Music magpie

[FallingDownARabbitHole]

My DH sent a games console to music magpie last week. It was valued as the lower an amount as aparently it was badly cosmetically damaged. My husband asked for the console to be returned and pushed on the condition as it was perfect. They pushed themselves into a corner and eventually said it had a scratch that could only be seen under UV light.

the console arrives without the box and packaging. My husband plugs it in and he immediately spots it’s not the console he sent. Although he didn’t make a note of the serial before hand he did make a note of the player id (or something similar) and is insisting it’s not his.

he contacted them and was told to return the console and given a pre payed label. DH won’t send it back till he recieves his console, which I told him he cannot expect. During emails Music magpie are now insisting it is his and are refusing to return the box.

I’m pretty fed up of it all now so am just wondering exactly where he stands with getting his own console back or even the box.

They are very well known for underpaying. It’s their modus operandi. I think I’d be tempted to hit them up with a strong legal letter before action.

It does sound like your partner has proof of sorts this is not his console so I would go in hard in that.

In future, FB marketplace, NextDoor or gumtree is where to sell this sort of stuff. It’s cash on collection and no comeback - just make sure you arrange handover in a cafe or library or similar.

If you’re desperate for instant cash, CEX is ok and they typically shave less off the headline price.

He’s selling it because I bought him the upgraded version for a big birthday. Usually he uses eBay but just wanted it gone fast. He’d had issues with CEX undervaluing before so won’t use them.
Now he will lose money as he doesn’t have the box. The PS he did receive is working and cosmetically good but without the box the value is less. Is there any way we can force a box return. Especially as they valued his console as damaged and only worth £25 instead of the £280 then didn’t return his console or a box?

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What ID does he have, exactly?

Aparently when you go into the settings there is a unique number tied to the console. He took a note of this number. The console he received has a different number.

First you said...

Although he didn’t make a note of the serial before hand he did make a note of the player id (or something similar) and is insisting it’s not his.

Now you're saying...

Aparently when you go into the settings there is a unique number tied to the console. He took a note of this number. The console he received has a different number.

Which is it?

A player ID is not unique to a console; any player can sign in on any console. Staff at MM will have signed in to the console to test it, if they didn't factory reset it before sending it back (which seems extremely unlikely), it will still have their player account details on it rather than your partner's.

The serial number is unique to the console and cannot be changed. Saying that he 'made a note of it' obviously isn't sufficient proof. Does he have pictures/screenshots of the serial number that he took before sending the console? Does he have any other proof that it's not his?

He should have received the same item he originally sent. It seems they were in the process of rectifying this, until your partner refused to return the console that he claims doesn't belong to him.

It's not clear from your posts what happened after that point; I suspect their position is that by refusing to return the console when requested, your partner has accepted it as his. Unless you can post their exact wording though people can only guess.

As for next steps, if you haven't already then ask for and exhaust their official complaints procedure.

Other than that you need to be realistic. I've just checked MM and the price they offer for a boxed PS5 vs unboxed is less than £10. You're not going to pay more than 10x that to see a solicitor and get them to write a letter before action (that will almost certainly be ignored) for the sake of a few pounds. While your partner still has the other console in his possession, that's your only financial loss.