stevie_b Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Little bit of advice please: I've recently bought some RAM from ebay. The seller said that it worked fine, and that they don't accept returns. When I received it, I tested the RAM using memtest86, and it came up with a few errors. I'm certain the errors are due to the RAM and not any other part of the computer's circuitry. I'm also 100% certain the RAM is compatible with my PC. (For those unfamiliar with memtest86, it provides a rigorous test for RAM that can show up errors even when the RAM appears to work fine in the computer. The problem is, faulty RAM can *sometimes* cause very weird problems that are incredibly difficult to track down.) In this situation, would you ask for your money back? I'm in the process of doing this, but maybe I've got unrealistic expectations of what to expect when buying things from ebay. Edit: If it makes a difference, the item was used and from a private seller, not an ebay shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steviekid Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 Was it used? If I sold RAM that had been apparently working fine in my computer then I would be reluctant to give a refund too in case it had been damaged during installation or used with a non compatable MB. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 Yes it was used. To be fair to the seller, he said that the RAM was working fine in his PC, and I've got no reason to doubt that. Also, I didn't specifically ask whether it passed memtest86 with no errors (most people probably haven't heard of it, let alone run it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steviekid Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I don't think you'll have much of a case unfortunately. I sold a MB/CPU/RAM bundle which had been working perfectly and the buyer claimed the MB wasn't working when it arrived. I ended up giving him some money back as I couldn't be bothered with the hassle but I was always a bit suspicous about it. I've never bought or sold any second hand components since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt H Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 I think you pay for what you get on Ebay. If it's second hand..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrRalphMan Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 If you feel like a complete B'stard, just sell it on Ebay.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marco Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 He probably didn't know about the errors. If it worked fine for him ,it might work fine for you as well, without any crashes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted July 8, 2009 Author Share Posted July 8, 2009 He probably didn't know about the errors. If it worked fine for him ,it might work fine for you as well, without any crashes. I agree that he probably didn't know about the errors. Comupters with RAM errors work OK most of the time: it really is a lottery if any programs you have open are using the particular RAM switch(es) that are faulty. If they do you could have a software crash, one that is extremely difficult to reproduce and fix. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted July 8, 2009 Share Posted July 8, 2009 (For those unfamiliar with memtest86, it provides a rigorous test for RAM that can show up errors even when the RAM appears to work fine in the computer. The problem is, faulty RAM can *sometimes* cause very weird problems that are incredibly difficult to track down.) Absolute godsend that program I recently built a new PC, and very occaisionally (once a week roughly) got a blue screen crash for no reason Since it was 1066MHz RAM I knew I might have to raise the voltage for it, so I tried one step up. Memtest still found an error, but not until it had been running for over an hour! Next step up seems to have got it running 100% right now Anyways, could it be something like that in your case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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