Buyer says tape deck doesn't work, sounds like Sticky Shed

[lonewhitefly]

I recently sold my Teac 80-8, packed it well and shipped it off. I sold it 'as is with no guarantees', however I noted it was currently in good working condition. I used the machine regularly, and tested it before selling.

The buyer has sent me a message detailing things that are not working that seem curious to me ... some (or all) of these issues sound like classic sticky-shed symptoms to me ... I'm wondering if you guys agree.

Of course, it's always possible it was damaged or simply knocked around in shipping, though I figure there would be at least some indication of external damage in this case, which the buyer did not note. But perhaps not.

Here's an excerpt of the issues mentioned:

"#1. both capstan breaks are bad.
This isnt a huge deal as due to age and use this is to be expected.
I can work around this.....

#2 The supply capstan clutch/motor is bad PERIOD!!!
The deck will not rewind at all (only with help).
During playback it will lock up like it has a bad bearing or something. (freezes)

#3 Tried to record something, it seams to record, but VERY week sound on play back (before the capstan freezes). I will try other tapes and see if it is something I am doing."

I've sent him a message making sure to read through the manual and that if he is using Ampex 456, Scotch 226, Scotch 250, Ampex 406 or Agfa 469 that he will need to clean the entire tape path and use a good or new tape. But I'm afraid the guy will just think that I'm trying to 'pass the buck' onto the tape. I know that I have used this machine solidly for 9 years (it was last serviced in 2009), moved around a lot with it, and never experienced anything resembling these problems. I would also think that if it were knocked around, the symptoms would most likely be different, but that's just a guess since I'm not a tech.

What do you guys think?

 

[Beck]

A sticky-shed tape could cause all these problems. There are lots of machines out there that people have given up on because they think they have serious mechanical problems, but it is only bad tape causing the problems. It's the buyers responsibility to use known good tape before jumping to conclusions. Ideally he should get a reel of new tape before testing a machine. If all he has is old tape he can't do a fair test of the machine.

Was this and eBay sale or was paypal involved?

 

[lonewhitefly]

A sticky-shed tape could cause all these problems. There are lots of machines out there that people have given up on because they think they have serious mechanical problems, but it is only bad tape causing the problems. It's the buyers responsibility to use known good tape before jumping to conclusions. Ideally he should get a reel of new tape before testing a machine. If all he has is old tape he can't do a fair test of the machine.

Was this and eBay sale or was paypal involved?

Thanks, Beck for your input.

That's been my experience as well. When I bought that Scully 280, the guy said said it was not working properly, but when I went to check it out, the tape was bad. A reel of 206 I had proved the deck to be fine.

It was an eBay/Paypal sale. I have 800+ feedback with 100% rating, so hopefully it should count for something should he try a dispute. Of course, I do hope he'll take my recommendation. Technically, it was an 'as is' sale and was properly represented when I listed it. However, I understand that Paypal/eBay tend to almost always side with the buyer. I may have a decent case for this being user error, since he specifically mentioned 'it may be something I'm doing'.

Here's the response I sent him:

"I apologize for the inconvenience.

I tested the machine before shipping and it was in proper working order ... I have used it for many years without issues, and standard maintenance was performed regularly. I have made many albums on this deck. The deck was last serviced in 2009 and has worked well since.

May I ask the tape type you are using? If it is Ampex 456, Scotch 226 or Scotch 250, they are all BAD, and you'll want to try something else, as the tape could be causing some or all of these problems. Particularly, not rewinding is a classic symptom of sticky-shed tape. It will shut down the machine entirely. If you are using any other tapes noted above, you will need to thoroughly clean the entire tape path with 91% alcohol and Q-tips, then try a new tape. If you are trying to transfer old tapes from the '70s-'90s, you may need to look into baking them.

The capstan breaks were not bad when I shipped it, and rewind was working properly.

I would also like to ask if you are familiar with these decks and have used similar decks in the past. We want to make sure the tape is threaded correctly, etc.

I included the manuals with the deck ... please read through and make sure you are operating the machine properly. Also, maybe wiggle the volume pots if a channel seems weak, that might be the issue (scratchy pot).

I packed the deck very well and used a large amount of padding. Did the box or deck appear to have any damage?

Also, if you are using bad tape (Ampex 456, Scotch 226, Scotch 250, Ampex 406, Agfa 469), the gunk would be building up on the heads, causing the low signal.

In fact, all of the issues you mentioned sound like bad tape."

 

[Beck]

Yes, you explained very clearly and thoroughly. I always suspect bad tape first before digging into the mechanics of a machine, because most of the time it is the tape. If he is transferring old tapes that he hasn't used for years he is probably discovering sticky-shed syndrome for the first time. Feel free to direct the buyer to the sticky-shed help thread here, and if he wants to PM me maybe I can help get him on the right track.

 

[lonewhitefly]

Yes, you explained very clearly and thoroughly. I always suspect bad tape first before digging into the mechanics of a machine, because most of the time it is the tape. If he is transferring old tapes that he hasn't used for years he is probably discovering sticky-shed syndrome for the first time. Feel free to direct the buyer to the sticky-shed help thread here, and if he wants to PM me maybe I can help get him on the right track.

Thanks! Sounds good, I will wait for his response and go from there.

 

[Roozter]

I do all around logistics work (Shipping/Receiving/Q&A) and also own a Tascam 80-8 that I bought through ebay. It was shipped in its original box, with some packing in it, encased in the original molded foam. I rate that at a 6/10 in terms of how well it was packed, and it showed up from Reno (I live in Ohio) in perfect shape.

I will also tell you up front that a large amount of UPS/FEDEX drivers/loaders just plain don't care about what they handle. I've had a guy toss a box full of expensive lights (they were for a lighting rig for a show) on to his truck from 5 feet away after I told him what was in it, and how much they were worth.

So, if you packed it to be centered in the box, and not moving at all, with enough packing to protect it from impacts that could hit it hard enough to get to the machine, it should be fine. The only thing that could damage it at that point would be a vertical drop from above maybe.... 6-7 feet. Or if they punctured the box with a fork lift, that could do some damage, but you would know.

The vertical drop would cause no damage to the exterior of the machine, but just like a concussion, will shift the internal parts in the direction of the drop. Since nobody can lift a packed 80-8 above their heads that I personally know, they may have successfully used the forklift to put it on top of other boxes, then to get it down they just pushed it off the top. OR they tossed it off the back of a freight truck on to the hard concrete.

Ask your buyer if there are noticeable fork lift marks on the packaging, if so, they (UPS/FEDEX) should already be liable for the damage. Any sign of a forklift on that box should signal they were moving it above 6-7 feet. Cold temperatures could also play a role in internal damage and I would look in to the forecasts of the days it was in transit.

In the future, to avoid this kind of crap, make written documentation of how you packed the box, and the condition it was in before delivery. Take pictures of it when its all packed up, and compare with the buyer upon arrival. If there is a difference, then you and the buyer know who to hold accountable.

But, sadly, I think you just have yourself a dopey buyer. I personally would trust you to ship me a machine, and expect it to work. Nobody uses a tape machine for that long if they aren't serious about its upkeep, and serious about shipping machines to be safe during transit. Send him a free reel of working tape, and if its no good after that, tell the dude to take it up with the carrier.

 

[rob aylestone]

I suspect you've caught a cold - if as a result of heavy handling, it really is duff, then if it was me, I'd swallow the expense and effort and tell him to send it back, and cancel the transaction before he leave bad feedback, because paypal and ebay will side with him. Then you make an insurance claim - these things happen. Despite putting big warnings on my microphones on ebay, people still buy condensers with no phantom power, or try to plug mics into guitar amps and moans and groan. They demand replacements when Royal Mail mess up, and you end up refunding or replacing, and then waiting for maybe 6 weeks for RM to return the item when they find it 'Passing through their system'. Sometimes it does feel like it's hardly worth it for a few measly quid - but we keep doing it, don't we!

 

[lonewhitefly]

I do all around logistics work (Shipping/Receiving/Q&A) and also own a Tascam 80-8 that I bought through ebay. It was shipped in its original box, with some packing in it, encased in the original molded foam. I rate that at a 6/10 in terms of how well it was packed, and it showed up from Reno (I live in Ohio) in perfect shape.

I will also tell you up front that a large amount of UPS/FEDEX drivers/loaders just plain don't care about what they handle. I've had a guy toss a box full of expensive lights (they were for a lighting rig for a show) on to his truck from 5 feet away after I told him what was in it, and how much they were worth.

So, if you packed it to be centered in the box, and not moving at all, with enough packing to protect it from impacts that could hit it hard enough to get to the machine, it should be fine. The only thing that could damage it at that point would be a vertical drop from above maybe.... 6-7 feet. Or if they punctured the box with a fork lift, that could do some damage, but you would know.

The vertical drop would cause no damage to the exterior of the machine, but just like a concussion, will shift the internal parts in the direction of the drop. Since nobody can lift a packed 80-8 above their heads that I personally know, they may have successfully used the forklift to put it on top of other boxes, then to get it down they just pushed it off the top. OR they tossed it off the back of a freight truck on to the hard concrete.

Ask your buyer if there are noticeable fork lift marks on the packaging, if so, they (UPS/FEDEX) should already be liable for the damage. Any sign of a forklift on that box should signal they were moving it above 6-7 feet. Cold temperatures could also play a role in internal damage and I would look in to the forecasts of the days it was in transit.

In the future, to avoid this kind of crap, make written documentation of how you packed the box, and the condition it was in before delivery. Take pictures of it when its all packed up, and compare with the buyer upon arrival. If there is a difference, then you and the buyer know who to hold accountable.

But, sadly, I think you just have yourself a dopey buyer. I personally would trust you to ship me a machine, and expect it to work. Nobody uses a tape machine for that long if they aren't serious about its upkeep, and serious about shipping machines to be safe during transit. Send him a free reel of working tape, and if its no good after that, tell the dude to take it up with the carrier.

Thanks for all that info from the 'inside' ...

Those are points well taken. I sell a lot on eBay, and generally just sort of pack it well, and cross my fingers about the shipping, as I've had general success as a buyer and seller.

And there is always the possibility -- with the machine being 40 years old -- that something just gave out from being knocked around, even a little, in transit, regardless of packing. I just don't know morally where the responsibility is in this scenario. There is also no way to know or prove what happened on either side. I mean, as a buyer, I sort of except that any 40 year old tape deck sold without guarantee is indeed a risk on my part, and I generally set aside some money to get it up to snuff if need be. As long as it arrives in good condition, there would generally be signs that the seller were lying ... like missing parts, dust, etc. I mean, the idea of shipping a tape machine is sort of problematic in general. That said, things have generally worked fine for me.

Thing is, I have a gut feeling that if any of us from this forum were there with the guy, with a reel of good tape, he'd be rolling tape.

 

[lonewhitefly]

I suspect you've caught a cold - if as a result of heavy handling, it really is duff, then if it was me, I'd swallow the expense and effort and tell him to send it back, and cancel the transaction before he leave bad feedback, because paypal and ebay will side with him. Then you make an insurance claim - these things happen. Despite putting big warnings on my microphones on ebay, people still buy condensers with no phantom power, or try to plug mics into guitar amps and moans and groan. They demand replacements when Royal Mail mess up, and you end up refunding or replacing, and then waiting for maybe 6 weeks for RM to return the item when they find it 'Passing through their system'. Sometimes it does feel like it's hardly worth it for a few measly quid - but we keep doing it, don't we!

Yeh, I've been waiting for the day when I completely shut down my Paypal account! Maybe this will be the one (hope not). I don't care much about the feedback (if it goes bad) ... it won't make much of a dent overall, but I am an attentive seller and I will make sure I address this properly.

I've certainly had my share of unreasonable buyers and bidders (they seem to get worse and worse every year)! But generally, I could work it out with a 'return it or keep it', or simply refunding if it's a small item. In this case, it's a bit more complicated being a tape deck. I recently had a buyer who sent an 'e-check', then demanding that I send the item right away because 'its going to clear!'. I told him I could not send it until it clears ... of course, it didn't! Then a series of back and forth emails from him 'cancel the order', 'okay keep the order', 'cancel' (seriously, just one word emails), 'my bank says I paid for it', blah blah blah ... I just involved eBay and voided the transaction altogether.

Also, people who pay through Paypal then want to pick it up locally ('sorry, you can pick it up locally if you pay cash ... I will refund your Paypal payment' ... 'no I want to use Paypal and pick it up') ... then they left neutral feedback because they don't understand eBay and Paypal's terms (they could file a dispute and I would have no tracking # to verify shipment ... sorry, not dealing with taking photos, etc.). I've actually had more than one bidder try to do this, including a potential bidder who insisted that I call him so he could 'explain it' over the phone. The conversation basically went like this: ME: Sorry, I can't accept local pickup unless it's cash. HIM: Cool bro, I understand ... the thing is I need to use my credit card blah blah blah ... ME: Right, not saying you would do this, but I have no proof of delivery without a tracking number, and there are folks out there who would file a dispute, then I would have no item and no payment ... HIM: Cool bro, I understand ... the thing is I need to use my credit card blah blah blah ... ME: Yeh, I'm not able to accept local pickup unless it's cash ...

 

[Roozter]

Yeh, I've been waiting for the day when I completely shut down my Paypal account! Maybe this will be the one (hope not). I don't care much about the feedback (if it goes bad) ... it won't make much of a dent overall, but I am an attentive seller and I will make sure I address this properly.

I've certainly had my share of unreasonable buyers and bidders (they seem to get worse and worse every year)! But generally, I could work it out with a 'return it or keep it', or simply refunding if it's a small item. In this case, it's a bit more complicated being a tape deck. I recently had a buyer who sent an 'e-check', then demanding that I send the item right away because 'its going to clear!'. I told him I could not send it until it clears ... of course, it didn't! Then a series of back and forth emails from him 'cancel the order', 'okay keep the order', 'cancel' (seriously, just one word emails), 'my bank says I paid for it', blah blah blah ... I just involved eBay and voided the transaction altogether.

Also, people who pay through Paypal then want to pick it up locally ('sorry, you can pick it up locally if you pay cash ... I will refund your Paypal payment' ... 'no I want to use Paypal and pick it up') ... then they left neutral feedback because they don't understand eBay and Paypal's terms (they could file a dispute and I would have no tracking # to verify shipment ... sorry, not dealing with taking photos, etc.). I've actually had more than one bidder try to do this, including a potential bidder who insisted that I call him so he could 'explain it' over the phone. The conversation basically went like this: ME: Sorry, I can't accept local pickup unless it's cash. HIM: Cool bro, I understand ... the thing is I need to use my credit card blah blah blah ... ME: Right, not saying you would do this, but I have no proof of delivery without a tracking number, and there are folks out there who would file a dispute, then I would have no item and no payment ... HIM: Cool bro, I understand ... the thing is I need to use my credit card blah blah blah ... ME: Yeh, I'm not able to accept local pickup unless it's cash ...

Almost makes me think the best thing to do is to sell to people within the "analog community" or forum members only. Seems like if you try to sell it to someone with no experience on either tape machines OR ebay/paypal, that you're basically sending your machine to a graveyard.

They aren't making them anymore, and they need to be in the hands of those who will restore them, maintain them, and properly use them. Not a guy who runs sticky tape through the transport until he ruins the whole thing, then blames you. That doesn't help your cause (the financial side of owning old analog equipment), nor does it do justice to the machine.

Not saying you shouldn't do what you have to do in any way (or knocking you for selling it to him specifically), I'm saying maybe we should all avoid selling, and especially shipping, our beloved machines to people we don't know professionally or personally. Like you said, if any of us were there, he'd have a beautiful 80-8 in working order. It's a shame he couldn't live 5 miles away from you, then you could drive over, fix it (clean it and put some new sm911 on it basically), then show him how to keep it like that for the rest of his time with the machine.

I hope this all works out for you, and the guy gets the machine running properly. You're one of my favorite artists on the forum, and it would be awful all the way around if you were to get screwed by this buyer.

 

[lonewhitefly]

Almost makes me think the best thing to do is to sell to people within the "analog community" or forum members only. Seems like if you try to sell it to someone with no experience on either tape machines OR ebay/paypal, that you're basically sending your machine to a graveyard.

They aren't making them anymore, and they need to be in the hands of those who will restore them, maintain them, and properly use them. Not a guy who runs sticky tape through the transport until he ruins the whole thing, then blames you. That doesn't help your cause (the financial side of owning old analog equipment), nor does it do justice to the machine.

Not saying you shouldn't do what you have to do in any way (or knocking you for selling it to him specifically), I'm saying maybe we should all avoid selling, and especially shipping, our beloved machines to people we don't know professionally or personally. Like you said, if any of us were there, he'd have a beautiful 80-8 in working order. It's a shame he couldn't live 5 miles away from you, then you could drive over, fix it (clean it and put some new sm911 on it basically), then show him how to keep it like that for the rest of his time with the machine.

I hope this all works out for you, and the guy gets the machine running properly. You're one of my favorite artists on the forum, and it would be awful all the way around if you were to get screwed by this buyer.

thanks for the support! yeh I guess if I had sold it to someone on this forum, and it was legitimately having these problems, we would come to some kind of agreement (partial refund, shipping back & splitting costs, etc.) and both would probably be more understanding. But going through eBay, I think people sort of get this 'customer is always right' attitude or something ... as if they're getting screwed by a corporation, not understanding they are just buying from another individual!

Maybe the guy will be understanding, and just wants to transfer some old tapes. I think Beck's suggestion to mail him a good tape is good (I think I have a couple blanks that I won't be using). I also had a photo of the deck with a take up reel on it, and forgot to mention it was not included ... the guy brought it up (not sure why since he obviously [or hopefully?!?] has a take up reel if he's testing it out). I actually would have included the reel if it could have gone in the package, but it would have created more problems getting the deck as tightly in there.

I suppose I'm somewhat diplomatic about it ... you win some you lose some. I will try to work out something the buyer and I can agree to.

 

[Roozter]

thanks for the support! yeh I guess if I had sold it to someone on this forum, and it was legitimately having these problems, we would come to some kind of agreement (partial refund, shipping back & splitting costs, etc.) and both would probably be more understanding. But going through eBay, I think people sort of get this 'customer is always right' attitude or something ... as if they're getting screwed by a corporation, not understanding they are just buying from another individual!

Maybe the guy will be understanding, and just wants to transfer some old tapes. I think Beck's suggestion to mail him a good tape is good (I think I have a couple blanks that I won't be using). I also had a photo of the deck with a take up reel on it, and forgot to mention it was not included ... the guy brought it up (not sure why since he obviously [or hopefully?!?] has a take up reel if he's testing it out). I actually would have included the reel if it could have gone in the package, but it would have created more problems getting the deck as tightly in there.

I suppose I'm somewhat diplomatic about it ... you win some you lose some. I will try to work out something the buyer and I can agree to.

As far as I can see, you owe this man nothing. Even at the company I work for, he would be getting no special treatment. He bought non-garunteed used merchandise that was in working order when sold and shipped, knowingly. He then took it home, possibly destroyed it from lack of knowledge, and is now unhappy. If we were to even take something back like that, it would be subject to a restocking fee, and in your case, he should owe you the money it will take to fix it, if in fact he agrees to return it to you for a refund.

In your case, regarding eBay, he has two distinct disadvantages.

A) You sold him the item as listed. You guaranteed nothing. If he wanted to buy and ship a tape machine, he should've been knowledgeable on that subject, which he was not.
B) He can now NEVER return the item as you sold it. He has most likely gotten sticky tape all over the transport, and possibly damaged internal components.

eBay will not side with him per their own policies, nor will PayPal. UPS and FedEx will not humor his claim, as he already made the damage impossible to discern from rough handling, and his own un-informed operation. He could've asked you to declare the value to UPS/FedEx but I assume he did not.

As an act of kindness, I would explain to him why and how he is now out of luck, and offer to refund him all of his money, with him paying shipping back. This should be more than enough considering he may or may not have seriously messed up that machine, and you will then have to repair to then use or re-sell it.

EDIT: That take up reel is also his issue. You made no mention of either inclusion or exclusion. Take up reels are not an actual part of a tape machine, but an accessory. Even if eBay saw things his way regarding the take up reel, they would throw out his case if you sent him one at no charge, making your deal with this guy rock solid all the way around. The sad truth is that this guy is just not knowledgeable enough to be buying a tape machine on eBay, and he is completely out of luck, unless you're feeling extra compassionate.

 

[Hammerstone]

Man, that sucks, I'm sorry!

I hope it's nothing wrong with the machine except some sticky tape. If it has to be shipped back to you, that just means there's twice the chance that the baggage tossers will break it. But if it's his fault for messing up your machine, I see no reason why you should be penalized for that.

Also, to be specific, if you asked him to clean the tape path with 90% isoprobyl alcohol, I hope you mentioned to exclude the pinch roller...

 

[lonewhitefly]

As far as I can see, you owe this man nothing. Even at the company I work for, he would be getting no special treatment. He bought non-garunteed used merchandise that was in working order when sold and shipped, knowingly. He then took it home, possibly destroyed it from lack of knowledge, and is now unhappy. If we were to even take something back like that, it would be subject to a restocking fee, and in your case, he should owe you the money it will take to fix it, if in fact he agrees to return it to you for a refund.

In your case, regarding eBay, he has two distinct disadvantages.

A) You sold him the item as listed. You guaranteed nothing. If he wanted to buy and ship a tape machine, he should've been knowledgeable on that subject, which he was not.
B) He can now NEVER return the item as you sold it. He has most likely gotten sticky tape all over the transport, and possibly damaged internal components.

eBay will not side with him per their own policies, nor will PayPal. UPS and FedEx will not humor his claim, as he already made the damage impossible to discern from rough handling, and his own un-informed operation. He could've asked you to declare the value to UPS/FedEx but I assume he did not.

As an act of kindness, I would explain to him why and how he is now out of luck, and offer to refund him all of his money, with him paying shipping back. This should be more than enough considering he may or may not have seriously messed up that machine, and you will then have to repair to then use or re-sell it.

EDIT: That take up reel is also his issue. You made no mention of either inclusion or exclusion. Take up reels are not an actual part of a tape machine, but an accessory. Even if eBay saw things his way regarding the take up reel, they would throw out his case if you sent him one at no charge, making your deal with this guy rock solid all the way around. The sad truth is that this guy is just not knowledgeable enough to be buying a tape machine on eBay, and he is completely out of luck, unless you're feeling extra compassionate.

Ha yeh I mean it all depends on the tape ... for all I know he is using new tape. He seems to understand the tape deck based on his message, but I just get the feeling he's using old tape ...

I'd honestly like things to work out for the buyer, so I will try to work things out. If it gets ugly, I think I have a decent case, but we'll see. The 'tone' of his email seemed to be directed at putting the blame on me as if I had misrepresented the item, so that's the only thing I've taken issue with so far. Haven't yet heard back from him since, this morning, so maybe he tried a different tape and the problems were resolved.

That's something I didn't think of ... that he may have actually damaged the transport if it's seriously stopping and starting, and trying to rewind against the pressure of stuck tape.

 

[lonewhitefly]

Man, that sucks, I'm sorry!

I hope it's nothing wrong with the machine except some sticky tape. If it has to be shipped back to you, that just means there's twice the chance that the baggage tossers will break it. But if it's his fault for messing up your machine, I see no reason why you should be penalized for that.

Also, to be specific, if you asked him to clean the tape path with 90% isoprobyl alcohol, I hope you mentioned to exclude the pinch roller...

Good point ... I neglected to mention that, but as Beck pointed out earlier, it's not my responsibility to train the guy with how to use the machine ... I'm just trying to point him in the right direction to properly confirm the working condition!

 

[Roozter]

Ha yeh I mean it all depends on the tape ... for all I know he is using new tape. He seems to understand the tape deck based on his message, but I just get the feeling he's using old tape ...

I'd honestly like things to work out for the buyer, so I will try to work things out. If it gets ugly, I think I have a decent case, but we'll see. The 'tone' of his email seemed to be directed at putting the blame on me as if I had misrepresented the item, so that's the only thing I've taken issue with so far. Haven't yet heard back from him since, this morning, so maybe he tried a different tape and the problems were resolved.

That's something I didn't think of ... that he may have actually damaged the transport if it's seriously stopping and starting, and trying to rewind against the pressure of stuck tape.

I mean if this guy somehow missed the entire sticky-shed issue in his time away from recording on tape machines, then for all we know he is just angry as all hell, hitting buttons, and making it worse. That's what would freak me out. That's why I said he no longer has a case with eBay/PayPal/UPS/FedEx. If he is using sticky tape he damaged the machine in some way. Also I wouldn't be surprised to find out that he used tape that the machine wasn't even set up for. Did you set it back up for 911? I know you're fond of the low output Scotch...

That's also where the only selling to people who we trust thing comes in. He may have killed an amazing machine from a simple lack of knowledge, or at least made a huge hassle out of repairing it.

 

[rayc]

I certainly wouldn't ask leading questions. particularly questions that lead him to an excuse he might use but can't subtatiate.
Fork marks - he says yes, but has tossed the box - where do you go from there?
You've done you due diligence and it is for the buyer to make/prove the case.

 

[lonewhitefly]

Thanks for the tips, everyone!

The guy has not responded, so maybe it was the tape ... I'll update this thread when more info surfaces.

Also, I did declare the value of the selling price if that matters at all, and I believe I required a signature.

 

[Hammerstone]

That's also where the only selling to people who we trust thing comes in. He may have killed an amazing machine from a simple lack of knowledge, or at least made a huge hassle out of repairing it.

Yeah, I agree with you. These machines are irreplaceable and it would be better to keep them in the family. However, when you need money fast...

 

[Steenamaroo]

Thing is, I have a gut feeling that if any of us from this forum were there with the guy, with a reel of good tape, he'd be rolling tape.

If you're confident about that and he thinks you're a chancer trying to bluff him with bad goods, link him to this thread.
I think your sincerity comes across here.