Gone wrong radeon eBay deal, opinions wanted

[prehensile]

I auctioned a radeon 9700 pro on eBay recently, but I don't have a camera so I couldn't take a photo. One is on the way. I've had the card five months and it is in perfect condition, but I have modded it with an 80 millimetre fan with a wire neatly going through the fan and around the card fixing it very firmly and gently in place. I have to sell it because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and have to rest my hands for a long time. The only problem with my sale is that the fan hoop casing thing is cracked and I completely forgot it was cracked because it's not obvious to see and to a serious hardware person it's a sort of thing that gets forgotten immediately because unless you push the sides of the fan around it should run until the motor wears out.

I sent the guy four Xtra free magazines of PC zone that were lying around and thought I was doing a really decent deal. But he received it today and wrote me this:

Your package arrived today I am very disappointed the fan held on with bits of wire the fan casing cracked in the corners, no card fitting instructions,I suspect I need a power cable for the fan before it can be installed,no drivers all in all disappointed and I request a full refund I will repack and send back and stand the return postage to you upon receipt of my cheque I hope you are able to honour this request
he is right that is that I forgot to replace the fan, I have offered him a new one of the same not that it should be replaced before the motor dies. And I also forgot to send the leads because using my hands was a really hectic at the weekend and I had just moved all my stuff to new room. I can send them out as well I've told him. Two things are I've done a bad deal? I sent him the drivers on a PC zone DVD, and its OEMs so there's no data end of fitting instructions, but anyone who's ever fixed a graphics card can do it with eyes closed. I've provided him everything for an excellent card that should run this 10 years with a better performance and lawyers than any other card. All he has to do is plug-in the fan connector to the motherboard, plug-in a floppy connector to the graphics cards and install the drivers.

Any opinions on what this deal is like? The card is in excellent condition. The modification is silent and powerful and even cools the ram although it does look DIY. It uses black and red wires so I think it's pretty neat. It's much more efficient than an Arctic cooling heatsink so I have kept it like that. Would you be worried about the deal ? Cheers

[ed^chigliak]

Take the card back and sell it again but with photographs so any new buyer is aware of the modifications. I think it will be difficult to persuade the current buyer to accept the card in it's modified condition not because there is anything much wrong with it just that it's not what he was expecting. You have unfortunately sold you're card to someone who is not that knowledgable about PC's and your mods have freaked him out. I've got loads of spare wires and fans kicking about my house and had I bought it myself I would simply get on and install the card.

[Kezzer]

I have to sell it because I have carpal tunnel syndrome and have to rest my hands for a long time.

I don't get it. I know loads of people with carpal tunnel, it doesn't mean they have to seel their graphics card lol.

[drp]

What has Carpal Tunnel Syndrome got to do with a graphics card anyway?

[ed^chigliak]

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a very real risk for those who work or play hard. Long hours of repetitive wrist and arm strain can lead to crippling pain. How would you like to have to give up gaming and sell your graphics cards to avoid further damaging your hands. I hope one day that game designers will come to realise that 'clicking' does not = gameplay. Some games a worse than others and some genres in particular are very intensive. How we interface with games needs to change so that we can enjoy our virtual worlds without damaging our health. I am recovering from RSI and have to be carefull what games I play and for how long especially after a hard day at work. If it wasn't for my Wacom tablet removing the primary 'click' and drastically cut the level of stress I would not be able to continue my job or gaming. I gave my home PC to a friend for 9 months to rest my hands and concentrated on other hobbies of which there are many.

[SilentDeath]

I would either offer the buyer a discount so that they can get the fan replaced themselves if there happy with that, otherwise get them to return it and sell it to someone who knows more about computer stuff..

[prehensile]

The odd thing is that I wrote in the description that there was a giant fan strapped on top of the graphics card as a modification, I guess it wasn't pretty enough.

carpal tunnel syndrome is when the nerve going up your whole arm starts to trigger all the tissues around it because it's malfunctioning through RSI and your whole arm starts to seize up and produce loads of pain. A lot of people can be in slings for years, the only can get it by playing on the computer. I had iron hands and got it by using a keyboard and mouse on the floor too much completely compressing my wrists for seven hours a day or so in the cold. There's lots of types of RSI but my one makes your hands go bit numb and then sore an immediate pains in every phalanx and pins and needles and even your elbows and shoulders get twanging pain from the compressed nerve. I got in both hands. Fortunately I have Dragon naturally speaking 7.3 and a good microphone and I use the mouse with my foot, because using my mouse or keyboard and now would make my hands really strained to be walking around like they were broken. It's really severe. That's why I am selling my graphics card.

[joshwa]

I wouldn't worry about giving a refund. You can easily sell it to someone else without loosing much or any money (perhaps just the postage).