Feedback profile - Socobass

The Facts.

Amp arrived via UPS, for which I provided an overnight shipping label for with basic insurance, double boxed and packaged well, no signs of damage to the packing.

Upon opening the box, the external condition of the amplifier was in excellent condition. No issues there. However, the seller DID NOT include the power cable, and has not provide me with a power cable as of writing this.

Upon plugging the amp in, the amp powered up, but was stuck in “Protect” mode. The amp did not function.

I reached out to the seller who stated that the amp worked before he shipped it. I requested a refund since it arrived non-functional. He accused me of calling him a liar and became very defensive. He insisted that I need to call UPS and go through their insurance claim process. I explained that UPS will not cover any of what is wrong with the amp if there is no physical damage to the packaging or exterior of the amp. Been there done that.

After a day or so of arguing to get the seller to do something and take responsibility for the non-functioning amp he sold me, he finally sent me partial refund of $150. A step in the right direction.

I then brought the amp to an amp tech and had them look at it. Both the tech and myself reached out to Handbox directly. It was finally determined that the amp was not working due to the traces on the transistors being completely vaporized. To fix this would cost me $400+. Both my amp tech and Handbox confirmed that this damage DID NOT occur during shipping. The only way traces get vaporized is when the amp is connected to a power source. Most commonly a power surge, bad ground, or other power related issue is what causes this to happen.

I reached back out to the seller to explain the situation. He again states that it worked when he had it, but if I want to call him a liar, “you know what you can do with that.” Again, very defensive and not taking responsibility/ownership for the non-functioning amp that he sold me.

The fact is, TalkBass is a place where we rely on the transparency and trust of others in the TB community when buying and selling gear. Inherently, we take a risk when we buy anything from the classifieds, but I have always been able to count on the good faith of other in the TalkBass community. If you sell something to someone and it arrives non-functional not due to any shipping damage, you should do the right thing take care of your customer and fellow TB’er.

I have been on TB for a long time now, with a perfect feedback score of 240 with far more than that actually completed. This is the first time I have had a bad interaction here. The defensiveness, attitude, lack of remorse, and failure to truly resolve this issue is what unfortunately pushed me to leave this feedback.