Oh damn! Really nice seller and it's got something wrong with it. Lots of things...

[flightattendant]

Bought a pram last week on a buy it now. It looked smashing and said it was 'immaculate' though had been used briefly, for a few months. (She'd had another baby very quickly so using a double now).

Anyway it was £200. I was so excited, but when it arrived and I unpacked it, it smelt of smoke...not a good start...there was a stain inside the carrycot (quite big but not very obvious), the brake cable is rusted and the brake WILL not come on or go off quite a lot of the time, the handle adjuster thingy is also reluctant to move as it should, there is a rivet missing an end which is likely to tear the covers if it catches on them, plus a cable guide has fallen off it. The basket elastic (round the edges) is perished so it looks scruffy and saggy. The brake rod rattles like a helicopter quite often as well.

Everything else is fine but 'immaculate' doesn't describe it for me. I feel sad and also I've seen unused ones like this go for less in the last few days...

The thing is, we spoke on the phone to arrange a courier etc. as she had agreed to pack it for me, it was meant to be pick up only. She was lovely and I truly believe they didn't realise these faults were there. But I've spent too much on something that's having to go in for a service tomorrow and I'll be further out of pocket.
Not even sure if they can fix all that stuff. It's going to need PARTS .

It's an Emmaljunga so it won't be cheap.

Someone tell me I got a bargain and it doesn't sound worth asking her for a part refund

I already mentioned the brakes but she just assumed I had been using them wrong and told me how they work! Very sweetly!! AAARGHH why can't she be a complete cow? Then I could ask for a refund no problem.

[MamaG]

nice or not, she's taking the piss

[flightattendant]

Do you reckon? They are about £600 new...

[hoxtonchick]

refund, deffo.

[flightattendant]

I did say to her that I'd be taking it to get a new cable, and would see what they said and let her know...I might find the courage to ask her to contribute, if they say it needs a lot spending.

I don't want to send it back as the pram top/seat are both lovely, I can't find much wrong with them, and it'll cost me another £36 to return it...

[MamaG]

so what? She should have been honest about the marks etc.

IF its such a bargain, she'll have no trouble re-selling it will she? Otherwise, find out how much to fix and ask if she'll pay that/split half?

[MamaG]

oop sorry I sound really snappy! Don't mean to

[moljam]

she might seem nice but you dont know her(not being meany),id treat it as normal not happy with item thing,email saying about problems,say you seem lovely so feel bad complaining but its lot of money for something your not happy with regardless if they go for more.ad was misleading.

i am in grump though as havent slept-so dont listen to me

[flightattendant]

Thanks girls. I feel a new strength from within my ...somewhere, anyway!

I'm taking it in tomorrow with a list of things I think are wrong with it. I will then get the shop to evaluate and quote for repairing it...then I will email her and say I'm shocked to find out the cost and ask her to refund part of it.

I think she'll be Ok with that and if not we can always get confrontational and go thru paypal...

Oh I hate it when this happens! I know I'd mention every little thing if i was selling it but my guess is that her hubby wrote the listing and doesn't have a clue - probably didn't even check it.

[chopster]

I had brake problems with my emmaljunga, but I replaced the parts before I sold it on. It might be worth looking on ebay for replacements and then you might be able to fix it yourself fairly cheaply.

[flightattendant]

Ooh Chopster, which model was that? Mine is an Edge duo thingy.

Can I ask what was wrong with it?

(Can't find any parts on ebay btw )

[pipsqueeke]

agree witht eh other girls - you've paid out good money for this it's started to annoy me with ebay thou as a few times lately i've had stuff which wasn't as descibed - one being a toy garage being described as used but excleent condition - crayons scribbled over it doesn't make it excellent cond. stick to your guns - and take pics before you sent it to the repair place. rust and stains etc should not have occured while in transit so the seller would have noticed.

will the stains come out at all? and re the smoke it will be a case of leaving it outside me thinks - and if you can freshly launder the covers.

[chopster]

mine was with the brake cogs on the wheels, I think it was a different style. Basically it snapped and the wheel kept falling off. At the time I bought the part, there was a seller sellign pram parts, will have a look.

[chopster]

I bought them from this seller here They are selling surplus stock from a repair business now closed, it might be worth emailing them.

[flightattendant]

Thanks very much Choppy I'll give her a shout, I've noticed her stuff on ebay before.

Really appreciate your help!

[SlightlyMadSpider]

Still worth getting a quote from a professional to send asking for a refund.

What are the rules on ebay for askiong for refund. I would say that if it is described as immaculate it shouldn't have had any of hte problems you list - let alone all of the,

[hairycaterpillar]

Same happened to me with a MacLaren double described as "rarely used"...when I picked it up it was rusty brakes didnt work raincover had massive hole in it and seat recline was broken so one side only lay flat. Worst of all it stank of urine YUK.I asked for a full refund and the seller was fine about it. It does make me much more cautious with ebay and now always take the description with a pinch of salt.

[flightattendant]

SMS, thanks, I will do...I have got about 6 weeks to claim through paypal if she doesn't want to help.
To be fair, most of the fabrics and the pram body, seat unit etc were in brill condition - they could get away with 'immaculate' if you ignore the stain inside, which really isn't very noticeable.
It's just the chassis that has the problems, and I do think it should have been in much better nick for them to use that word. I think they just didn't pay much attention.
But as an ebay veteran I do get an instinctive feeling that I've paid over the odds...condition is very important when pricing baby items

I just wrote my list and hope the repairs don't come to a lot - can't see her forking out a lot. And I want to keep it really...

[SlightlyMadSpider]

I think all you can do is get a market quote for repairs and present her with that.

If you can get it done cheaper - great - you may profit (or at least not loose out on as much).

[flightattendant]

Hairycat - ! that sounds yukky. Glad you got a refund. Wish I'd been able to collect this and negotiate on the spot.

[NAB3]

I would be tempted to send it back, at her cost, and get a full refund. You have said better ones are going for cheaper so you should be able to get another one. Goods not as advised.

[flightattendant]

Yes - if it proves to be unfixable or too expensive to fix, and she won't pay towards it, I will ask for a refund. I'll have to pay return postage, by paypal rules and also pay for a report to prove it's faulty if she disputes...I hope once I threaten to send it back, she'll oblige!

[flightattendant]

Eurgghh. Update, well I walked about 2 miles each way with said pram, both Ds's...they seemed quite frightened that we might actually want them to it...they were obviously busy. But I explained that I rang last week and was told to come in.

The chap came out of the back room and said he'd never repaired this model before, and as there were so many things wrong with it, he recommended sending it back to emmaljunga for a full service.

He couldn't even replace one broken rivet on the side.

So he asked me to email them a list of the faults, plus photos, to forward to Emmakjunga (who incidentally shut down for all of August, or something?)
And they might or might not get back to him with a quote/estimate.

We wandered home desultorily...did find a nice skip on the way home so that was something! Might pay for some of the repair with some old books we found

I contacted that ebay lady, Choppy - she's lovely isn't she? She DOES have some bits and can do repairs so after I get this quote I will prob take it to her for another opinion. (She has a shop in Deal near us! I used to get my bertini fixed there )

So anyway I've emailed the seller to say it's going to be dear, and given her a list of the faults, and asked very nicely if she might contribute once we know the costs.

Let yous know what she says!
Thanks again for all your help and advice, couldna done it without ya!

[NAB3]

I don't think you should be asking her to contribute. I think you should be asking her to pay the whole lot or for a refund! Goods not as described. Why don't you make her take it back and buy one which doesn't have a million things wrong with it? You said you could get better and cheaper on ebay

[flightattendant]

Because I paid £36 postage already, and it'd be me paying to send it back, add it up and I would not gain anything by doing that.


iyswim.

[flightattendant]

btw I do plan to tell her a certain amount if I don't get a quote soon...and ask her to pay it. I will go by what I believe is fair/what I would have paid for a pram in this condition. I'm on the case

sadly ebay doesn't offer refunds on postage unless it was part of the original transaction - it wasn't, I booked the courier myself.
lesson learnt!