Looking inside before you buy etc.

From: Mike Ford <mikeford_at_socal.rr.com>
Date: Tue Jun 13 03:48:00 2000

Since I didn't see it mentioned in this "look before you buy" thread, many
of the vendors I deal with will quote a price on an item basically AS IT
SITS. If I choose to test the device, it now changes into either a
"working" or "nonworking" thing from a AS-IS thing, and so changes the
price. If the price is "fixed" and you "can" test, then you are wise to go
ahead and test it.

Bit of advice, NEVER plug something in before making at least some check
for loose parts inside.

I do the same thing right back to them though, make an offer on a pallet as
it sits, then if they decide they want to peek in each box to make sure I
don't get a goodie, I tell them fine, but I am looking too, and my offer
may drop significantly, or I may only want a few of the systems. Another
thing I point out all the time is that I "would have offered a lot more"
but somebody damaged the case parts opening up the units. Most of the time
I am better off buying items as "assumed" non working. OTOH I don't think I
will EVER buy another hard drive "AS-IS" unless I am REAL sure it isn't
tested bad goods. Any fairly dollar dense item like a hard drive being
offered as-is, should be assumed "tested bad".

That said, I keep a blade/phillips two ended screwdriver in my shirt
pocket, ALL THE TIME (wife doesn't care for it a bit), and regularly take a
"kit" with me in a double shoe box sized plastic tub (two pairs of gloves,
leather and rubber, wet wipes, full set of screwdrivers including a BIG
one, notebook, pen, long nose pliers, a couple of those jackknife type sets
of Torx and allen keys, and three or four nut drivers in sizes too small
for anything else. That is not so much my inspection kit (pocket
screwdriver does that job) as my field tear it apart kit, dumpster divers
tools also included are a couple cables (nothing hooks things like a RJ11
or DB9 when fishing).
Received on Tue Jun 13 2000 - 03:48:00 BST