disappointing eBay purchase

[amishmotorboat]

I purchased a lot on eBay, and only wanted one razor in it.
They were described in not being in the best condition, but all should work.


This is the one I was after. It arrived with 5 snapped teeth.

There was a large photo in the auction, but because of the angle, these missing teeth were not very noticeable.
Would the average person consider this to be working?

 

[Oldguy]

This doesn't work for me. I just hope the lot wasn't too expensive for you.

Len

 

[Gray Wolf]

I could see overlooking one or two bent corner teeth, but 5 broken teeth
that were not in the description? I say that's grounds for a dispute.
I would send the seller a message and give them a chance to make it right.

 

[malocchio]

yes ! lodge a formal complaint with ebay

 

[Stubblefield]

Ouch. Definitely contact the seller about that, especially if it was not noted in the description.

 

[johnmrson]

I'd definitely be contacting the seller about that one.

 

[tallow_first]

Is that a Barbasol or a Heppenstall? I have the Heppenstall version and discovered (after dropping it and breaking off an end tooth) that the base plate is made of plastic, so snapping teeth off is really easy to do. Also, as you can see, the plating is none too lovely on the head piece.

 

[amishmotorboat]

It's a barbasol, and is identical to a heppenstall, except for plating. I have both in front of me right now. Yes the Heppenstall has inferior plating, but I don't think there is anything plastic about it. Pot metal perhaps.

 

[Slivovitz]

I've given a seller benefit of the doubt for honest intentions when it's something that an average person might miss. The worst I got was an injector with both blades stops broken off. Well, for someone who doesn't understand injectors, it would be easy enough to miss it, those are just little nubs anyway. I returned it, took a loss on return shipping, but didn't consider that I'd been cheated.

There is no way that anyone with an ounce of common sense wouldn't guess that those missing teeth on the OP's razor were a fatal defect. Full refund including shipping costs or file a complaint and leave negative feedback.

 

[tallow_first]

Yes the Heppenstall has inferior plating, but I don't think there is anything plastic about it. Pot metal perhaps.

I don't know, judge for yourself. Where the tooth snapped off looks exactly like the plated parts from the car models from my youth did when I removed them from the parts trees. There is nothing jagged about the break either, it's real clean. Besides, I really don't think even pot metal would break that easily -- it wasn't that far of a fall.

 

[Will P.C.]

I would have already contacted the seller. Chances are you will have to take a loss on the return shipping, but just make sure you at least track the shipment back. I would use insurance as well if it was an expensive lot

 

[amishmotorboat]

I don't know, judge for yourself. Where the tooth snapped off looks exactly like the plated parts from the car models from my youth did when I removed them from the parts trees. There is nothing jagged about the break either, it's real clean. Besides, I really don't think even pot metal would break that easily -- it wasn't that far of a fall.

Would you be willing to try to pass an electric current through it?

 

[Trujillo]

I would concur on contacting the seller, and if they don't make it right, then lodging a complaint with e-bay. 5 missing teeth should have been shown in at least one photograph and included in the description in some manner, even by a non-spe......t in razors.

I have noticed a lot of razors on e-bay are photographed without all details, especially on old TTO where they do not show the butterfly doors in a decent photo. Many have only one photo where the razor is small and sometimes out of focus. I skip those auctions.

 

[tallow_first]

Would you be willing to try to pass an electric current through it?

Sure, why not? How do I do it without electrocuting myself or melting it if it is plastic?

 

[amishmotorboat]

Sure, why not? How do I do it without electrocuting myself or melting it if it is plastic?

Not suggesting you hook it up to an arc welder.
I think a small battery would do.

I used a 9 volt battery on mine. The broken off parts of the Barbasol are indeed metal, and so is the outside of the Heppenstall. I don't have broken teeth on my Heppenstall to test the insides - and the broken off part of my Barbasol doesn't look like the broken part of yours.

 

[tallow_first]

I think a small battery would do.

Okay, I'm electrically-challenged here. What exactly am I supposed to do?

 

[amishmotorboat]

Okay, I'm electrically-challenged here. What exactly am I supposed to do?

Ah, if it's too much trouble, I can live with the mystery.

But if you're determined to find out for sure if it's plastic or metal, then all you'll need is a flashlight and some wire.
Take the bulb out and wrap some wire tightly around the threaded section of the bulb, making sure that some part of exposed wire contacts those threads, and none of that wire touches the bottom of the bulb where it usually touches the battery. Take the other end of that wire and tape it to the bottom of one of the flashlight's batteries. To make sure that's working, now touch the bottom of the bulb to the other end of the battery. It should light up some, depending on how many batteries your flashlight normally takes. If that's working, take another piece of wire and tape it to the other end of the battery. Touch the end of the second wire to the broken section of your Heppenstall while touching the bottom of the lightbulb somewhere else on the razor. If the bulb lights up even the tiniest bit, you have an electrical connection and that means no plastic.

 

[Carnivore]

What about using an ohmmeter/multimeter to measure its resistance? Anything under infinity and it's metal, assuming you can get the probe to not touch the plating.

 

[mblakele]

Good idea, but if the OP is electrically-challenged then he's unlikely to have a multimeter.

 

[americanarmsdealer]

Looks to me like the seller intentionally tried to hose you. I'd definitely dispute it.