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Some here are experts on this sort of thing, so it seems like a good place to ask.
I've been looking at computers lately on eBay, including especially "parts or repair" Mac notebooks. (Let's leave the why out of this, please.) But this almost certainly goes for other items as well. I understand saying "I don't know anything about these, but it won't turn on." I understand "X parts are missing and without them I cannot test further." But why do people who *do* know what, specifically, is wrong with a particular machine so often not disclose it?
For example, one I was looking at yesterday, the seller said they'd tested the computer thoroughly, then gave no more description of its problems than "broken." OK... but surely someone looking to buy one for parts would care which parts are no good? Surely knowing that, even if it's something serious, would get more bids from people who want the other parts and now know they're available?
In this case, since the seller said they'd tested it, I asked for more information. Turns out all that made it "broken" was that the battery was missing and the hard drive was bad. Now, for my purposes, it would be a stationary machine anyway, so the battery didn't matter (and if it did, they're readily available.) And much the same with the hard drive: many sold as working don't include them for security reasons, and if it had had one I'd have wiped it anyway, probably after putting in a larger one. So, had that information been included in the listing, I'd have bid more than it wound up selling for... meaning, whether I won or not, they'd have made more money. But by the time they answered, the auction was over anyway, and I suspect many people wouldn't even have asked.
In a similar manner, someone whose computer is fine except for a cracked screen would be happy to get one of the same type with a liquid-damaged logic board, and so forth. So... unless you've already broken or stripped *everything* worth having and are hoping an idiot comes along, why not tell what you know?
(As secondary questions, why do people who put up self-contradictory listings like "G5 Core 2 Duo" (G5 being a PowerPC model, and C2D an Intel) often seem so annoyed at being asked which is correct? And what the **** do people mean when they say it's in excellent cosmetic condition, then go on to say it's got dented corners, missing keys, and the display is taped in place? And why does eBay penalize people with a 0% rating just for not having bought anything recently?)
I've been looking at computers lately on eBay, including especially "parts or repair" Mac notebooks. (Let's leave the why out of this, please.) But this almost certainly goes for other items as well. I understand saying "I don't know anything about these, but it won't turn on." I understand "X parts are missing and without them I cannot test further." But why do people who *do* know what, specifically, is wrong with a particular machine so often not disclose it?
For example, one I was looking at yesterday, the seller said they'd tested the computer thoroughly, then gave no more description of its problems than "broken." OK... but surely someone looking to buy one for parts would care which parts are no good? Surely knowing that, even if it's something serious, would get more bids from people who want the other parts and now know they're available?
In this case, since the seller said they'd tested it, I asked for more information. Turns out all that made it "broken" was that the battery was missing and the hard drive was bad. Now, for my purposes, it would be a stationary machine anyway, so the battery didn't matter (and if it did, they're readily available.) And much the same with the hard drive: many sold as working don't include them for security reasons, and if it had had one I'd have wiped it anyway, probably after putting in a larger one. So, had that information been included in the listing, I'd have bid more than it wound up selling for... meaning, whether I won or not, they'd have made more money. But by the time they answered, the auction was over anyway, and I suspect many people wouldn't even have asked.
In a similar manner, someone whose computer is fine except for a cracked screen would be happy to get one of the same type with a liquid-damaged logic board, and so forth. So... unless you've already broken or stripped *everything* worth having and are hoping an idiot comes along, why not tell what you know?
(As secondary questions, why do people who put up self-contradictory listings like "G5 Core 2 Duo" (G5 being a PowerPC model, and C2D an Intel) often seem so annoyed at being asked which is correct? And what the **** do people mean when they say it's in excellent cosmetic condition, then go on to say it's got dented corners, missing keys, and the display is taped in place? And why does eBay penalize people with a 0% rating just for not having bought anything recently?)
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