help me analyze the ethics of this situation

[Red Storm]

Entirely depends on the item listing. We don't know if the seller actually advertised the item as genuine, only OP's word.

 

[Juddog]

Entirely depends on the item listing. We don't know if the seller actually advertised the item as genuine, only OP's word.

True - we need to see the listing to be certain.

OP - post the listing already!

 

[rudeguy]

True - we need to see the listing to be certain.

OP - post the listing already!

he's probably overclocking a fleshlight.

I wouldn't post a link either.

 

[soulcougher73]

I think youd be ok returning it. After all im sure you would have never known it was a clone without taking it apart im assuming. Seller got busted

 

[waggy]

The fact that it's a fake should be more than enough to demand a refund. Yeah, you had to take it apart to find out, but it's not what you ordered. There was no valid warranty to void in the first place because it's fake.

exactly. I don't know why so many are concerned about the warranty.

Wouldn't it depend on where the warranty sticker pointed to though?

If the warranty number was the clone company's, then it would have voided the clone's warranty; that being said, if the warranty sticker was that of the company it was supposed to be from, then yes the company would be violating the law.

what does that matter?

he purchased Item "X". he received "Y". who has what warranty does not matter. he did not get what he paid for. Also the fact he took it apart wouldn't matter since he never got X and he paid for X.

 

[rudeguy]

exactly. I don't know why so many are concerned about the warranty.

because people here are morans

He's not making a warranty claim. The warranty covers if it breaks. It did not break.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

The link may have been something like this one

But I could be mis-remembering, what they bought, or misunderstanding.

Crystal Ball (I was in the thread as well, I think)

 

[rudeguy]

The link may have been something like this one

But I could be mis-remembering, what they bought, or misunderstanding.

Crystal Ball (I was in the thread as well, I think)

oooh...he's mutating a super cell phone battery. That's awesome!

I've always wanted to try that but never had the motivation to really look into it.

 

[SOFTengCOMPelec]

oooh...he's mutating a super cell phone battery. That's awesome!

I've always wanted to try that but never had the motivation to really look into it.

Within the thread, here:

I will be using an HTC cell phone as my GPS unit (with the casing, LCD screen etc. removed

 

[zinfamous]

What is the item?

How do you know its a clone?

Are you sure it was listed as a genuine item?

ZippyDan sure isn't zippy with the replies.

Chance that OP is actually the potential seller of this "cloned" item and is just testing the waters for potential blowback?

:hmm:

 

[DaveSimmons]

So the guesses so far are:

- OP making carputer from cellphone?
- OP is powering up a sex toy
- OP is the clone seller getting ready to scam us all
- mechanical SPIDER!

others?

 

[rudeguy]

So the guesses so far are:

- OP making carputer from cellphone?
- OP is powering up a sex toy
- OP is the clone seller getting ready to scam us all
- mechanical SPIDER!

others?

he's rigging up a tracking device (no really)

He is going to use the GPS from the cell phone and cell phone batteries to track a stolen laptop. He had to disassemble the phone to get at the parts he needed. Not sure if the item in question here is the phone or the batteries though.

Reading through the thread linked to...the OP is an odd duck. I believe he is making a tracking device, not ready to believe its for a stolen laptop.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Anyone who says the man isn't entitled to a refund is a complete fool. You are obviously too big of a dumbass to survive in this world.

Image this:

I have a turd and coat/wrap it in gold and sell it as a genuine complete piece of gold. You buy it and pay for it as if it was a complete piece of gold. Upon suspicion, you open it up to prove there is a turd inside, and it wasn't what you paid for (a complete piece of gold). If I say "Sorry, you opened it, you are no longer entitled to a refund" and you find that a worthy statement - you are, in fact, a complete and utter dumbass. Please rid the world of your genetics.

This is not even a matter of "Ordered X, Sent Y" this is a complete attempt at deception when you coat something in X but have Y inside of it.

 

[Golgatha]

You thought you were buying original equipment, but that's not what you received.

The pieces don't matter. You can buy an item for any purpose you want, including taking it apart and voiding the warranty.

You're returning it because it's not as advertised, not because of a warranty issue.

I would agree with this summary.

 

[mizzou]

Not sure, you need to explain the situation more and be honest about it.

Did you take apart the OEM product, take the part you need and replace it with the junk part?

That is unethical.

One time I had a broke ass guitar hero guitar, it didn't work out of box, but I didn't have a receipt for it so no return

I wanted a 2nd one anyway, so I bought an identical model.

I then took the broke one and put it in the box and returned it. Since it was same exact SKU and everything, I recieved a functional guitar in exchange.

No net loss involved, ethically free and clear.

 

[jaedaliu]

Not sure, you need to explain the situation more and be honest about it.

Did you take apart the OEM product, take the part you need and replace it with the junk part?

That is unethical.

One time I had a broke ass guitar hero guitar, it didn't work out of box, but I didn't have a receipt for it so no return

I wanted a 2nd one anyway, so I bought an identical model.

I then took the broke one and put it in the box and returned it. Since it was same exact SKU and everything, I recieved a functional guitar in exchange.

No net loss involved, ethically free and clear.

eh? this sure sounds completely unethical to me.

 

[mizzou]

eh? this sure sounds completely unethical to me.

why else would you take apart a functioning device, unless you intended on taking something out of it.

Let's say you have a broken item X. The whole thing isn't broken, just a single piece which you cannot buy seperately.

So you buy a second item X and swap your broken piece with the working piece.


Or even worse, let's say you own a knockoff item X. you then replace knockoff parts with working ones, etc.

You then pull a fast one and say, "Hey, I bought item X but found out it's broken/or/not as advertised, I want a refund"


Very hard to track, but completely unethical.

 

[slag]

Anyone who says the man isn't entitled to a refund is a complete fool. You are obviously too big of a dumbass to survive in this world.

Image this:

I have a turd and coat/wrap it in gold and sell it as a genuine complete piece of gold. You buy it and pay for it as if it was a complete piece of gold. Upon suspicion, you open it up to prove there is a turd inside, and it wasn't what you paid for (a complete piece of gold). If I say "Sorry, you opened it, you are no longer entitled to a refund" and you find that a worthy statement - you are, in fact, a complete and utter dumbass. Please rid the world of your genetics.

This is not even a matter of "Ordered X, Sent Y" this is a complete attempt at deception when you coat something in X but have Y inside of it.

Maybe, but not really.

Seller says they are selling you a car with forged pistons and you receive it in running condition. You buy the car, take it home, take the engine apart, and find they are cheap knock off cast pistons. You can't put the engine in a box and take it back to the seller and expect any kind of refund. You would need to put it all back together, make sure it works as it did when you received it, (i.e, identical condition), and then go talk to the seller about it. The seller isn't going to take it back, unless it is returned in the condition they sold it to you in. Put it back together, put the sticker back on as best as you can (if at all), and then contact the seller. If you broke something during the disassembly process, then I don't think the seller is obligated to take it back.

 

[SKORPI0]

OP needs to fess up what he bought and wanted to mod.

To give a "refund" as a seller I would expect the product I sold be returned in the original condition it was sold, not tampered with. But the problem remains, was sold as it was described? Did seller know if it was a original, not a clone? :\

 

[ZippyDan]

Entirely depends on the item listing. We don't know if the seller actually advertised the item as genuine, only OP's word.

Yea actually the only thing anyone has is my word. As I posted in the OP, I tried asking Amazon to look up the original description (as it has since been changed), but they said they were unable to do that. So I can't check what it originally said and neither can you and neither can Amazon.

 

[ZippyDan]

Not sure, you need to explain the situation more and be honest about it.

Did you take apart the OEM product, take the part you need and replace it with the junk part?

Why do I need to "be honest?" That's like implying I am lying from the beginning. I took the item apart because I wanted just the internals (the casing made it too big for my purposes). After I realized it was a clone I put everything back in the box. I wouldn't want to take any parts from the clone because it is inferior.

 

[ZippyDan]

he's rigging up a tracking device (no really)

He is going to use the GPS from the cell phone and cell phone batteries to track a stolen laptop. He had to disassemble the phone to get at the parts he needed. Not sure if the item in question here is the phone or the batteries though.

Reading through the thread linked to...the OP is an odd duck. I believe he is making a tracking device, not ready to believe its for a stolen laptop.

This is part of the project. It has been on hold for a while now, but yes I live in a country with a lot of crime and I want to be able to track my valuables.

The item in question was a gps tracking device but not a phone or batteries.

Also, you are an odd duck

 

[rudeguy]

This is part of the project. It has been on hold for a while now, but yes I live in a country with a lot of crime and I want to be able to track my valuables.

The item in question was a gps tracking device but not a phone or batteries.

Also, you are an odd duck

nothing wrong with being odd! Its kinda fun

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Refund, item is not as described. What was the item and who is the seller? I want to make sure to avoid them

 

[Juncar]

Were you trying to take a component or the circuit board out? Might want to contact the seller first because sometimes you do get grey market stuff that the seller might not know.
Again, contact them first and then see what happens after that.