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Presently42

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Honestly, just venting a bit. I figured, that at the least, a bunch of audiophiles would be able to commiserate. I bought a Rythmik Audio LV12 off ebay, based on the review here of the similar L12 - the V stands for vented. The ad said, that it had "Great Sound" and was in used condition, but was marked parts only, as the condition was so poor. It was also only 330 CAD shipped - a third the price of a new one here. I bought it, with the understanding that it worked (he said it did); but knowing, that perhaps I'd have to repair it a bit.

After a week of shipping, it finally arrived! I unpacked it, and immediately noticed some peanuts. Perhaps someone was having a joke; and as opposed to using packing peanuts, had put the real thing. Alas, the joke wasn't very clever: I had to open the sub and take out the peanuts, almonds and a choco chip from inside! Furthermore, due to the terrible packaging the sub received, all of the corners are busted, the power button is permanently on, and the crossover knob is gone. Also, YE GODS this thing is huge!

All I wanted was to fill in the missing bass. Instead, I got peanuts - and a 330 CAD end table. Hopefully Rythmik can help me fix the thing
 

DVDdoug

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all of the corners are busted, the power button is permanently on, and the crossover knob is gone.
The corners are just cosmetic damage, right? The power button is probably an easy fix but any repair where you have to pay for labor won't be cheap/ If the crossover switch/pot is a standard 1/4 inch shaft, regular knobs are cheap.

The ad said, that it had "Great Sound" and was in used condition, but was marked parts only, as the condition was so poor.
Seems contradictory but "parts only" should have been a clue. (And the price seems too high for a "basket case".)
 
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Presently42

Presently42

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The corners are just cosmetic damage, right? The power button is probably an easy fix but any repair where you have to pay for labor won't be cheap/ If the crossover switch/pot is a standard 1/4 inch shaft, regular knobs are cheap.

Seems contradictory but "parts only" should have been a clue. (And the price seems too high for a "basket case".)

The corners are indeed purely cosmetic. I will see what I can be done: a neighbour has a all the things needed to fix wooden items, it seems. The power toggle I suspect required a new one, which can easily be soldered - except that I don't have my soldering station with me; so we'll have to see about that one. Same goes for the knob: the shaft has been unceremoniously hewn off, so I suspect, that the entire piece needs to go.

As for the parts only, you're very right. I contacted the seller, who confirmed what the ad said; namely, that it was working. From the ad:
"Rythmik Audio lv12 Direct Servo 12" Subwoofer. Great sound.. Condition is "Used". Shipped with USPS Parcel Select Ground. Listing as parts but last time i used this it worked great. Just have no way to test it out." That being said, I tested the driver by hooking it up to my avr and playing some low pink noise through it: the driver works, so I now suspect the amp somehow....

Have some pics!

signal-2021-07-03-195117_005.jpegsignal-2021-07-03-195117_004.jpegsignal-2021-07-03-195117_001.jpeg
 

voodooless

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Are you sure those were peanuts? I would swear the seller spilled some bits of his brain in there..

Anyway, good luck! From the pictures it looks like the knob is easily replaced. Woofer can probably be fixed with a vacuum cleaner. Just carefully suck the dent out.
 

restorer-john

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It is the seller's responsibility to get the product to you intact.

How do you figure that? All the seller needs to do is make reasonable efforts on the buyer's behalf to pack the product and place it in the hands of the shipping company. His job is done at that point. If he does an utterly crap job packing the product, fair enough, but if he packed it well, subsequent damage is not his problem.

Once funds have changed hands, ownership shifts to the buyer and he becomes wholly responsible for any loss or damage.

Just because eBay may offer something over and above that, doesn't change the basic facts.
 
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Presently42

Presently42

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Are you sure those were peanuts? I would swear the seller spilled some bits of his brain in there..

Anyway, good luck! From the pictures it looks like the knob is easily replaced. Woofer can probably be fixed with a vacuum cleaner. Just carefully suck the dent out.

My thoughts exactly. I'm not convinced about the knob - the shaft itself is mostly gone. Perhaps I could buy one and glue it on to the remaining stub. Come to think of it, that's probably an easy fix. And the dust cap isn't a problem: I've mended those before
 
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Presently42

Presently42

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How do you figure that? All the seller needs to do is make reasonable efforts on the buyer's behalf to pack the product and place it in the hands of the shipping company. His job is done at that point. If he does an utterly crap job packing the product, fair enough, but if he packed it well, subsequent damage is not his problem.

Once funds have changed hands, ownership shifts to the buyer and he becomes wholly responsible for any loss or damage.

Just because eBay may offer something over and above that, doesn't change the basic facts.

This is a very interesting argument. I'll have to look in to it more. The I question whether a "reasonable efforts on the buyer's behalf to pack the product", given that the box it came in is disintegrating; given the nuts everywhere; and given the pathetic amount of styrofoam used.... I'll take a pic tomorrow.
 

McFly

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Round here if something is "parts only" it means it dont work. Broken. Unusable. You either gotta fix it, or pull it apart for - you guessed it - parts. To fix your broken one usually.

Additionally unless specifically discussed between parties before the deal is done, a "parts only" item will not be packed like you're shipping the bill of rights. Purely because the buyer assumes it's already well damaged, and the seller assumes the buyer only wants internal parts.

You paid a third retail on this thing, you got it for peanuts, you got peanuts.
 

restorer-john

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This is a very interesting argument. I'll have to look in to it more. The I question whether a "reasonable efforts on the buyer's behalf to pack the product", given that the box it came in is disintegrating; given the nuts everywhere; and given the pathetic amount of styrofoam used.... I'll take a pic tomorrow.

Sounds like he made a half-assed attempt at packing it for sure, but the "parts only" description may give him a bit of an out.

Subwoofers are heavy and without real effort in packing them, they just won't make it. Real effort takes time and often money making/buying packing materials etc. People just can't be bothered these days.
 

King_Pin

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I feel for you. I have a 4' drop rule. I pack/overpack everything so it will survive a drop of 4'.
I make real efforts in packaging things and look at it as an art form and have many compliments from buyers when they get their packages.
If I don't have to original packaging I buy a sheet of pink 1.5-2" pink insulation styrofoam boards from the home center and surround the item with it paying attention to corners and edges.
Doing things this way I have never had a problem.
 

BluesDaddy

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How do you figure that? All the seller needs to do is make reasonable efforts on the buyer's behalf to pack the product and place it in the hands of the shipping company. His job is done at that point. If he does an utterly crap job packing the product, fair enough, but if he packed it well, subsequent damage is not his problem.

Once funds have changed hands, ownership shifts to the buyer and he becomes wholly responsible for any loss or damage.

Just because eBay may offer something over and above that, doesn't change the basic facts.
Totally disagree with this. Until the product is in my hands it is on the seller. Lost or damaged in shipping on ANY common carrier requires the seller/shipper to make the claim, NOT the buyer/receiver. I don't know any platform that does not recognize this basic condition of selling and you can pretty much always get your money back for items inadequately packaged.
 

Geoffkait

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Rule of thumb: if shipping electronics across country they won’t make it and the shipper won’t pay. It’s a catch-22. If you had packed the item properly it wouldn‘t have got damaged.
 

BluesDaddy

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Rule of thumb: if shipping electronics across country they won’t make it and the shipper won’t pay. It’s a catch-22. If you had packed the item properly it wouldn‘t have got damaged.
I've been pretty fortunate over time. I've ordered, IIRC, five pieces of used electronics equipment off of eBay - a Technics 1200 MK II, a early 70s Pioneer receiver (can't remember the model off hand and it's off in a closet somewhere), an AKAI reel-to-reel deck, an Emotiva XPA-2 gen 2, and a Nakamichi cassette deck. All arrived undamaged (at least that I could tell) and in good working order. The Technics was HORRIBLY packed up but FedEx apparently hadn't gotten quite so bad back then (2012 I believe) and didn't destroy it. No electronics I've purchased new from a retail seller has ever come damaged. To be fair, the Emotiva was from Emotiva's ebay store back when they were selling returns and refurbs that way so they knew how to pack it correctly.
 

sergeauckland

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I feel for you. I have a 4' drop rule. I pack/overpack everything so it will survive a drop of 4'.
I make real efforts in packaging things and look at it as an art form and have many compliments from buyers when they get their packages.
If I don't have to original packaging I buy a sheet of pink 1.5-2" pink insulation styrofoam boards from the home center and surround the item with it paying attention to corners and edges.
Doing things this way I have never had a problem.

I seem to remember that there's a European or British standard that requires any item to survive undamaged from a drop from 1m (39") onto concrete on any edge or corner. Back in around 1998/9, I was involved in tests for some new packaging we were designing for one of our products, and we did all sorts of tests from our shipping dock onto the ground. The one that worked best was polystyrene peanuts and a box some 200mm (8") bigger than the equipment on all sides. Some years later I was impressed by one of my suppliers that suspended their product on rubber bands, inside an oversized box, and we never had transit damage with them. Large equipment like Transmitters, that didn't have to pass a drop test, were crated in double-skinned wooden crates, and the damage there was fork-lift blades through the sides. :facepalm:

Since then, anything I've sold I've overpacked, and it's all survived, but I have a lot of respect for those who design packaging as they have to cater for almost unbelievable treatment from freight handlers and delivery drivers, and still be affordable and manageable.

S.
 

Midwest Blade

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Many years ago I bought an item off eBay which by all appearances should have been a good deal. Item arrived broken, seller claimed shipping damage even though the item came well packed. UPS investigated the claim, I supplied info at their request, pictures of item and packaging. There was absolutely no way this was anything but concealed damage. After several back and forths the seller paid for the repairs, which was more than half of the actual price, seller was a used electronics store in Pennsylvania. Definitely not worth all the hassle, was my last eBay purchase. Buyer beware even though you may think the seller is above board.
 

tomtoo

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See it positiv, all more or less cosmetic problems.
If the power is always on you can use a 3-socket with switch.
The dustcap on the woofer you can gently pull out with a needel.
If you can use the x-over switch with a pliers its ok you not will need it often.

So left over are the corners.
Give them a pro thouch with something like this, sry dont know the name in english.
https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Metal-Co...rds=eckenschutz+metall&qid=1625412831&sr=8-16

15$ and things are fixed.
If it has no other problems, it was a ok deal.
 
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