what would you do about a broken screen on a detector purchase.

[spellman]

Hi every one . Im looking for some advice. I just bought a used minelab explorer se off of ebay for a good price.
It was listed as good condition with no issues . It arrived at my door step today and like an excited kid I opened it right away and set it up with the hopes of
Going out and trying it . I got the batterys in and turned it on to check it out . Then I discovered the screen was cracked and and didn't work . The detector works but without a screen it is almost worthless . I emailed the seller right away and sent a pic. It might have broke during shipping due to poor packing and batterys loose in the box . I just dont know what to do. I dont really want to give up the detector . But might have to. I might be able to send it to minelab for the repair but from what I hear their expensive and they take forever. Any ideas or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Elton]

Even if you spend more, freight will more than cost you the difference in good condition machine. Both ways if Like my buddies repair.

 

[Saltshaker]

This my first post here but since I just got one off of ebay as well, I feel compelled to respond. I bought a lot of stuff on ebay and I think only once did I have an electronic device not work or be broken, but it was clearly already a problem and not a shipping issue. In my case I contacted the seller and they refunded my money and told me to keep the broken unit. Guess I may have been lucky but I dont think they wanted negative feedback. In any case it all depends on how it was listed. I usually dont buy something unless it was poorly listed or by a mass seller. Too risky, but if it was listed as a working. all "OK" unit then I would contact them asap to see what they say. If shipping could have been the cause it also depends in my book too...Meaning, if they did not pack it well then I think its on the seller to fix the issue, of course things happen and the item gets damaged in transit no matter how it was packed. Either way, if there was no shipping insurance, you can also contact Paypal, assuming thats what you used, they have buyer protection provided the seller is at fault and will not help you.

 

[spellman]

I got this machine for 695 $ . And it is in like new condition short of the screen. And I still have had no response from the seller. I read on a post that someone had minelab send them out a new screen and they installed it . I might look into that route. I was just playing with it in the yard with stock settings and im going to love it. I just have to get it fixed . Maybe I can get the seller to refund me the price of a screen. Doubtful but maybe.

 

[spellman]

It was definitely a packing issue . It was in a minelab box but everything was loose and plastic grocery bags were stuffed in the box . I think the battery or charger might have crashed into the screen. Man this sucks. If the seller doesn't respond I might go through pay pal.

 

[Saltshaker]

Well you may be able to do that, if its still under warranty I would imagine they would replace it. Not sure though. Give the guy at least 24-48 hours to respond and see what he says. I certianly would be upset about it if it wasnt packed right but try not to sweat it. It sucks for sure, but it can be fixed.

 

[pasttom]

This is the problem with fleabay. I bought a pistol pro pointer from a guy who said he got it at a yard sale and it worked fine it just was not very loud. When it came there was red water residue in the screw holes and several wires inside were broken. I wrote to him to let him know he had misrepresented its condition. I had bought it knowing it was a no return and clearly stated I was not looking for one. His wife royally flamed me and he posted nasty stuff about me 'cuz I rated the sale less than perfect! Lesson learned. Only do the 'bay if you are willing to pay someone to poop on you. Most people won't, but you just don't know who you are dealing with.

At least buying off the forum you have an idea from their posts and an expectation they want to keep some respect.

Best bet buy from a sponsor/dealer. Often they have a new one cheaper than auction fever bidding!

 

[spellman]

I got I contact with the seller. Spoke with him over the phone and he was great. Said he would do what ever it takes to resolve issue even refund if necessary. Tomorrow im going to call minelab to see what its going to cost to get it fixed and ill probably go that route. Seller said he would pay for repairs. Just sucks I have to wait. Well stuff happens. Gald the seller was so great about it. But most everyone in this hobby seems to have good attitudes about stuff like this. This hobby was made for gentlemen. Lets hope the manufacturers have the same mentality.

 

[Saltshaker]

Thats good to hear...glad the guy was understanding and I think you have a point. There are some good people in this hobby, Even though I just started, I have already met few good folks. So hopefully , it'll work out soon and you'll be in the field soon.

 

[MNCoinhunter]

It's unfortunate that you received it in that condition, and I would ask for a refund personally.

But you wanna talk about the best way to learn the Explorer? No screen and nothing but sound to guide you would make you very proficient on your detector after a season or two. Still, for $695 you should have received a fully functioning detector.

 

[JAN1]

I was detecting on a beach last week and was approached by a man who asked what machine he should buy. We sorted out a couple for him to look at, I then told him.
Do not buy a second hand machine even from a childhood friend as I have had quite a few people who bought secondhand and had nothing but problems.
I would rather purchase a cheaper machine new than a used machine.

 

[dewcon4414]

There is something to be said for a warranty. a lot of times you save a couple of hundred bucks on used.... maybe more, but think a good part of the difference is warranty cost but you got a NEW machine. Warranties arent cheap but you sleep better at night after a purchase. Im amazed he said he would pay for repairs.... id just had you send it back and done a refund. ML isnt that slow on repairs and id think yours would be fairly quick.... the weekends is what seems to slow things down. Im not aware that ML will send you much of anything to do repairs yourself..... that wouldnt make a lot of since, since they are in the money making business.

Dew

 

[spellman]

I got in contact with minelab and it looks like 150$ for the repair plus shipping. The seller is going to refund that amount to me. So it looks like its all going to work out fine. I just have to wait that much longer to use the machine. Im just glad its all going to work out good. Thanks for all the input.

 

[Big Fang Coin Biter]

ML Repair Just Fixed My Excalibur Quickly! Super Service!! I emailed them with the problem and got a quote on repair. It was a little pricey but reasonable. I might as well put down the particulars for you. The Excalibur is ML's underwater detector. Mine had a broken on/off/threshold switch. They quoted me $125 to replace the switch. It ended up being $95 including shipping back to me. It took slightly less than one month to return. I give them an A+.

They also gave me some new seals as I requested, checked over the whole machine and pressure tested it to a depth of 200 feet. They called me when they received the machine, when the problem was diagnosed and again after it was fixed, and once for billing. The detector arrived two days later.

As far as your unit being damaged in shipment, you would have to see if the guy who sent it had insurance on the package. Maybe you can recoup the repair costs.

Sorry for your trouble and I hope it gets resolved quickly.
HH - Robin