Thread
TAM arrived, and it's not pretty
I opened up the box to discover a complete lack of packaging material. The unit itself has a huge crack in the CD-ROM drive door, and the subwoofer has a large crack and several chips missing. Siiiiigh...
Damn! What is up with people and not packing these? The one I bought came in two boxes with the sub/accessory box having NO packing too. Not as bad as yours, but ended up cracked in the back side. That just sucks!!!
Is this something you *bought* and the seller just went lazy on the packaging? I would be furious!
I'd be so disappointed to come across something like that. You'd think any seller these days hocking stuff on eBay would have at least some idea of basic packing. Take some pics of the poor packaging and hopefully you will get your money back and keep the TAM ... Even better, then you could source a replacement CD door and sub case and all would be well again, hopefully. I'm assuming the Bose sub will sound horrible as it's not a sealed unit anymore.
Hope you like super glue because that's a very easy fix.
No, superglue will discolor the ABS plastic. Definitely not an easy fix - especially since I'm sure half the broken plastic pieces went out a hole in the bottom of the box.
Yep, bought it on eBay last week:
https://68kmla.org/forums/index.php?/topic/26504-tam-with-a-dead-screen/
You paid $65 for shipping, so it better have been well insured. You should also register a complaint with eBay in case the shipper doesn't want to take responsibility because it was packed poorly. Make sure you document everything - don't get rid of any of the packaging!
Yes. $65 for shipping and that is what happens? The lawyer part of me would start to get its blood up...
Yep, that is ENTIRELY unacceptable "packaging", and ownership lies squarely in the court of the seller, not the shipping company... even handled like eggshells, the machine would have broken just from movement during transport, due to lack of any packaging in the box. This completely useless moron deserves to be held to acount for his sheer laziness and failure to meet his obligation as a seller. You paid for a working and complete machine, and you got a splintered wreck, due to the sellers lack of care alone, so as such I would say compensation is in order for the product you realistically did not receive.
Unbelievable!
This does not surprise me in the least. Most people dont care, and want that quick buck.
eBay will quickly snatch that potential buck away from the greedy outstretched hands of this expectant miscreant. [
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100% feedback for 11 transactions translates into 83% of 12, a significant kaibosh put on the next sale attempt. [}] ]'>
Incredibly disappointing though, I feel your loss.
] ]'> 100% feedback for 11 transactions translates into 83% of 12, a significant kaibosh put on the next sale attempt. [}
] ]'>Incredibly disappointing though, I feel your loss.
I have faith that eBay will do the right thing. I opened a return request with the seller, and if he doesn't let me return it, I'll open a claim with eBay, and I'll make sure to leave appropriate feedback
Seeing those photos leaves me utterly speechless!
I hope you get it sorted out!
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I hope you get it sorted out!
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Dont let the seller drag things out so you cant leave feedback. I forget how many days you have, 30 or 45. I had an issue once and could not leave the feedback I wanted.
That's why I prefer to let some Macs go to other buyers than getting them by shipping.
Very sad
Very sad
Anyone who has been in this game for any length of time, has gotten a similarly treated item. I cannot imagine packing something like that, and especially with something like a TAM - what a sad situation. I have had good, end results with eBay/Paypal in situations like this (as a buyer), so I hope things turn out for you as well.
I have received stuff like laptops just chucked into a box with no padding at all come from ebay sellers. Oddly enough that one was a Thinkpad and nothing broke.
Yep, just got a PowerBook 3400 from eBay, and it arrived in a USPS flat rate box, with no packing material. Luckily, the 3400 is a beast, and can withstand a few bumps.
Likely because it's new enough that the plastic hasn't gone completely brittle.
But then again, it's the same age as the TAM, so I don't know....
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But then again, it's the same age as the TAM, so I don't know....
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The TAM is not the same plastic as the 3400 to begin with. That may be part of it.
The TAM definitely has spindlerplastic. For sure... its brittle, the same or even more so than the LC5XX
Any update on what the seller has said?
Update:
After a few days of sneering at it, I decided to fire it up and see if it still worked. To my great surprise, it started right up, and the screen even comes on (which the auction said it didn't). It's running OS 9.1 with 64 MB of RAM and an upgraded 10 GB hard drive.
The seller finally got back to me this afternoon, and offered me $250 back. I'm a little torn because at this point, finding a new Bose base and CD-ROM door is going to take several years. But finding an affordable TAM could take even longer.
What would you guys do?
Try piecing together what you can? Assuming you have all the pieces, you could probably rebuild the CD-ROM door, even though it will never look as good as an undamaged part.
Take the $250. You can save it and use it for another TAM.
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Take the $250. You can save it and use it for another TAM.
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Personally I'd tell him to get bent and demand all my money back *including* shipping, but I'm probably the wrong one to ask since I can't for the life of me see the attraction of a TAM. You paid, what, $370 PLUS $70 bucks shipping and the guy just tosses it loosely into a cardboard box so it seems to me he has a lot of gall to ask you to effectively pay $190 for a smashed computer that's 100% his fault.
Or, to put it another way, I'd only keep it if you're sure that the undamaged parts are collectively worth $190. Maybe they are. But I'd still be hesitant to take the deal. Someone this stupid deserves some seriously vindictive treatment.
If it's working, with refund in hand (and I'd push for more) JB weld it all back together and enjoy using it. You will learn a lot about TAM disassembly (which isn't that bad) and be ready to replace the plastics when they do crop up somewhere! A store in the Netherlands had lots of NIB parts - I can't find the site anymore though.
EDIT: Found an archive of the TAM ning site, for parts try emailing hans@petersdorff.nl
EDIT: Found an archive of the TAM ning site, for parts try emailing hans@petersdorff.nl
I'd beat him up for more than that, something like $150 total out of pocket for a box of working shards seems more like it to me. $80 less eBay fees plus whatever he netted with that egregious "shipping & mishandling" fee is more than is deserved in my book. What postage sticker price was on that package anyway?
So I asked him for $280 back, because a "junk" TAM recently sold on eBay for $150. I told him that this is basically junk now, as it's only value to me was as a display piece. He agreed to $280.
I looked up Fedex from Chicago to Reno, and it appears, based on a 20x20x20 inch box (like it shipped in), it really was about $65 to ship to me. That wasn't the shipping method specified in the auction.
Subs pop up for $200 on eBay from time to time, plus shipping. The CD door.... I already spent a GREAT deal of time locating one. Never did, ended up fixing it instead.
I'd take the refund. If that junker TAM you mentioned was "For parts or not working", at least you have a whole working TAM for the same price. Fix up what you can and keep an ear out for a dead one or the plastics you need down the road.
Alternatively, find someone who can 3D print you a new door and make it translucent
Alternatively, find someone who can 3D print you a new door and make it translucent