PSA

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mario64
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PSA

Post by mario64 »

Hi all,

I wanted to share something with you in hopes that my loss can be someone's gain going forward. I've been dealing with a particular modder for some time. I've had everything from recaps to various other mods installed on several of my retro consoles without issue. Recently I sent in my Sega 32x to have the Kevtris fix installed after having read the retrorgb article. The system was working fine. I had never had any problems with it. I did, however, see some faint video noise in the background on dark screens (such as the Everdrive main menu). I thought perhaps the Kevtris fix would resolve that. As part of this the modder was also going to recap the 32x.

Long story short, the modder broke my 32x. It no longer functions. I don't know exactly what was done. All I know is that it is no longer usable. The problem is that the modder refused to stand behind his work and make things right. His attitude was basically "Oh well. Things happen. Hate it for you". I sent in a working console and got back a broken one.

My point in this post is to advise others to please be careful in your choice for console mod work. Please check upfront what their warranty is and their policy should your console get damaged. I won't be publicly calling out this modder by name. I just want to warn others to be careful.

mario64
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opt2not
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Re: PSA

Post by opt2not »

I think you should post his name, so that others won't be duped into getting fucked by him. You're not helping anyone by keeping his name a secret, and doing more of a disservice to the community protecting him.

Like you said, you've dealt with this particular modder for some time, with probably no idea that he could screw you any time. So how are we supposed to be warned to be careful?
At least if you release his name, we all can either avoid that modder, or pressure him into making this right. Spill the beans man! Don't let another member fall victim!
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DirkSwizzler
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Re: PSA

Post by DirkSwizzler »

While I've never had to use it. I believe this kind of situation is covered by paypal buyer protection as long as you mark the transaction as "goods and services" (not friends and family).

For internet transactions with unknown parties. It's generally a good idea to retain the ability to make the other party regret screwing you over.
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

DirkSwizzler wrote:While I've never had to use it. I believe this kind of situation is covered by paypal buyer protection as long as you mark the transaction as "goods and services" (not friends and family).

For internet transactions with unknown parties. It's generally a good idea to retain the ability to make the other party regret screwing you over.
And Paypal sides with the buyer an overwhelming majority of the time.
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Gara
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Re: PSA

Post by Gara »

Did they rip a ribbon cable? Back when I was looking for someone to recap my M1 Genesis, I was told by a couple modders that they do not work on 32x because of the high risk of breaking the unit. If I recall correctly it was because of the fragile cables inside.

It's a shame your modder isn't standing behind their work. They shouldn't have taken on a 32x without a big warning of possible failure. Anytime I've asked for high risk or experimental mods it's always with acknowledgement from the both of us that I could end up with a paperweight. Otherwise it usually goes without saying that if the modder breaks it they buy it.

Open a PayPal case and make them regret it. I'm kind of amazed someone who is doing repeat business with you would give you a tough luck style response. Especially without a detailed explanation on what went wrong.

Edit: scratch the case idea. I thought about it for a minute and concluded there is no case to open. He wouldn't have charged you for failed work. Presumably he at least paid return shipping. You could call them out on it and publish the name. About all you can do.
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

Gara wrote:Edit: scratch the case idea. I thought about it for a minute and concluded there is no case to open. He wouldn't have charged you for failed work. Presumably he at least paid return shipping. You could call them out on it and publish the name. About all you can do.
Are you an attorney? This is the biggest bunch of nonsense I've ever read. You thought about it and he just shouldn't open a case? Because you thought about it? And you decided he shouldn't? Thanks for the help! You sound like you're the one he paid to mangle his 32x.

If he did indeed pay via Paypal, he has literally nothing to lose by opening a likely victorious case against someone who accepted money to perform a service, then broke his device without even completing the service.
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Bratwurst
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Re: PSA

Post by Bratwurst »

ldeveraux wrote:Are you an attorney? This is the biggest bunch of nonsense I've ever read. You thought about it and he just shouldn't open a case? Because you thought about it? And you decided he shouldn't? Thanks for the help! You sound like you're the one he paid to mangle his 32x.

If he did indeed pay via Paypal, he has literally nothing to lose by opening a likely victorious case against someone who accepted money to perform a service, then broke his device without even completing the service.
Some folk don't charge until after the work is completed, such as myself. But yes, if any money changed hands then the customer is due a refund and promptly.
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

Part of me would love to expose this person publicly but my purpose here was to just to educate. Always verify your modder's policies before sending them anything. Make sure they will stand behind their work including any damage they may inadvertently do to your console.

As I informed him, this was very shortsighted on his part. I had no less than 7 upcoming jobs to send his way. All of that business is now lost and will go to someone else. All because he wouldn't source replacement parts to fix my 32x. From a business perspective I totally don't get that at all. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

In terms of PayPal, there is no case to open. He did not charge me for his failed work. Well, unless you count the $20 to ship it and of course the loss of my 32x.
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Syntax
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Re: PSA

Post by Syntax »

As a Modder, ive only ever broken 1 system.

It was a MD1 that I was repairing a botched RGB bypass amp install and infront of the customer. Previous modder cut the pullup resistor traces.

When I inserted a cart to test in front of him I managed to snag the previous modders long region switch wires and push them into the cart slot which put 5v straight into the GPU and fried the red channel.

I spent all night figuring out what I had damaged, and ended up removing the GPU from one of my own MD1 units to repair hes one.

It was stressful but it was my fault for not paying better attention to the loose wires folding over the cart slot when i put the system back together..
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

What a bizarre thread, man, I don't know what to think anymore

Sent from my LG-US998 using Tapatalk
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egg_sanwich
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Re: PSA

Post by egg_sanwich »

Educate me by telling me who it is. Otherwise I’ve learned nothing here.
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

If you'd like to know who I'm referring to you can send me a PM.
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Gara
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Re: PSA

Post by Gara »

ldeveraux wrote:
Gara wrote:Edit: scratch the case idea. I thought about it for a minute and concluded there is no case to open. He wouldn't have charged you for failed work. Presumably he at least paid return shipping. You could call them out on it and publish the name. About all you can do.
Are you an attorney? This is the biggest bunch of nonsense I've ever read. You thought about it and he just shouldn't open a case? Because you thought about it? And you decided he shouldn't? Thanks for the help! You sound like you're the one he paid to mangle his 32x.

If he did indeed pay via Paypal, he has literally nothing to lose by opening a likely victorious case against someone who accepted money to perform a service, then broke his device without even completing the service.
Haha, no no. Please don't get the wrong idea. I initially jumped on the open a case bandwagon. What case would there be to open though? People usually don't pay for mod work in advance. Plus it would be a whole different post if the modder charged labor to break an item.
headlesshobbs
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Re: PSA

Post by headlesshobbs »

I remember the last time we had a modder blowup and that involved a prominent youtuber, along with someone else who knew how to mod properly (and undo the sloppy glue gun paste job as a favor)
"Don't HD my SD!!"
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

mario64 wrote:If you'd like to know who I'm referring to you can send me a PM.
Please don't start a thread like this unless you're going to actually call someone out and provide specifics. You gave the "long story short" version, so we don't know if you changed your mind after you'd shipped him the 32x, whether he warned you it might break, or any other circumstances for this transaction. You dangled the carrot, then seemingly backed off your accusations, so there's quite a bit of detail left to disclose.
XtraSmiley
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Re: PSA

Post by XtraSmiley »

mario64 wrote:Part of me would love to expose this person publicly but my purpose here was to just to educate. Always verify your modder's policies before sending them anything. Make sure they will stand behind their work including any damage they may inadvertently do to your console.

As I informed him, this was very shortsighted on his part. I had no less than 7 upcoming jobs to send his way. All of that business is now lost and will go to someone else. All because he wouldn't source replacement parts to fix my 32x. From a business perspective I totally don't get that at all. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

In terms of PayPal, there is no case to open. He did not charge me for his failed work. Well, unless you count the $20 to ship it and of course the loss of my 32x.
Wait, so in the end he DIDNT charge you any money? Hmm, this thread is interesting, I guess the moral of the story is, talk to your moder about what happens if they cannot mod your system AND in the process break it.

I feel like this can happen a lot with systems with very bad leaking caps. Like a TurboDuo or Turbo Express. During the repair traces might be damaged so bad, the repair fails, or worse the system is in worse shape.

Thanks for the post, but I don't think you should PM people his name. Either post here or don't. After all, he might have a side to the story as well and you are not giving him a chance to air it.
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donluca
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Re: PSA

Post by donluca »

One thing I'd like to know from the OP: is this modder a DIY guy who does this in his free time?
Or is he a professional who does mods as his full time job?

There's a huge difference between the two and the fact that he didn't make you pay for his work and wasn't able to fix his own errors makes me believe that he's just a single person with no company/VAT behind who does this just as a hobby.

Next question would be understanding if this individual is disguising himself as a professional modder or not.

That would help a great deal to give context to this situation.

The tl;dr by OP is, however, valid, and is one strong advice I've already given in the other, old thread about the hot glue modder: before sending your precious consoles, know who you're dealing with. If it's a hobbyist or DIY who does this in his free time, don't expect anything if/when shit hits the fans. Professionals ask for more money for their work for a VERY good reason.
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

ldeveraux wrote:
mario64 wrote:If you'd like to know who I'm referring to you can send me a PM.
Please don't start a thread like this unless you're going to actually call someone out and provide specifics. You gave the "long story short" version, so we don't know if you changed your mind after you'd shipped him the 32x, whether he warned you it might break, or any other circumstances for this transaction. You dangled the carrot, then seemingly backed off your accusations, so there's quite a bit of detail left to disclose.
No there isn’t. I described exactly what happened. Sent my 32x to get the Kevtris fix and recap. Modder broke it somehow. I wasn’t warned of anything
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

XtraSmiley wrote:
mario64 wrote:Part of me would love to expose this person publicly but my purpose here was to just to educate. Always verify your modder's policies before sending them anything. Make sure they will stand behind their work including any damage they may inadvertently do to your console.

As I informed him, this was very shortsighted on his part. I had no less than 7 upcoming jobs to send his way. All of that business is now lost and will go to someone else. All because he wouldn't source replacement parts to fix my 32x. From a business perspective I totally don't get that at all. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot...

In terms of PayPal, there is no case to open. He did not charge me for his failed work. Well, unless you count the $20 to ship it and of course the loss of my 32x.
Wait, so in the end he DIDNT charge you any money? Hmm, this thread is interesting, I guess the moral of the story is, talk to your moder about what happens if they cannot mod your system AND in the process break it.

I feel like this can happen a lot with systems with very bad leaking caps. Like a TurboDuo or Turbo Express. During the repair traces might be damaged so bad, the repair fails, or worse the system is in worse shape.

Thanks for the post, but I don't think you should PM people his name. Either post here or don't. After all, he might have a side to the story as well and you are not giving him a chance to air it.
As mentioned, my post was just to warn people to be careful. Nothing more
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

donluca wrote:One thing I'd like to know from the OP: is this modder a DIY guy who does this in his free time?
Or is he a professional who does mods as his full time job?

There's a huge difference between the two and the fact that he didn't make you pay for his work and wasn't able to fix his own errors makes me believe that he's just a single person with no company/VAT behind who does this just as a hobby.

Next question would be understanding if this individual is disguising himself as a professional modder or not.

That would help a great deal to give context to this situation.

The tl;dr by OP is, however, valid, and is one strong advice I've already given in the other, old thread about the hot glue modder: before sending your precious consoles, know who you're dealing with. If it's a hobbyist or DIY who does this in his free time, don't expect anything if/when shit hits the fans. Professionals ask for more money for their work for a VERY good reason.
Professional modder who runs a business. I don’t know if it’s his full time job
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

mario64 wrote:
ldeveraux wrote:
mario64 wrote:If you'd like to know who I'm referring to you can send me a PM.
Please don't start a thread like this unless you're going to actually call someone out and provide specifics. You gave the "long story short" version, so we don't know if you changed your mind after you'd shipped him the 32x, whether he warned you it might break, or any other circumstances for this transaction. You dangled the carrot, then seemingly backed off your accusations, so there's quite a bit of detail left to disclose.
No there isn’t. I described exactly what happened. Sent my 32x to get the Kevtris fix and recap. Modder broke it somehow. I wasn’t warned of anything
He just returned the 32x to you without any explanation? It just showed up in the mail and that's the last you heard from him? Or he contacted you to say it broke, offered a resolution, you two didn't agree? You said he replied with "Hate it for you" (whatever that means) but gave no recourse? Did he tell you it was broken before returning? Offer a solution? He ultimiately didn't charge you, so you must have thought something was amiss when it arrived. Sorry to nitpick, but we don't know these details that seem pertinent to telling this story in its entirety.

I don't want to blame the victim here, but any reputable person who would do this work would explain the risks. Either he did and you ignored them, or he's just bad at this job. A PSA does nothing other than tell us what we already knew; vet a modder before sending him work or be willing to accept the consequences.
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donluca
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Re: PSA

Post by donluca »

mario64 wrote:Professional modder who runs a business. I don’t know if it’s his full time job
Blow him up, out with the name.

If you're a professional and you run a business you have absolutely no valid excuse for such a behavior. If he's not capable of fixing an error he did himself, it means he's also incompetent and the community should be aware of that.

Just saying: you've been 100% scammed and by not making his name you're taking his side because many more people will send him stuff and are at a risk of having their hardware back in a non-functional state.

And, more importantly, this guy needs to be called out at this point and I want to hear his side of the story.

If you have nothing to hide and have been wronged, there's absolutely no reason to not make names.
And the modder will want 100% to come out and tell us what happened exactly and see what it's his reasoning for not fixing your 32x or offer you a new one.
thebigcheese
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Re: PSA

Post by thebigcheese »

Yeah, really doesn't help anyone at all to not name names. In the infamous case of the hot glue modder, they got blown up and you know what? They stopped doing it that way (AFAIK). Might even be a reputable modder now. Helped the community and it helped the modder. As a former professional repair tech (for guitars, mind you), I'd want to know if people were unhappy with my work so I could fix it. I don't even have a use for the modder's name as I do all my own modding, it's just good common courtesy to properly warn others.

Imagine going to a restaurant and finding rat turds in your food, then going online and telling people to always check their food but not calling out the specific restaurant. Not helpful at all.
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Steamflogger Boss
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Re: PSA

Post by Steamflogger Boss »

donluca wrote:
mario64 wrote:Professional modder who runs a business. I don’t know if it’s his full time job
Blow him up, out with the name.

If you're a professional and you run a business you have absolutely no valid excuse for such a behavior. If he's not capable of fixing an error he did himself, it means he's also incompetent and the community should be aware of that.

Just saying: you've been 100% scammed and by not making his name you're taking his side because many more people will send him stuff and are at a risk of having their hardware back in a non-functional state.

And, more importantly, this guy needs to be called out at this point and I want to hear his side of the story.

If you have nothing to hide and have been wronged, there's absolutely no reason to not make names.
And the modder will want 100% to come out and tell us what happened exactly and see what it's his reasoning for not fixing your 32x or offer you a new one.
Completely agree. There is zero point in this PSA otherwise.

@bigcheese: The word is that doujindance did improve.
CobraKing
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Re: PSA

Post by CobraKing »

PSA with no actual information. :roll: :roll: :roll:

@mario64 Post the modder's name so they can explain the situation from their perspective. If it's someone making a living of installations then they should be a given a chance to speak up too.
rama
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Re: PSA

Post by rama »

And someone should probably take a 2nd look at that 32x ;)
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

ldeveraux wrote: He just returned the 32x to you without any explanation? It just showed up in the mail and that's the last you heard from him? Or he contacted you to say it broke, offered a resolution, you two didn't agree? You said he replied with "Hate it for you" (whatever that means) but gave no recourse? Did he tell you it was broken before returning? Offer a solution? He ultimiately didn't charge you, so you must have thought something was amiss when it arrived. Sorry to nitpick, but we don't know these details that seem pertinent to telling this story in its entirety.

I don't want to blame the victim here, but any reputable person who would do this work would explain the risks. Either he did and you ignored them, or he's just bad at this job. A PSA does nothing other than tell us what we already knew; vet a modder before sending him work or be willing to accept the consequences.
He admitted it was broken and said he had no idea how to fix it nor was he willing to replace it. He either doesn't know or won't admit what actually broke it. He shipped it back to me broken.
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

rama wrote:And someone should probably take a 2nd look at that 32x ;)
Agreed. I hope to have it checked by a reputable modder to see if it is permanently damaged (fried, etc) or can possibly be salvaged.
mario64
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Re: PSA

Post by mario64 »

Steamflogger Boss wrote: Completely agree. There is zero point in this PSA otherwise.
I disagree. In retrospect I wish I had read a thread like this before reaching out to what was essentially an unknown modder. I never thought to ask about warranty for the work and coverage if they damage my console. Dumb on my part yes. Now I know better. I was shown some pics of previous work and it appeared very professional. And until this event I had no complaints with his work. If I can help even one person avoid this happening to them I'm happy
ldeveraux
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Re: PSA

Post by ldeveraux »

mario64 wrote:If I can help even one person avoid this happening to them I'm happy
That is the problem with your PSA. It doesn't teach us anything we didn't know already, especially considering you won't name names.
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