iFeelstupid

Buying second hand stuff, especially electronic goods, is a tricky affair.

I finally found an ad for an iPhone 5. Unlike the seller in the previous post, this one was prompt and swift in response. I closed the deal within a night. That was nice, but from there on, it went downhill and I was stupid not to pull the handbrake lever before we arrived to the point of no return.

The initial price was RM1000. I haggled a bit and he put it firm at RM950. We then agreed to meet 3 days later since he said he was out of the area and would only be available after the 3 days. He said that he would let me take a proper look at the phone first before proceeding with the purchase and that he wouldn't mind if I don't go through should I find the phone in an unsatisfactory condition.

So we met at the agreed place and time. After the usual formalities, he took out the iPhone and told the background story. The iPhone wasn't his, it belonged to a lady friend, was purchased at Maxis, and he just helped to sell it on her behalf. And, he had no box, which he said in the ad at Mudah, should come along with the phone as a package. He said that he forgot to take the box along. Red flag #1.

He's got a cable but it didn't charge when connected to the powerbank so obviously it was fake. At RM950, no box, no original cable? Ambitious, I thought. Red flag #2.

I went on the whole drill to check and test the phone and found everything in good order, except a major exterior defect that was a prelude of a bigger problem. The iPhone had a ding on the upper right side close to the sleep/wake button. Red flag #3. In hindsight, I should've pulled out of the deal at this point. First of all, he didn't mention the ding in the ad. Second, a ding that bad was a clear sign the phone has had quite a drop, which meant there should be effects to the phone itself. Heck, the touchscreen could've been cracked too and been replaced. And indeed, it was a prelude to a more serious problem.

*heavy breathing*

Instead of cancelling the deal, I did the opposite. I used the findings to push him to lower the price. Eventually, we settled at RM920. Basically, for just the phone. No cable, no case, heck even no screen protector. Eventhough, I did take the cable anyway which I found out later to function well albeit slower with home power sockets and I did take the USB plug adapter. After a handshake, we parted ways. Yes, I am now an iPhone owner.

*heavier breathing*

I just found out that the camera is faulty. The ding obviously had something to do with it. The camera can't focus on close up objects. I found out a solution tho, slapping the phone to my palm a couple times. Even then, it still can't focus fully as an iPhone 5 should.

Also, the ding itself is a sore sight. It really f*cks up the beautiful looks of the phone.

More importantly, I failed as a consumer. I should've not agreed to buy a defective product, and I should've never settled for less. I didn't know what clouded my judgment that time. Maybe it was the excitement to buy an iPhone after so long putting up with a non-iOS phone and its shortcomings. Or maybe it was the perceived integrity I felt in the seller. Maybe he was honest, that he didn't know it was defective, since after all he was just a middleman. Also, that sinking feeling after spending a bulk of money on something I was later disapppointed in.

Overall though, the lesson is obvious. Juicy second hand deals are a lot like bets. You don't know what cards you get. And, next time hopefully, I stick by my logical judgment, unclouded by emotions.