eBay Seller Asking Me to Cut The Electrical Cord of The Fan!

Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 15:28
Last edited 23/01/2023 - 15:28

Is it just me or does that title actually sound ridiculous to you too?

So I bought a pedestal fan from a reputable store on ebay 2 months ago for around $80. The fan now only works on the very lowest speed. Any higher speed and it will turn itself off about 3 seconds later.

Contacted the seller. Asked me for video proof. Did that. Now, they don’t want it back and are asking me to cut the bloody cord in half and send a photo of that before they send a replacement!

The thing is the fan kinda work at the moment. I can give it away to someone on gumtree who may just use it as is or fix it. Instead, they want me to cut the cord and then end up with junk that I have to deal with myself.

They haven’t responded to my last message yet but that was only a couple of hours ago. I am just curious if that is a standard practice?
This is a huge seller with more than 1.2 million items sold on ebay alone and 99.2% positive feedback!

Home & Garden Fan

closed Comments

  • Hybroid on 23/01/2023 - 15:30
    +31

    Cut the cord.
    Take photo.
    Put plug back onto cut cord.
    ???
    Profit.

    It's not unusual for a business to ask you to "destroy" a product they are replacing or refunding without wanting it back. Very normal for defective physical disc games for example.

    • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 15:34
      -7

      Possibly understandable for small items but cutting an electric cord then ending up with a big piece of junk is not reasonable, is it?

      • Ryanek on 23/01/2023 - 15:39
        +43

        They're sending you a replacement on the basis that the fan no longer works. You cutting the cord will confirm the fan no longer works. What's the problem?

        Sounds like you want your cake and to eat it too.

        • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 15:40

          The video already confirmed that it is faulty.
          I was just surprised by the request, but it seems it is not really as strange as I thought it was.

          • Hybroid on 23/01/2023 - 16:29
            +2

            @Save 50 Cent: It's not a strange request at all for various reasons outlined by others here.

            It's also not difficult putting a plug back onto a cut cord.

          • SF3 on 23/01/2023 - 18:46
            +5

            @Save 50 Cent:

            The video already confirmed that it is faulty.

            Yeah, maybe they don't want the appliance to be a potential fire hazard and suspect there is something very wrong. So it would be better that no one can use it anymore for safety reasons.

  • duk242 on 23/01/2023 - 15:30
    +11

    It's to prevent you from reselling it and thus having faulty goods out there (which can make the manufacturer look bad if you've sold it on to someone etc).
    Steelseries do this with a lot of their stuff too, they got me to rip the mouse buttons off a slightly faulty mouse, then once I submitted proof of that they sent me a new one.

    You could cut it, send proof and rejoin it, but since it's a 240v lead you run into legal issues playing with power like that :P

      • Cheaplikethebird on 23/01/2023 - 15:35
        +4

        If someone's going to pick up a broken fan with the idea of fixing it I'd say they can manage putting a new plug end on it.

      • Drakesy on 23/01/2023 - 15:45
        +7

        It's pretty standard for suppliers to do this.
        We'd have to cut up $4000 bikes with paint cracks before they were warrantied purely so we couldn't repair/on sell them. Which did happen.

        This prevents a duplicated warranty replacement and removes the supplier from liability if it did electrocute someone.

        • outlander on 23/01/2023 - 19:55

          It's also in no small part for tax reasons.

          A lot of fully functional valuable items get destroyed so the business can claim it as a tax deduction. Its more profitable to them to do that than to sell or give it away. Most famous example I can think of was the ET game for nintendo, where hundreds of thousands of copies were buried in a tip.

      • DoctorCalculon on 23/01/2023 - 22:04
        +2

        But i just don’t want to end up having to do a tip run for no reason.

        Oh please! Don't be so dramatic.

        You can just put it out for kerbside collection by your local council.
        Most likely it will get picked up by someone walking past.

    • RichardL on 23/01/2023 - 15:36

      Steelseries do this with a lot of their stuff too, they got me to rip the mouse buttons off a slightly faulty mouse

      Razer makes you cut the cord and slash the serial/sticker. (Can easily restore if you have some soldering skills).

  • scrimshaw on 23/01/2023 - 15:35
    +10

    I worked in retail and we often had to destroy damaged or faulty items that customers returned. It's fun watching the thing go down into the bin and get crushed by the grinding wheels, although part of me thought it's really wasteful to destroy something that's potentially still usable.

    So not surprised they are asking you to cut the cord of a potentially dangerous electrical appliance - it could be a fire or electrocution hazard and that would be the onus of the seller to pay out any damages caused by it malfunctioning.

    • AustriaBargain on 23/01/2023 - 16:32
      +3

      I worked at BI-LO as a kid and we had to pour all the expired soft drinks down the drain. Sometimes I'd sneak a sip though.

      • Guybrush57 on 23/01/2023 - 21:20
        +3

        That's him officer, right there!

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 23/01/2023 - 15:38
    +4

    it doesnt fit in the bin? I recently turfed an old pedastal fan, it pulled apart (leg and body) and i threw it into my normal bin no dramas.

    fix it. Instead, they want me to cut the cord

    Say you give it to someone, knowing theres an issue, and it causes a fire. What then?

    Someone who has exactly the right knowledge, tools and part (probably motor related) - could probably put a plug back on if required.

    • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 15:42
      -7

      It will fit but then we will hardly have any room left for actual rubbish the whole week! Plus I think you are not meant to put shit like that in the bin anyway.

      My main issue is that they are making it my problem to deal with the junk I will be left with. If they are really that worried, I can send it back but they said they didn’t want it obviously as that would cost them money.

      • boomramada on 23/01/2023 - 16:17
        +13

        Your main problem is; you are full of… excuses 😉

        Take a part the fan, ditch to the bin, bit at a time. Get the new fan and enjoy life.

        Any thing else I can help you with?

        • mbck on 23/01/2023 - 17:09
          +9

          Op just want to vent…ilate

  • Ricky Jones on 23/01/2023 - 15:43
    +16

    Make sure you unplug it before cutting

    • No ONE on 23/01/2023 - 22:40

      Imagine that op doing video as a proof and cutting a live wire.

  • p1 ama on 23/01/2023 - 15:47
    +12

    The thing is the fan kinda work at the moment. I can give it away to someone on gumtree who may just use it as is or fix it. Instead, they want me to cut the cord and then end up with junk that I have to deal with myself.

    Dude, you do realise that if a fan is only working on the lowest setting and it shuts itself off after 3 seconds on a higher setting then it likely has something jamming up the motor? Continuing to use it like this (even at the low speed) is a fire hazard. No surprise they want you to destroy it.

    How dim can some people be?

    • djones145 on 23/01/2023 - 15:55
      +7

      waiting for the next topic
      fakes wire cut, gave fan to friend, their house burned down, they are suing me, what can i do?

      • Cluster on 23/01/2023 - 17:14
        +2

        Bonus points: Friend has no home insurance

        • zathras on 23/01/2023 - 17:36
          +1

          Extra Bonus Points: Setup a gofundme for mate with no home insurance who lost his house when it burned down

    • Brick Tamland on 23/01/2023 - 18:09
      +2

      How dim can some people be?

      People have the power to surprise. After working customer service jobs I often wondered how some people manage get by with day to day activities.

  • RockyRaccoon on 23/01/2023 - 16:01
    +1

    By Law you have this right

    Responsibility for returning products

    Consumers are responsible for returning products that can be posted or easily returned.

    Businesses are responsible for paying for the shipping costs or collecting faulty products that are large, heavy or hard to remove, such as:

    widescreen televisions beds
    installed appliances, like stoves or dishwashers
    extension ladders stuck in an extended position.
    This must be done within a reasonable time.

    Return costs

    If the business confirms that the product does have a problem, it must reimburse the consumer for any reasonable return costs they have already paid.

    Consumers should keep receipts for postage or transport costs so that they can be repaid by the business.

    However you will still have to pack it up and take it to the Post Office to send back, or order a courier to pickup, and they will require it to be broken down to fit into a shipping container, all of which will take time and effort.

    If you bought it retail, you'd still have to pack it up to return to the store.

    Sure it might be a little inconvenient, but really you are spending all this time to complain here about something that really is just part of life. Like a fan failing in Summer and takes time to replace means you miss out for a week or so while it gets replaced. Thats life. Just like someone crashes into your car. It stuffs up your day, you cant get that back no matter what you demand.

    To me cutting off the cord makes more sense, then dispose in the garbage. You can put a little in each week if you bin is that full. Although if its a standard pedestal fan, I would guess its NOT that large when broken down.

  • CurlCurl on 23/01/2023 - 16:03

    First world problem.

  • whodidthat on 23/01/2023 - 16:04
    +5

    It's a potential hazard, they are protecting themselves from any possible claim if it causes damage or loss. Not unusual.

  • tikei on 23/01/2023 - 16:07
    +3

    Photoshop it then.

  • AustriaBargain on 23/01/2023 - 16:34
    +2

    If they are refunding you then what's the problem. If they refund you then it's their fan, what does it matter to you, it wouldn't be yours to sell on Gumtree if they refunded it. Obviously their unit price for the fan is less than the cost of posting it, opening the package, and disposing it themselves/unjamming it and selling it as used stock.

    • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 16:52
      +1

      I already mentioned a few times above but I mainly thought it was a bit bizarre to request the customer to do that plus the inconvenience of disposal.
      It is their fan and I am not denying them to take it back. That was I thought was going to happen anyway.
      But having read the replies, it seems like it is more reasonable that I thought. Thanks for the input.

      • AustriaBargain on 23/01/2023 - 16:55

        If you really can't fit it in your bin or bring it to ewaste/hard rubbish you could pressure them to take it back. I know when you return something to office works they will have a courier come to your door to pick it up, but usually you need to bring it to a post office. Do you even still have the box? Returning it could be more trouble for you than it's worth as well.

      • pegaxs on 23/01/2023 - 18:19

        plus the inconvenience of disposal.

        Oh, pull your head in. You want compensation for walking from your outrage chair to the bin?

        And I am once again all out of negs for the day due to a single thread… thanks.

  • Cluster on 23/01/2023 - 17:15

    Cut the cord and throw it into a Bunnings recycle bin. Yes, this will make Greta cry, but the fan is obviously faulty.

  • Heaps for Cheaps on 23/01/2023 - 17:21
    +2

    It's not ridiculous IMO. They want to make sure nobody can use the fan, and are happy to send a replacement.

    It's pretty easy to dispose of, snap in half and put 2 pieces in the bin, or unscrew it as much as possible.

    With such small-margin items I wouldn't make a fuss.

    • GrueHunter on 23/01/2023 - 19:02

      They want to make sure nobody can use the fan

      Then they can cut the cable, and then they can take it to the dump.

      • Heaps for Cheaps on 23/01/2023 - 20:11

        …Another Biden supporter.

        • GrueHunter on 23/01/2023 - 21:22

          How about this, you very stable genius:

          Point to the part of the ACL that says your right to a refund or a repair for defective goods is dependent on you destroying the original product.

          I'll be over here winning bigly in the meantime.

  • bobbified on 23/01/2023 - 17:27
    +2

    Why are you trying to make things so complicated?

    Quit whinging, cut the damn cord and get your replacement!

  • Donaldhump on 23/01/2023 - 17:31
    +2

    pretty obvious

    its dangerous, they want it out of circulation. you want a replacement then you cut the cord.
    you sell it on gumtree knowing its faulty, you will be up for potential law suit if it hurts someone. what for $20

    you don't want to cut the cord and keep using, you've accepted the defect and have no recourse on you getting hurt.

    just cut the fricken cord

  • cookie2 on 23/01/2023 - 18:04
    +1

    Not unusual and seen it before. It doesn't work properly, you've asked for a replacement and they're willing to oblige. You no longer get a say in what happens to the original faulty item. It's a fan, not an aircon unit so I'm pretty sure it's not a big deal and you can fit ot on your big for collection. From their point of view, they don't want their faulty item out there in the world AND it's dishonest if you go and try and sell it.

  • Brick Tamland on 23/01/2023 - 18:25
    +1

    Sounds reasonable to me. If it's faulty it's a safety issue. Saves you the hassle of posting it back too.

  • Ghost47 on 23/01/2023 - 18:38
    +1

    Good on you for being concerned about simply throwing out a bulky item. Not sure why people are giving you so much flack, it’s not hard to be nice and just say you should cut the cord.

    I don’t think you have much choice but to do what they say sadly. Otherwise if you really don’t want to chuck it out you can try opening it up and repairing it yourself first before cutting the cord?

    • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 19:28

      The first thing i tried before contacting them was googling the issue. Was hoping it would be a common fault with an easy fix but couldn’t find a single result with a similar issue.
      The fan is dc motor Heller. I’m happy to hear suggestions for a fix from anyone.

  • RobBoss on 23/01/2023 - 18:47

    Do you have the Viomi Smart fan by any chance, unfortunately, that is the issue with the fan? It doesn't look like it can sustain the speed. I have two same issues and learn to live with it.

    • Save 50 Cent on 23/01/2023 - 19:29

      It is a Heller dc fan.

      • RockyRaccoon on 23/01/2023 - 20:13

        Bear with us, you are being even more ridiculous - and cut me some slack for being punny…..

        One minute you say its not worth your time to cut the cord and bin to get a replacement that the supplier has offered. Now you say you have already searched for a self fix solution, which while that may be noble for the planet (save junking it), it doesnt fit with the confected outrage at having to make some of the effort required to cut the cord and bin the unit.

        Both require effort and time. If you want to tinker, cut the cord (make sure its unplugged) , get a replacement plug from Bunnings and rewire. I do assume you have some electrical experience, otherwise why would you have googled a self fix.

        https://www.bunnings.com.au/hpm-10a-3-pin-flat-figure-8-whit…

        Then use it on the back porch at a slow speed while congratulating yourself on the bargain of the century… 😀

  • harshbdmmaster718 on 23/01/2023 - 19:23
    +3

    Ridiculous! How can they expect a panda to handle scissors?? And then to use those scissors to cut a cable!

  • bdl on 23/01/2023 - 19:48

    Username checks out

  • trapper on 23/01/2023 - 19:57
    +1

    It would be really easy to fake this photo btw… you don't need to actually cut the cord off.

  • Some Human on 23/01/2023 - 20:26

    It sounded like an "oh the buyer damaged it, we're not accepting the return now" scam until I read the comments.

  • Breno785au on 23/01/2023 - 22:40

    Yeah I had the same thing with a Russell and Hobbs rice cooker. They asked me to cut the cord before sending a replacement, so I did… It was a replaceable kettle power plug lol

    • Eeples on 23/01/2023 - 23:25

      But didn't the rice cooker not work? So why would you buy a new power plug for it?

  • Oz em on 23/01/2023 - 23:35

    Electric throw blanket from sunbeam.
    Happy to refund in full. Just cut cord and send photo.

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