Bargains on ebay?

[MartinT]

Your average and even your not-so-average repair man, even back at the manufacturer (probably especially back at the factory!) will class a failing of any part of the mech as a 'failed laser'.

Well, my drive mech failed and Ayre rushed a replacement drive from the USA (it's a Pioneer drive that's no longer manufactured) so I wasn't going to complain. Their UK repair chappy is very knowledgable, he ran diags and it came up with 'failing laser'. I wasn't going to argue with him when I was looking at a free new drive with the Ayre being some three years old.

[Rare Bird]

One thing i hate about CD is you use something to play them on that is not for life.. I will sleep at night knowing my turntable's giant induction motor & idler wheel will see me out, it's pretty much guarenteed.. I don't want the inconvenience of farting about with new lazers or swapping out for another machine...

[DaveK]

Hi Rob,
The envelope left with my wife contained a card printed in red stating, and I quote, "Despite numerous visits by our agents we have been unable to establish contact with you therefore .....", all utter BS.
You know that Yorkshire men have a reputation for stubbornness - watch this space .
Dave.

[nat8808]

Apologies to all if this is not the right place so mods feel free to move it to where it should be but I thought haste might be better than accuracy.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by a Debt Collection Agency called the Lewis Group with an office in Cleckheaton. They were demanding that I paid an outstanding debt of £33.65 to PayPal. After much site searching I was able to e-mail PayPal (I always prefer to get things in writing ) and ask for details of the debt concerned. Within 48 hours they responded with an assurance that my account was in good order and no such debt was owed. Armed with this assurance I assumed it was a 'try-it-on' scam and ignored it.
Today, while I was out, a representative of the same Group's Belfast office called at our house and worried my 68 year old wife with a written Final Notice for the same debt - so much for PayPal's assurance that no debt was owed.
I have again e-mailed PayPal and told them to withdraw their dogs or face the consequences (but very politely ) and I thought I'd post the details here to warn any others or see if anyone else had had the same experience.
Dave.

Don't bother with PayPal, you have to deal with the DCA. By sending anyone around without a court order (after you've been to court and had judgement against you) is illegal - harrassment. If it is their general behaviour to others as well (it will be) it is enough for the OFT to have their licence taken away.

I'd report the visit to OFT and then go on to the Consumer Advice Group forum and find some legal letters to send to the DCA to tell them to desist, citing the relevent law. You also ask them to give evidence of you actually owning them any money. If they can't comply within a time limit then they fall foul of some law or other.. all help is there on the CAG forum.

Unfortunately, the first advice is to ignore letters etc and to not get in contact with anyone. That confirms to them that they have the 'correct' address and so start to hassle further.

I've had this trouble before with credit card debt that I paid off directly at a discount to Halifax. A few years later it appeared that halifax both cleared the debt at a discount AND sold the debt to a DCA for them to also try to profit on, but the full amount. I ignored it all for a long while (as advised) and nothing happened anyway, but then I sent the right letters from CAG and the DCA said "err... looks like we can't justify this, we're 'passing it back to the original creditor' and the letters stopped".

The worst thing to do is to treat it with any seriousness!

I bet they had a Dave K who owed money but with a false address and just picked any out of directory enquiries. Shouldn't effect any credit file either because it isn't a credit agreement (but you should check your credit files - normally able to do for free).

[nat8808]

So did they actually come round or was it just a card saying they had?

A card pretending they did is another trick of intimidation.

[nat8808]

One thing i hate about CD is you use something to play them on that is not for life.. I will sleep at night knowing my turntable's giant induction motor & idler wheel will see me out, it's pretty much guarenteed.. I don't want the inconvenience of farting about with new lazers or swapping out for another machine...

I've never known of anyone's first generation CD players stopping working other than perhaps mechanical issues or the odd output cap causing some noise. General electronic issues that would also effect turntables and phono stages of similar ages.

Only seem to be ones from the times CD players became cheap to make and buy, became more throw-away, that they start going wrong.

Good quality ones just seem to keep playing and playing.. IME anyway!

[nat8808]

Talking of old CD players, this one would have been nice:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170920229547

A fully Pioneer design, no philips or Sony parts. range just before the PD-91 etc.

[Rare Bird]

I have 1st gen players but it doesnt alter the fact i don't trust CDP's..Im of the old world & that will never change..im trying my very best to get all my albums back on vinyl.when i'm done the CDee's will be consigned to a box forever & ever amen.

[DaveK]

So did they actually come round or was it just a card saying they had?

A card pretending they did is another trick of intimidation.

Hi Nat,
Thanks for your helpful response. I'll see how PayPal respond before taking any further action but, thanks to you, I have some useful contacts to bring into play.
They actually came round, one guy, rang the bell, knocked on the door and woke my wife from her afternoon nap. He spoke to her at the door, said it was a delicate matter, and when my wife asked what was it about he told her his story and handed her the envelope with the card in it.
My conscience is clear and I have absolute faith in the British justice system so I'll start panicking tomorrow .
Dave.

[Reid Malenfant]

Excellent. Was never sure which I preferred: Trumpton or Camberwick Green.

What? No Chigley