I'll see if I can make this brief.
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Been looking for a vintage receiver so I bid and "won" a Marantz 2325 on Ebay.
Seller has 100% positive Ebay experience and his ad said, "100 operational".
Here's the Ebay ad.
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Marantz 2325 Receiver Cabinet Serviced New Lights Strong 100 Operational | eBay
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Through emails I ask the seller to include the "serviced" invoice or something from the servicer annotating what was found and done, etc.
Seller says that he doesn't have anything because it was done a year or so ago, but will take the receiver back to the old retired coot to perform an updated test, etc.
A week or so later I call the old retired coot who tells me that he's found a couple of things...wants to cannibalize a resistor off another 2325 and install.
I'm thinking "WTF?"
Two weeks after "winning" the auction, it arrives and I fire it up. The first thing I notice is that the tuner dial needle light is out.
The next day I notice that the Stereo light stopped illuminating.
I email the seller and he says, "Hmm, I replaced those bulbs. You may have a gremlin."
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Now I've moved from suspicious to being pissed.
So the next day I take the receiver to AudioDoctor in Phoenix ...
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Home - AudioDoctor by Cornell Smith
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And I email AudioDoctor's web link to the seller - who calls and speaks with Cornell Smith, owner.
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A few days later I get this email pdf from AudioDoctor:
"Problems in both output stages:
Left channel bias is near zero and cannot be regulated, will require
troubleshooting to component level.
Right channel had out of tolerance (150mV) DC offset, adjustment
is unstable and drifting. Distortion measures .18%, spec .15%. Will
require troubleshooting to component level.
Estimate to correct above $325."
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A few days after that, an email from AudioDoctor:
"Right now I’m concerned with getting the electronics working properly so it will be reliable. Found a couple of bad transistors in one channel, but there is still an issue. Will resume tomorrow."
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I email the seller who basically tells me that he can't be responsible for what I did to the receiver.
I email back and say that he can either pay for the service to the 2325 to bring it to the state of his claim of "100% operational" or he can refund me along with the cost to ship back to him.
He tells me to go fly a kite - basically.
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So what's my next step, Ebay gurus?
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Oh, and this - seller emailed to say that it had been shipped and that he included a "gift" to me.
So when I opened the box I found a set of speaker cables with gold fittings and an unopened Willie Nelson album.
My first response - being somewhat familiar with human nature - "Is this some kind of manipulation/smoke screen?"
But I blew that off...until....
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Any assistance/advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.