Jinxed - Can't win a decent Marantz on ebay

Rivieraranch

Active Member
The 2252B I bought came to me damaged (see recent thread: heartbroken, crestfallen), and was WITHOUT FEET! Fed Ex was monumentally horrible in their customer service but finally they came and picked up the unit to send back to the seller.

Yesterday I just received a 2216B I bought primarily to use as a tuner, through headphones, for my office. (see: completed ebay item 250078685567). Would you believe that the top cover was repainted in DOVE GRAY?; it was. I was under the impression that these (such as my 2218 & 2226B) had black top covers; am I right? The unit has a small ding and next to that a shallow but noticeable scratch, the width of a hair, going diagonally from the tuning meter to the bass knob. The snaps do not show either of these things. They look "fresh" too; undoubtedly caused by a tape cutter knocking against the faceplace and scraping it during wrapping. I voiced some concerns to the seller and he responded, stating that the scratch was already there (despite the snaps not showing it) and that the Marantz literature depicted this model with a gray top cover. The good part of this deal is that the item was very well wrapped and arrived without incident. It also works well. Sadly the seller never mentioned in the listing that the cover was gray (it looks black in the pictures). After the sale, when he realized that the receiver was damaged during packing, should have contacted the buyer.

If I decide to bid on any others I will have to ask so many questions that I will become a nuisance to any seller. It looks like I have to ask whether the unit has feet, whether it was repainted in a wrong color and a bunch of other things.
 
Ebay can be tough. Do ask questions. If the seller doesn't answer or starts acting PO'ed at you then move on. Good sellers are out there.

I just bought a vintage reciever myself from the 'bay. The seller cannot communicate well at all. It is coming from California to Massachusetts and is due to be delivered Monday yet just today after repeated requests I got the tracking #..........six days after he shipped it. :nono:

My seller has good feedback, however until the reciever shows and is undamaged I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Best,

Paul :thmbsp:
 
2216B black top cover or gray?

I do need somebody to address whether the 2216B was made with a black or gray top cover.
 
Ask questions, then ask some more. It's your money.

Marantz feet are noted for cracking and falling off with age. Same with the light housing tabs on the inside.

Figure out who the seller is. I've bought a number of Marantz receivers from original owners or collectors off eBay and paid a premium because the original boxes and manuals were included. People who keep the boxes tend to keep their stuff in great condition and it's hard to beat factory packing materials. I always have them double box it too. It's worth paying more to get something in super great condition and in one piece.

Buying stuff that looks like it has gone through 3 or 4 hands no matter how inexpensive can be a coin toss. And cost more in the long run.
 
Consider e-bay like a blind date....where your "friend" sets you up with...."yeah buddy, she has the looks of a movie star, trust me"......and LASSIE ends up sitting next to you at the movies....and you THANK GOD, when the lights go out!!
I've had some wonderful deals on e-bay: VGC Marantz 27 receiver....$33.
And some NOT so wonderful: The Kenwood receiver, that the buyer shipped from California-to-Maryland....in a shopping bag.
e-bay = Buyer Beware!!

Steve
 
Have you tried Audiogon's website ? or Audioweb ? I've bought from both with good results . I had to send a personal check for a spec 1 ,kind of sweated that one out .
 
Gray case?

I have one with a black case but no idea if
there are gray ones.

If it bothers you you can always find a wood case for it.

They usually sell on that auction place for $100 + !!!

Sweet little receiver and oh so pretty with those
Blue dial lights.

Regards,
Barry
 
Captain Scary said:
I have one with a black case but no idea if
there are gray ones.

If it bothers you you can always find a wood case for it.

They usually sell on that auction place for $100 + !!!

Sweet little receiver and oh so pretty with those
Blue dial lights.

Regards,
Barry

Thanks for the encouragement, Bare; I'll look for a parts unit with a good black cover. Let the termites go after these wood cases!

Jim
 
I sell on E-Bay and when I sell a unit I consider it to be perfect. If it arrives somehow damaged, I will either fix it or replace it. Usually, any needed repairs are simple and can be done remotely. In the rare instance where something has been very badly damaged I will pay postage both ways to get it in proper working condition. The shippers are tough on packages - especially heavy ones. I think the over-worked handlers (have you ever seen the conditions they work in??) sometimes grab items off the truck and drop them when they are unexpectadly heavy (even though "fragile" is plastered all over the package and "Heavy" stickers are there, too.).

I just point this out as my policy because not all sellers on E-Bay try to cut corners or knowingly sell bad stff. I'm not in it for the money but mostly because I just want the old stuff to keep on living and be appreciated.

If you'd like the names of other sellers I know personally that try their best and are reliable, just e-mail me through private AudioKarma.

DH
 
rivieraranch: I have a standard brown cover from a Marantz 2245. If you can't find the black one you're looking for, let me know. I'm not sure if it's the same size or not but we can do some measuring to get an idea. No charge.
 
Me and ebay seller worked out accommodation

Just for the record the ebay seller was receptive to making an adjustment based upon what happened and did. We are square as far as that goes.
 
My 2226 just arrived today from an Ebay purchase. Fortunatley, he did a brilliant job packing it and it arrived from Florida to BC Canada unscathed. It definitely needs a good tune up....the volume knob has the crackle that sounds like a good dose of Deoxit is needed. It arrived 15 minutes before I had to go to work...argh!! Looking through the vents I can see that it will need a good cleanup...but it did power up, it did play music. It certanly looks as if it has been sitting for 20 years unused.
So...Ebay can work out...but it is chancy.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWN:IT&viewitem=&item=230080760612&rd=1&rd=1
 
My luck is changing

Since my posts about this issue, a member here offered to sell me a decent unit.

The ebay seller of my doomed 2252B received it back from Fed Ex and refunded me my money (including shipping); needless to say I am pleased and it also speaks well of him.

The 2216B is in my office but I still don't like the gray cover, even though it was an excellent refinishing job, just the wrong color.
 
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