My computer is pretty slow and not up to playing most of my newer games, so I decided to get a new one. I am not very good with computer hardware things, so I was planning to let my brother handle the majority of things. My dad, having heard me discuss the prices of components with my brother, found one on ebay. This one had practically the same specs as the one my brother had been looking to build, for about half the price; no OS or monitor, but we have them anyway so that's no big deal. Shoulda suspected something there, but I let my dad go ahead and buy it.
Fast forward to delivery. It all looked good in the box, and my dad opened the case to visually inspect all of the components to ensure they were what was promised. Everything was there. When we went to install the OS (Windows 7), however...
Two days. Two different versions of Windows 7 on two separate discs. A flash drive with Ubuntu on. Multiple attempts with all three. Not a single one would work.
The seller was phoned on Monday morning. They said that to do anything we would have to pay for postage costs both ways (a total of £70 by their reckoning), provide original versions of all OS install media and pay for any repair costs because my dad did what any sensible internet-buyer would do and opened the case to inspect the components.
After having the computer checked at a more local computer shop, one we've trusted for years, it's been discovered that the hard drive was a) not new, but actually a refurbished and rebranded one and b) totally and utterly knackered.
We've not had chance to contact the seller again, and to be honest, I'm not sure what I can contact them about. I don't want to return the computer, as I've asked for a new hard drive to be put in at the second shop, but I bought a computer expecting it to be in working condition and it most definitely was not.
Eta It was found on ebay but bought through the seller's own site. Ebay and paypal weren't involved in the payment part of things at all.
