT hold a charge."  It was for looking at. Actually I sold 2 of them beleive it or not.

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Had you listed that Battery as NOS then a buyer had every expectation you were selling a functional piece --- in fact, some might have even thought it would work better in an old device since it was "period correct" ...

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Again... show me an industry standard... ANY industry standard... that states definitively that NOS means it's fully functional. If the buyer has "every expectation" that a sealed NOS part is "fully functional" especially when the description says FLAT OUT that functionality is unknown/ untested because it's a SEALED BOX then that buyer shouldn't be buying it.

Battereis have a shelf life. Other parts have shelf lives, too. Assuming it's functional beyond that is insane.

You can't fix stupid.

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Have you looked up the definition?

[gramophone-georg]

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@siayan wrote:

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@gramophone-georg wrote:

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@hawgryders wrote:

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@phcd1 wrote:

What is so hard for anyone to understand NOS does not mean working. z50, I'm not saying you are, I just picked your comment.

For example, I just sold a D Cell Battery (yes, those things that go into a flashlight) from the late 1940's. No one in their right mind would expect that battery to work (I hope). I will admit, I listed it and said "YOU ARE BUYING ONE DEAD VINTAGE BATTERY. The battery is for SHOW only. Does NOT hold a charge."  It was for looking at. Actually I sold 2 of them beleive it or not.

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Had you listed that Battery as NOS then a buyer had every expectation you were selling a functional piece --- in fact, some might have even thought it would work better in an old device since it was "period correct" ...

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Again... show me an industry standard... ANY industry standard... that states definitively that NOS means it's fully functional. If the buyer has "every expectation" that a sealed NOS part is "fully functional" especially when the description says FLAT OUT that functionality is unknown/ untested because it's a SEALED BOX then that buyer shouldn't be buying it.

Battereis have a shelf life. Other parts have shelf lives, too. Assuming it's functional beyond that is insane.

You can't fix stupid.

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Have you looked up the definition?

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It's been posted here already:

New old stock (NOS), also backronymed as "new on the shelf" or "new off the shelf", refers to obsolete equipment, or original parts (components) for obsolete equipment, that have never been sold at retail.

Can you see where it says "guaranteed to work"? Right, that's what I thought. 

[coolections]

@gramophone-georg

NEW old stock but you already knew that and you are 100% FALSE

[coolections]

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@krabafcent1 wrote:
Both the seller and buyers are never 100% sure of the contents. So if you buy lottery tickets are you aware you might not win and if you don't do you insist on refund. Try that in Vegas amigo.

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I am beginning to think this world has gone insane or it may be just some Ebay sellers. So you buy $500 lottery tickets. Sorry but Ebay is NOT the lottery.

[sockmonkeydave]

@krabafcent1

I read half the post in this thread, then my eyes went crossed.

50 years old and never tested, things go bad.

heck one could have been bad from the factory.

And your photo shows 4 boxes in the picture, not 3.

If the buyer wants the other two, I would be inclined to do a partial.

I do NOS all the time, but a 50 year old vacume tube would give me pause.

[gramophone-georg]

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@coolections wrote:

@gramophone-georg

NEW old stock but you already knew that and you are 100% FALSE

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New old stock (NOS), also backronymed as "new on the shelf" or "new off the shelf", refers to obsolete equipment, or original parts (components) for obsolete equipment, that have never been sold at retail.

So where is the guarantee it'll work?