Question about recent deal

[Yzzim]

I just bought a laptop off the FS/FT forum and got it yesterday. I plugged it in and charged the battery up to see how well it held a charge. The battery lasted for 30 minutes on full charge (that's with no use, I just moved the mouse so the screen wouldn't shut off) and then it died. It's suppose to last 1-2 hours depending on use and obviously it came no where close to that.

So, I messaged the seller about it and he told me to call into Best Buy (where the warranty was from) and see what they would do. They said I could exchange the battery but I would have to drive to Best Buy for them to test the battery, then drive back home and wait for a new battery to come here. It'd be at least a week for the new battery to get here then I need to send the old battery back.

The nearest Best Buy is 60 miles away and I have no way to fit in a drive to Best Buy in my schedule. To top it all off I need the laptop for a trip August 7th and a battery with a 30 minute charge isn't going to be any good

I kinda hinted to the seller that if the battery was indeed bad (which it is) that I would like a refund. He told me that the warranty covers the battery and I shouldn't get a refund. I told him that I bought the laptop with the idea that everything was in good condition (nothing was said about the battery, except that the laptop hasn't been used in a while...) and that includes the battery. If I would have known the battery was bad then I wouldn't have bought the laptop in the first place.

Now don't get me wrong here, the seller isn't a bad guy or anything. He's communicating wonderfully but we just disagree on this one thing. I feel that he sold me a laptop that was in good condition and for the most part it is, except the battery. I feel that I'm not getting what I paid for and would like a refund.

I'd like some help from you guys to find out what I should do.

 

[Yzzim]

bump?

 

[TheBloodguard]

Your new battery comes in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. Upon initial use (or after prolonged storage period)the battery may require two to three charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity.

Have you tried recharging and letting it drain completely several times to make sure on the battery condition?

IMHO, it depends on what you and he discussed before the sale.

Did he specifically said that the battery holds 2 hours charge or a certain time?
If so, he should give a rebate. Don't know how much but I figure half the cost of a battery since you knew it was used so that is fair market value. How much does a new battery cost for your laptop?

Did you know it was a Best Buy warranty?
If so, you should have realized that you may be involved in extra time on your part because of the location. I would have thought if the battery was that important to you because of your trip etc, you would have discussed the battery specifically. If the laptop hasn't been used for awhile as you indicated, I would believe that it would be in a weaken or weaker condition.

I'm not sure how much the system sold for or how much a laptop battery costs but if it were me, I would probably refund $20 or $30 to either cover the gas and time to replace it under warranty or to offset the price of a new battery. Good Luck

 

[Yzzim]

He didn't tell me anything about the battery specifically, only that the laptop was in good condition overall. Having a laptop that only works for a half hour running off the battery is not a laptop that's in "good condition".

Yes, I knew it was a Best Buy warranty, and yes, I did know that the nearest Best Buy was 60 miles away. However, I didn't think I'd have to be making the trip 1 day after I recieved the laptop from him.

The battery is covered under the warranty, I just feel that I should have been told about the problem before hand. I mean, when you sell something you should check it over to insure that everything is in "good condition" like what was stated in messages between him and I.

 

[Kalvin00]

Yes. Try charging it and running it dead a few times. My camcorder did the same thing when it had sat dead for 3 months.

 

[Koing]

Well to be fair the laptop is in *good condition* just not the battery.

It does function just the battery is a bit knackered.

You could maybe ask for some money back but you didn't state the battery life .

dam some hassle to sort it out.

 

[Yzzim]

You could maybe ask for some money back but you didn't state the battery life

I didn't specifically ask if the sound worked. I didn't specifically ask if the fans work. I didn't specifically ask if the touchpad work. They are all important to me yet I didn't ask about them.

Does a buyer need to go through every single detail and ask about everything before he makes a purchase? Shouldn't the seller test everything before he puts it up for sale in "good condition"?

edit: I feel that if I buyer something labeled in "good condition" that everything that comes with it is in good condition unless specified otherwise. The seller only said that he hasn't used the laptop for a while, but still labeled it in "good condition".

 

[TheBloodguard]

Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Yes. Try charging it and running it dead a few times. My camcorder did the same thing when it had sat dead for 3 months.

Just curious if you have tried this yet?

 

[poopaskoopa]

Being an owner of 2 laptops, one of which has a dying battery, I would have asked explicitly how long the battery that comes with the laptop lasts. If the seller can't give me a straight answer, I'd have walked away. There're 1,000 other laptops out there. Having said that, the seller sucks because he didn't tell you about the 30 minute battery. I would have told you about it. In your current situation, I'd somehow suck it up and take it to BB, get the battery replaced a week later, bitch about not getting the battery in time for the Aug 7th trip, and never deal with that seller again.

 

[Yzzim]

Originally posted by: poopaskoopa
Being an owner of 2 laptops, one of which has a dying battery, I would have asked explicitly how long the battery that comes with the laptop lasts. If the seller can't give me a straight answer, I'd have walked away. There're 1,000 other laptops out there. Having said that, the seller sucks because he didn't tell you about the 30 minute battery. I would have told you about it. In your current situation, I'd somehow suck it up and take it to BB, get the battery replaced a week later, bitch about not getting the battery in time for the Aug 7th trip, and never deal with that seller again.

you read my mind

Just sent the seller the final 2nd payment so the deal is now closed. I'll probably bitch about the battery the whole way to best buy and back, but it will get replaced.