It would take the seller 60 seconds to ohm all 3 drivers. Mystery solved and the description in the ad changes to blown.
I don't think the ad is misleading, but is truly a buyer beware situation.
Let's start at the beginning, in BOLD LETTERS at the top of this auction it states "for parts or not working" .......
in other words.......... These do not Work!!!!!
What do you want the seller to do.. take a separate photo of each driver with a DVM wired to it proving to you that it has an open voice coil? He has told you that These Drivers DO NOT WORK!
It would take the seller 60 seconds to ohm all 3 drivers. Mystery solved and the description in the ad changes to blown.
I don't think the ad is misleading, but is truly a buyer beware situation.
Enjoying Altec Speakers since 1972
Bottom line even if they are blown they are still valuable if you get them repaired...especially if they're 288 C's don't those go for an arm and a leg usually?
Don't ASSUME! You can make an ASS of U and ME or him.
Opinion is only as valid as its verifiable supporting evidence.
What are the ethical questions? Simple. You know an audio dealer has tested them. Then posted untested. Likely tested bad and he is not making full disclosure. I do not ask anything of him I wouldn't do.
"For parts or not working" is covering himself. Not full disclosure.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
I didn't see that before, I beleive that's an ebay check box he filled in. I would say it's good except it's confusing....... are they working or not, how can he know they're not working if they're untested? It's a mixed message, if you even pay attention to the automatically generated ebay info....... which many people don't since many sellers change it in the auction body, like in this case....... or with shipping.
No he told me that they're untested, so he can't know they don't work. Which means they could work, so I'm going to bid higher in the false hope he's giving me.What do you want the seller to do.. take a separate photo of each driver with a DVM wired to it proving to you that it has an open voice coil? He has told you that These Drivers DO NOT WORK!
Audio_by_Goodwill
Michigan, USA
FWIW, when i mentioned ethics implying unethical practices it was in regard to a current trend among ebay buyers, not sellers.
Sure this seller has contradicted himself a bit by making multiple statements regarding function that don't necessarily mean the same things. Contradiction should raise question/doubt. In this instance it makes me suspicious. Did he open one and see a shifted pole? Did he drop one from the scaffolding during removal? Has this seller been the victim of refund extortion via ebay//PP slanted playing field? Those are the questions the contradiction raises for me.
I don't think he's being unethical, at least not intentionally. As OG suggests, he's just covering himself which has sadly become a necessity when selling on ebay.
There's a certain logic in that by keeping the description vague, there is less to be held accountable for as a seller.
I think most of us are all saying the same thing............... don't bid more on this one than you can afford to throw away to ensure that any surprises will be pleasant ones.
Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill where nobody's actually done anything wrong.
Just my .02....................
Last edited by bowtie427ss; February 8th, 2012 at 09:11 AM.
Well said Bowtie. To condense to one sentence, IMHO it raises a red flag about the seller, and is something I wouldn't do. Use common sense. He knows they don't work. If even one was working he would get a better price so would have posted that. To me, the untested raises a buyers hopes, as has been said. If he knows something he should post it.
Bottom line: if it's sold untested, you can be sure SOMEBODY has tested it. Especially when a simple test would raise the price.
Is he any worse than many? No. But in the interest of full disclosure if I see a red flag I post it.
Your neighbors called. They like your music.
One other thing I would like to add. His moniker on eBay is "Audio Deal Finder" ! What are the chances that he wouldn't have tested them fully ? IMHO Slim to None...
If audio is his business then you have to assume he would have tested them before selling to avoid letting those diamonds in the rough slip through his fingers for pennies on the dollar.Most members here have been watching Ebay & Craigslist,etc.. for a longtime.And can usually pick up these subtle things.
Bookmarks