Pirate cart - should seller pay shipping?

[Ziggy]

i don't want to be the odd man out...

but how do you know this isn't a man who knows nothing about video games and is just selling his son's old video game collection? or maybe he already had it and had no idea it was a pirate.

i do think he should pay the return shipping, which is probably only a few dollars, but threatening him with negative feedback might be a bit extreme.

Yeah, I agree. Why assume that he knew it was a pirate cart? I had a pirate GBA cart up for sale here once and I had no idea. Some one noticed it and pointed it out to me. It's more likely that he doesn't know it's a pirate cart.

[noiseredux]

i don't want to be the odd man out...

but how do you know this isn't a man who knows nothing about video games and is just selling his son's old video game collection? or maybe he already had it and had no idea it was a pirate.

i do think he should pay the return shipping, which is probably only a few dollars, but threatening him with negative feedback might be a bit extreme.

Yeah, I agree. Why assume that he knew it was a pirate cart? I had a pirate GBA cart up for sale here once and I had no idea. Some one noticed it and pointed it out to me. It's more likely that he doesn't know it's a pirate cart.

I don't inspect every single cart I buy. I mean if I notice a bad looking label, or if the saves don't work or something I might, but for all I know I have pirates in my collection and am blissfully unaware.

[Gnashvar]

You are entitled to the refund and the shipping costs. Try to be nice about it. Ask for a prepaid shipping, if he doesn't want to then ask Amazon support.

[CRTGAMER]

Some good points in the sellers defense. Is the cart an obvious Pirate one? If it looks original then perhaps an unaware mistake. Still the seller is responsible to providing a product as advertised. maybe give benefit of doubt. A refund including return shipping or keep product should still be expected in advance prior to return. Reason why is trust has already been broken in the transaction, if seller doesn't agree then go the reporting route to the sponsor Amazon. Seller would not want to risk losing standing with that kind of clout.

Curious of outcome, hope all goes smooth at both ends, please let us know.

Also curious of cart, a pic to point out pirate cart?

[Gnashvar]

Some good points in the sellers defense. Is the cart an obvious Pirate one? If it looks original then perhaps an unaware mistake. Still the seller is responsible to providing a product as advertised. maybe give benefit of doubt. A refund including return shipping or keep product should still be expected in advance prior to return. Reason why is trust has already been broken in the transaction, if seller doesn't agree then go the reporting route to the sponsor Amazon. Seller would not want to risk losing standing with that kind of clout.

Curious of outcome, hope all goes smooth at both ends, please let us know.

Also curious of cart, a pic to point out pirate cart?

Agree. Sometimes we forget that most people will not see what we see. We are experienced in buying, collecting and playing video games. Most people will see a cart that says GBA on it. Never thinking that pirate carts even exist.

[gtmtnbiker]

Curious of outcome, hope all goes smooth at both ends, please let us know.

Also curious of cart, a pic to point out pirate cart?

I'll see if I can take some pictures of it this weekend. I sent an email to the seller yesterday asking if he would reimburse me for return shipping which shouldn't be more than $2 (will charge actual cost) Haven't heard back yet.

Regarding another poster's question on how I was able to tell that it was a pirate cart, this is what I sent to the seller.

I have another Wario Ware Mega Microgames cartridge and these are the following differences:

1. Looking above the cartridge gold contact fingers, the official cartridge has "Nintendo" & "2002" along with some other letters. The pirate cart has some other letters that I can't quite read.

2. The cartridge label is very different between the two.

3. The embossed lettering on the back of the cartridge is not as crisp as the letters on the official version.

4. The pirate cart has a small sticker covering the security screw. Official carts do not have this sticker.

5. The pirate cart does not save the game. I entered some info (e.g, name) into the game and powered it off and on again. The information had to be re-entered.

[noiseredux]

I feel like to a non-video game collector (aka: nerds like us), only your 5th point will mean anything. I mean, what does a "normal person" care about the crispness of an embossment? But yeah, a cart not holding a save can be considered a "Defective" product (as in, it does not do what it should -- and this was not disclosed first). So yeah.

[gtmtnbiker]

I heard back from the seller. He said, no, he's not going to pay for return shipping.

I poked around Amazon's website and it seems that he's correct, he is not obligated to pay for return shipping. See this url

Arranging Amazon Marketplace Returns & Refunds
When you buy an item from a seller at Amazon Marketplace, you should be able to expect a high standard of customer service, both before and after you receive your order.

Returns
If you receive an item different than what was described, or that is clearly in worse condition than indicated, you must contact your seller directly to report the defect or damage within 14 days of receiving the shipment. You should be able to reach an amicable agreement with one another. If necessary, you can return your item to the seller for a refund. Please note that items purchased from Amazon Marketplace sellers need to be returned directly to the seller and not to Amazon.com.

To be eligible for a refund, you must return your item to your seller in the same condition you received it, and the return must be postmarked within 30 days of shipment. If the item you purchased is a software title, it can only be returned in cases of defect, damage or if the item was different than described. When writing to the seller to arrange for its return, please be as descriptive as possible regarding the problem with the merchandise. As with the Amazon.com retail returns policy, there are no returns of 1) hazardous items that are gas-powered or contain flammable liquids and 2) computer laptops and desktops more than 30 days after delivery.

Shipping and handling charges for returning Marketplace items are borne by the buyer. To ensure the safe return of the merchandise, items valued at over $75 must be returned to the seller with a traceable shipping service. If the order is valued at $100 or more, insure the shipment for the value of the merchandise and ship your return with a signature shipping service. For items below $75, we suggest USPS delivery confirmation service.

Sending the return via a trackable shipping method protects you in the event a seller doesn't receive an item. If a package doesn't arrive, we can implement an A-to-z Guarantee claim (something we can't do for untracked packages).

Amazon.com strives to maintain a marketplace that is fair to both buyers and sellers. If you do not use a traceable method to return your item and the seller does not provide a refund to you, we may not be able to cover you under the A-to-z Guarantee.

Note that Delivery Confirmation through the U.S. Postal Service does not offer a signature service. If the seller's return address is a P.O. Box, you will need to ship USPS, but be sure to request signature confirmation and insurance for USPS shipments.

[pepharytheworm]

I heard back from the seller. He said, no, he's not going to pay for return shipping.

I poked around Amazon's website and it seems that he's correct, he is not obligated to pay for return shipping. See this url

Arranging Amazon Marketplace Returns & Refunds
When you buy an item from a seller at Amazon Marketplace, you should be able to expect a high standard of customer service, both before and after you receive your order.

Returns
If you receive an item different than what was described, or that is clearly in worse condition than indicated, you must contact your seller directly to report the defect or damage within 14 days of receiving the shipment. You should be able to reach an amicable agreement with one another. If necessary, you can return your item to the seller for a refund. Please note that items purchased from Amazon Marketplace sellers need to be returned directly to the seller and not to Amazon.com.

To be eligible for a refund, you must return your item to your seller in the same condition you received it, and the return must be postmarked within 30 days of shipment. If the item you purchased is a software title, it can only be returned in cases of defect, damage or if the item was different than described. When writing to the seller to arrange for its return, please be as descriptive as possible regarding the problem with the merchandise. As with the Amazon.com retail returns policy, there are no returns of 1) hazardous items that are gas-powered or contain flammable liquids and 2) computer laptops and desktops more than 30 days after delivery.

Shipping and handling charges for returning Marketplace items are borne by the buyer. To ensure the safe return of the merchandise, items valued at over $75 must be returned to the seller with a traceable shipping service. If the order is valued at $100 or more, insure the shipment for the value of the merchandise and ship your return with a signature shipping service. For items below $75, we suggest USPS delivery confirmation service.

Sending the return via a trackable shipping method protects you in the event a seller doesn't receive an item. If a package doesn't arrive, we can implement an A-to-z Guarantee claim (something we can't do for untracked packages).

Amazon.com strives to maintain a marketplace that is fair to both buyers and sellers. If you do not use a traceable method to return your item and the seller does not provide a refund to you, we may not be able to cover you under the A-to-z Guarantee.

Note that Delivery Confirmation through the U.S. Postal Service does not offer a signature service. If the seller's return address is a P.O. Box, you will need to ship USPS, but be sure to request signature confirmation and insurance for USPS shipments.

Does that return policy include selling illegal merchadise? Contact Amazon I am sure they won't make you pay return shipping to the seller. You don't have to give back pirated merchandise, they shouldn't be selling it period whether they knew or not. You think pawn shops get reimburesed when they purchase stolen goods or pirated goods if found out? People can't use ignorance as a shield, yes you can make a mistake but I guarantee he won't make the same mistake twice.

[CRTGAMER]

Does that return policy include selling illegal merchadise? Contact Amazon I am sure they won't make you pay return shipping to the seller. You don't have to give back pirated merchandise, they shouldn't be selling it period whether they knew or not. You think pawn shops get reimburesed when they purchase stolen goods or pirated goods if found out? People can't use ignorance as a shield, yes you can make a mistake but I guarantee he won't make the same mistake twice.

Agree, hang the seller's account by reporting with a pic to Amazon.
Expect nothing short of a full refund and keep the cart at this stage.