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CBM 8032 listed for $500

I bit, and asked the guy if he realized that the asking price was a little insane for a machine that has not been demonstrated to be even functional, and why it would be untested for lack of a power cable when he clearly has a compatible cable on hand as pictured in front of the Mac...

I got back a mildly rude reply telling me that if I'm so observant and so smart, then I would have realized that the voltages listed on the machines are obviously different (117v on the CBM, and 100-240v on the Mac SE), and that if I'm going to "spam his email account with my comments, I should go bother someone else."

I don't think that this would be a seller that I would even want to do business with, replying like that. Talk about an inability to maturely handle a minor issue with a potential customer...
 
Sorry to hear about the ebay rudeness. Surprising when dealing with a potential buyer. Sounds like they are a bit defensive..

I have the feeling that when people say "untested", what they often mean is "I tested it and it doesn't work".
 
After the rude response I sent a quick reply, explaining that I had indeed observed the rated voltages of the machines.

I explained quickly that I have also observed the fact that North American electrical service is rated nominally at 120v +/-5%, resulting in typical voltages anywhere from 114-126v, which tend to be well within the tolerances for any approved electrical devices. He had also stated to me that I must have failed to notice the 'make offer' button, so I mentioned that that kind of asking price is usually enough to turn any savvy buyer off of an item if they have any idea what they're looking at.

I also mentioned that the rudeness of the reply basically tells me that I wouldn't want to make an offer anyways, that it was rather unprofessional to treat a potential customer that way for simply inquiring about the item, and that there's no need to show offense over being told that something may be overpriced when offers are openly accepted...

I never got another reply back, but I see he halved his asking price anyways. From his defensiveness and lack of explanation I'd guess that the "tested and doesn't work" theory is probably a safe bet.
 
Who said the seller even can differ a working PET from a broken one, assuming it displays garbage all over the screen? I see PET computers for sale every now and then listed as "perfect condition", just some strange characters on the screen that probably can be wiped away or so...
 
He still hasn't powered it on.... Here is the mail exchange between him and me.

_______________________________________
From: tndabone
To: sports*and*more
Subject: Details about item: tndabone sent a message about VINTAGE COMMODORE CBM MODEL 8032 COMPUTER NOT TESTED #120821019790
Sent Date: Nov-30-11 13:00:30 PST
Dear sports*and*more,

Any standard computer or monitor power cord will work in the pet. It plugs into the wall. I would love to know if this powers up.
- tndabone
_______________________________________

Dear tndabone,

Hi, thanks for letting me know that. You and about 500000 other people have told me the samething. I work from a labtop so I dont have the usual cord. I am trying to get one as we speak. This machine from the outside looks like it's in perfect condition. I just dont know about the power. I will let you know once I get what I need.
- sports*and*more




Later,
dabone
 
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