When you visit a book fair, take batteries
By shelagh77
@shelagh77 (3643)
April 25, 2007 11:05am CST
If you buy battery operated items, take some new batteries with you, then if an item is offered for sale, allegedly "perfect" you can ask to pop the batteries in and see the item working for yourself.
Unfortunately, a refusal usually means that the item doesn't work, but at least you don't have to spend money to find out.
2 people like this
6 responses
@shelagh77 (3643)
•
29 Apr 07
Do you have any special tips that you could share to avoid becing caught by rogue traders?
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@shelagh77 (3643)
•
27 Apr 07
They don't usually have any electricity supply on boot fair stalls over here, and there are pretty strict rules on the resale of electrical goods too, so there are not so many at the fairs, but it really is a case of not buying unless you know the seller. Not really fair on the newbies, but you never know at these places.
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@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
25 Apr 07
Yes well this is a great point that you have here which you can save your money and not buy basttery operated items, that will not work. But at least in Australia they have to give us back our money otherwise we can report them to fair trading so that you will get your money returned.
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@shelagh77 (3643)
•
26 Apr 07
In theory you could get your money back from a boot fair merchant, but in practice since the item will have been bought cheaply it is often not worth the bother. That is if you can find the trader, the dodgy ones never give their names and addresses.
Thankfully most of the traders are 100%honest. Also an item which worked perfectly can still go wrong if it is dropped, so the trader might not actually be selling a defective item intentionally.
Anyhows, I have not got money to waste so that was my way round it lol.
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@1983tyler (507)
• United States
25 Apr 07
That is such a great idea. I would never have thought of that. Thanks.
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@shelagh77 (3643)
•
26 Apr 07
Yes, well guess who bought a lot of dud items before the little light went on in her brain and she thought of that one . . .
The look on a seller's face is always a picture, as they really do prefer to deal with newbies lol.
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