2nd Hand Component RANT

K

kilobits

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Hi All

I recently needed a 2nd hand socket 478 motherboard to replace one that just puffed off into the netherworld. So I asked around and posted a wanted add.

I have received some responses but ALL want between R500 and R700 for a 2nd hand board that comes with at most a 1 month warranty. And I am expected to jump up and down for joy and take it! None of these boards have features that warrant any price-hike.... all basic basic basic mobos.

I understand the supply and demand thing. But a rip-off I will not stand for.

The icing on the cake was a local supplier who advertised a board on the website for R395. Once the order process was in motion the price quietly rocketed to over R700 including VAT and R100 for delivery due to the "crash in the world-wide pc market". I mean really! Like they manufacture socket 478 boards! So I must believe like the old stock price on their warehouse floor is actually affected by the global banking and motor-manufacturing crisis!

GIVE ME A BREAK.

All these people see a "gap" and take a chance. They would rather hang onto the item that probably will not used than sell it for a reasonable price. And by reasonable I mean R350-ish for a 2nd hand board with no real warranty and R600 tops for a board with a 1 year warranty.

Perhaps I am unreasonable?? I don't think so.

So, come early next year... it will be an upgrade on the machine... new 775 board, cpu and RAM with a 3 Year warranty all for around R300 more than the most expensive socket 478 replacement offer.

What is it with greed lately.

Grrrrrr.

Rant over. Feeling a tad better. :p
 
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TIA - This is afica

I would keep looking, must be an honest person out there that I am sure would be willing to part with a board.
 
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Hi Bekdik

I am looking elsewhere... and this is the reason perhaps for the "extra" cost.

What would you pay for something that has been used by someone for 2 or more years... that comes with no warranty of any sorts... that in most cases has been left lying in a box somewhere and has been untested for almost a year... that is worth in your mind no more than R350 / R400... and the asking price for this is in the R700 range.

But, I am being offered BASIC boards. All used. All for R500 or more. NO warranty.

Am I expecting the wrong things? I am expecting to pay for what I get.

People are offering me what I am looking for... a 2nd hand basic board.. but THEY are expecting me to pay what they originally paid for it new 3 years or so ago.

These are not antiques that actually appreciate with age... people forget this and think "aaah, I have this, you can't really get this, it is used, I don't know if it works, he needs it, I can actually demand more than it is worth to me because he needs it, and if it does not sell it can go on sitting in a box, rusting away, well because I really don't need it... so sucker pay up..."

Nah, not me.

So... yes, I AM buying something else from somewhere else. I am just venting my frustration with the whole thing.
 
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If he has advertised it for 395 then that is what you pay.

I wouldnt take his BS.
 
Hohoho Boodles...

That is what I would think. But, the real world works differently. "Terms and conditions apply" in small print etc.

The R395 board is stated as OEM and "comes in a static bag with manual and driver disk" - the invoice cost is close on R700 "We have had 2 increases since the market crashed". Hmmmm. really. Why not update the website then? hmmmm.

So I guess the real question for me is do I cling to socket 478 or move to 775 for the same cost.... ummm... lemme think about that one?

sigh.
 
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Sure the ago old supply and demand. However there seems to be a line that is crossed once the greed kicks in. So the seller has a board available but there is no demand and so the board is worth 0. Suddenly a demand arrises and the value (reasonable should be ~450) but since the seller got greedy price was set as (700) which scares the buyer off and as such the board is again worth 0. Since we all know the PC gear devaluates quickly over time, the once reasonable 450 will not be reasonable again in a few months time and as such the board will just sit there, especially since the demand is spurious at best.

Personally I like to let hardware I'm unlikely to use in the future go for reasonable prices, but maybe that's just me.
 
Boodles said:
If he has advertised it for 395 then that is what you pay.

I wouldnt take his BS.
Click to expand...

Offer To Purchase is a bitch - even the lack of T&C will still allow the seller to change his price. This is why buying (and paying a little bit more) from a respected seller / store is always better as their reputation and image is worth more than the odd R200.

I worked long enough in retail for these kind of guys that it made me leave the industry.


BTW: Shop around for a replacement board and chip. I got my wife a 3200+ Sempron 749 and board for R400.
 
Hey Guys I have just bought some brand NEW stuff to replace the s478. I got a NEW s775 Core2 2GHz CPU + Mobo + 1 GB RAM for R1200.00.

So, no longer will I be needing those R700 s478 offers any longer!!
 
Yup indeed... for me, it just puts into perspective how overpriced those obsolete offers were! But still, It would have been kinda nice to spend around R450 to get the old thing running again!

May all those overpriced, no warranty, untested, unused components rust in boxes or be sold-off quickly at reasonable prices...

* grin grin *
 
I'm sorry man

getting a socket 478 board now is sorta like trying to find parts for a 30 year old car. parts are scarce as they went out of production 4-5 years ago.

moral of story. If its older than 3 years, its time to upgrade.
 
Wow 700 bucks for an old board haha, for about 900 bucks you can get a new mobo and a celeron cpu :), more than likely the celeron won't be much slower than your current cpu :).
 
A Celeron E1200 Dual core 1.6Ghz CPU, pretty much outperforms any processor you could stick in a Socket 478 by about 2-3 times.
 
Sapphiron said:
I'm sorry man

getting a socket 478 board now is sorta like trying to find parts for a 30 year old car. parts are scarce as they went out of production 4-5 years ago.

moral of story. If its older than 3 years, its time to upgrade.
Click to expand...

Except there are more car breaking yards and you can buy pirate parts from Midas.
 
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