Scammed by Customer Returns? - Part 2

[@denverboyd9953]

Hey I really love your videos. I watch a lot of them, and have thought about doing this as a side gig. Can you give any idea if without youtube this has been financially viable?

[@jasonrichardson1999]

It would be barely viable, unless you always get easy jobs to do

[@Tronicsfix]

I’m not saying there’s not a better way to do it and this was the first time I’ve done this but no, I wouldn’t say it’s financially viable the way I did it. I know there are people who do this and make it work so hopefully they’ll chime in here and give us a realistic picture of whether it’s viable or not.

[@denverboyd9953]

@@Tronicsfix specifically for me i actually meant the video game console repairs you normally do

[@mymadeupdreams]

​@@denverboyd9953 You need to think about how much you get broken consoles for, what tools and parts you need to invest, how much time it takes, how/where you sell it, and how much profit you actually make (after taxes and listing fees). For video game consoles, are you going to know exactly what's wrong with it? With newer electronics there's so many components, you have a lot to learn. So realistically... this is not the best way to make money unless you have some really good connections (you work at a pallet store that sells video game console returns/ parts store where you get discounts). I fix certain vintage cameras that are found untested/broken for $50-$75 and I resell for around $200-$250. This is just something I do once every few months as a side hobby, and I would never do this full time. So if you want to fix game consoles, don't quit your day job.

[@michaelkaster5058]

@@Tronicsfix there is a depth adjustment knob on the stapler before taking it apart again

[@Jimmyspangle]

Steve. Great to see you looking so well. I had cancer 13 years ago and am still in remission, so from one fixer to another, I am delighted you are so improved.

[@chokiko3204]

nice to see u looking good!!

[@DarmokAtTanagra]

I like how transparent and honest you are about how feasible this is as a money-making operation - $110 profit for hours and hours of work. But if you have a monetized Yt channel where you can get more $$ for the video of doing it all...Well, probably still not much! In it for the satisfaction more than anything...I feel that!

[@EiKk4__]

Also if your own power tool breaks and you can fix it yourself following these videos. Sharing is caring and sharing valuable fixing information is golden.

[@Ryan_DeWitt]

I think buying a pallet of broken game consoles would be much easier and much more likely to turn a better profit.

[@Biker9233]

@@Ryan_DeWitt its not about the profit, but how much joy and how much fun is it to repair and how exciting is it for the audience, I dont watch any of PS5 and Xbox videos, theres nothing new to see all the same things over and over again I rather see fix him cameras laptops power tools anything, even if its not fixable you learn so much more by doing it and watching it as a viewer)

[@andre-zp7td]

I think he makes quite a lot with his channel. Especially since he also got some extra sponsors.

[@reptileescape3619]

Nice spoiler

[@MyAdventurr]

This direction toward new repair items is SUPER INTERESTING! Love it! I knew it’d be fun watching you problem solve and completely fix items you don’t normally work on.

[@heyjustj]

Sucks that it’s not super profitable to resell but I do LOVE seeing you switch up the types of things you’re repairing. There’s some things worth repairing to keep and use to save money vs trying to make a profit. I feel like tools is a good example of that.

[@phoenixsemorata9476]

Before our store shut down this is why we made sure everything was in the box first before accepting returns, so many people try those switcheroo shenanigans. 😕

[@devilmikey00]

I blame Harbor Freight/Amazon. Their loosey-goosey return policy where they take everything without question and other stores were forced to follow suit to remain competitive.

[@KC8EWU]

Same as when I worked at Sears, especially TV's, make sure it had the stand, hardware, remote and power cord. Otherwise it could not be returned. If something looked well used, sent over to service, even if in warranty. One reason for that was a push mower we could tell was abused.

[@hubertnnn]

@@KC8EWU Well, its a double edged sword, eg. GamersNexus made a video about getting scammed by Newegg, where they send him a damaged motherboard and when he returned it, they claimed he damaged it and denied the return. This no questions asked return policy prevents such situations, but at the cost of allowing customers to do what we see here.

[@ray73864]

Our staff are required to check what is in the box and whether it has been used already, if it isn't the right thing in the box, no credit/refund, if it's been used already and shows tool marks, etc... on it, no credit/refund either, because we can't resell it. For normal retail outlets, that might be fine, but for what we deal in, it can be life or death. If it's a warranty related issue, then that's up to our suppliers to determine.

[@KC8EWU]

@@ray73864 that's the way it should be. Unless it is a recalled item, then of course that should be even higher priority to make sure right item(s) as multiple recalls lately. Two huge ones when I worked at Sears, were by Cree for their dehumidifiers. I found out from someone in service (the store I was at used to have a service drop off through the main store, service became a separate entity due to manufactures warranty issues) that the initial recall was a few months before it went public due to them catching fire. When the first round hit, over $2 million dollars in fire damages had been reported. The next year, about the same time frame, the same exact one recalled once more for the same issues, just minor cosmetic changes on the outside. Constantly catching fire. Returned ones I tested, either would not post (beep when plugged in), or powered up right away with no response from the control panel. Most had their boxes, so sent them to RTV (return to vendor) instantly.

[@davidknightx]

It's honestly amazing you didn't take a loss with the amount of missing tools they gave you.

[@fmbbeachbum8163]

The amount of people in this country that do these return scams is staggering. Tells me all I need to know about those types of people.

[@Ea-Nasir_Copper_Co]

Some if not all of these may be legit warranty returns. An item doesn’t have to be brand new to be returnable.

[@ericjenks9596]

Also complete aside, thank you for your videos. It gave me the push to open up an xbox one and fix the failing disk drive! Cleaned it up, new laser installed, and it works perfectly now. $15 in parts! I appreciate the way you make all these repairs feel accessible

[@markrowe8824]

I mean you got some nice DeWalt bags 🤔😃

[@adrianryan8586]

The Dewalt bags, are very classy

[@diegosorio]

I hate the zero trust society we live in. Bunch of dirt bags buying new tools and returning garbage for a full refund. Unbelievable!

[@Nossieuk]

companies should do more to vet products being returned - at the end of the day this is all adding to the cost of the product you are buying.

[@handlemissing]

These 2 vids made me wonder how the parasitic customers would react if the returned items were X-ray-ed BEFORE refunding.

[@DD53DD74]

Sometimes there is such a thing as an intermittent fault, that isn't readily identifiable

[@ProtonOne11]

@@DD53DD74 Looking at the returns he got here, the intermittent fault seems to be mostly in the brain of the customers. Keeping half the tools or more, returning broken, heavily used/abused or stolen goods (you don't get a "not for resale" tool without circuit board if you don't steal it at a store) to get a refund is a crime. I just hope that more of these return scammers get caught and not just lose money, but actually get punished on top.

[@ronaldtentschert6876]

Totally agree with you. I used to think it was a small amount of people that did this stuff, but I think it's probably 30% of our population. Everyone else is doing it, I'm going to do it too. No integrity whatsoever in America.

[@Paul-IE-Repairs]

the com bars overheated and melted the brushes and the brush springs, causing your intermittent issue, its pretty common on the brushed milwaukee tools run that dewalt electronics group through an ultra sonic cleaner, i get a few hundred tools through my work center annually that the water department abuses and a majority of the time a good thorough cleaning fixes them.

[@MatthewKodatt]

Love these! It's fun to follow along through the full teardown/exploration for the repair. Please keep them coming. Thanks Steve

[@georgebagdasarian4823]

Man I am so happy you are back and kicking ass !! I wish the best to you and your loved ones !!

[@darthlooper3625]

its cool you dont hide how hard you have to work to actually turn a profit. i think most people who get into repairs like this dont think about the cost analysis, or just assume they can trash pick everything and make pure profit. its a good reality check to run the numbers on screen like this.

[@milliondollarbike]

Your color is looking so good and your hair is growing back nicely! I hope your treatments are going well!

[@AthsMehDiaz]

Sad to see how often people do return scams and how it hurts honest people that try to make money fixing broken tools.

[@anfieldl]

It's not always a scam!!! It can be from taking out insurance with the retailer and as part of the insurance taken out you can take it back to the retailer and exchange it no matter how used it is. I don't know if U.S has something like this but in the u.k we do.

[@oscarmarfori613]

The most flexible repair guy on the web he can repair pure electronics up to power tools that is a difficult feat not all repair techs can do that, thanks for sharing your video 👍

[@valahnuk3593]

Refreshing to see you fix something else than just consoles. More of these videos please!

[@brandonpoole3604]

Those Milwaukee nailers do have a depth set so you might check that out. Even though I already love your channel I do love the addition of tool repair. Always been an advocate of repair over replace.

[@tmxboxburn]

With the Milwaukee impact, you can just buy the motor assembly to replace it. I know as I've had to buy 2 of them as metal filings have gotten into mine and jammed it up.

[@martinmorton6276]

in order to fix stapler A that needs more pressure in its tank for a full send of the nail/staple you may not need a BIGGER air compressor, you may need a much smaller one :) a Shock Pump for a mountain bike suspension fork/rear shock/damper will probably do the job perfectly - it does not pump MUCH air but what air it does pump in is at high pressure, the cheapy one i have from the local big name bike store goes upto about 300psi & may be just what is needed to fine tune the air in them tanks

[@jaro6985]

Yeah find someone who mountain bikes, theyll let you borrow a shock pump.

[@TKommandant]

i think it needs much more than 300 psi.A friend of mine refilled one of these and needed a compressor with 4000 psi.

[@lacucaracha111111]

For the hammer drills. The trigger assembly has an ESC in it and what appears to be hall effect sensors for the BLDC motor, make sure that the plug on those sits proper and isnt corroded. Throwing the entire assembly into an ultrasonic cleaner may yield some results, the vibrations may knock some corrosion loose

[@TboneLoyal]

My guess is the person who used it smoked it. Over heated it on those contacts trying to make it drill something it wasn’t meant to do. I have seen the smoke in mine before 😊. And glad to know you are doing better. My son just finished his leukemia treatments. Praise the Lord. Keep making content.

[@m.t.v.7934]

It's so cool watching someone who knows what they are doing trying to fix these power tools. I would be lost, I have learned to take pictures as I go so I remember how to put things back together but that staple gun looked like a lot man. LOL I don't understand how the people taking the returns do not open the god damn box to look inside?? I know the last time I returned something to Home Depot they opened the box. What I do now and you guys should too is open your box at the register before you walk out because they put these returns "sometimes" right back out on the shelfs and you think your buying say a gen 3 Milwaukee and in the box in a gen 1. Once you walk out the store, they will not help you, so open your boxes before you walk out to make sure the tool your buying is in the box! I saw this happen to someone online and he got stuck with a brushed drill gen 1 when he thought he was buying a gen 3 FUEL

[@johnfowler4436]

Love the channel and all it stands for, and so glad to see you looking healthier. Really cool to see the addition of power tools as a carpenter. Those staplers should be seating the stapler flush with the wood or slightly below, and if I'm not mistaken are charged with nitrogen. Crazy to see all the return scams, especially the 18v and the chunk of metal. Thanks for all the videos and knowledge!

[@Synic08]

Ive always watched your videos since i repaired a ps4 controller… but i work in construction, and recently repaired a fuel impact… IMPRESSIVELY easy to work on..

[@jasonbenson7699]

Love all of your videos and you have inspired me as well but not sure if I will do as a side job myself though but might consider it. I was really interested in the soldering station by ifixit until i seen the price lol. I also love these longer videos as well on here and how in depth you go into the repairs which makes it easier to learn from you. I am also glad you are cancer free and I pray that it will always stay that way for you. Thanks for all of your hard work and the amazing content that you put out for us.

[@ElectroAtletico]

The Milwaukee M12 Electric Screwdriver is my baby! Always in my tool bag ready to go.

[@J_Notorious]

A lot of Dewalt faults are switches as dust, dirt, etc gets inside. Try taking apart the switch assembly (black square behind pull switch held by a few clips) and cleaning the contact points with contact cleaner. There is also a, ‘spring’ like wiper that loses tension and could easily be bent back to create proper contact to the wipers. Hope this helps!

[@rondickson1491]

Another great video! At least the fixed tools won’t end up in a landfill. Nice work. Best wishes from Virginia.

[@sandmanxo]

I can't say I'm that surprised about the DeWalt tools. I have several 20v Max tools from them, and had a battery die on me after 3 months and placed an RMA on it. They sent me 2 brand new batteries and didn't ask for the old one back. The margins on the batteries has to be incredible, as I've rebuilt one a while back and I bought higher quality replacement cells for around $30, I'm going to assume they pay $10-15 at best for the cells and the rest of the hardware inside of them, then sell them(5ah) ones for ~$120. I imagien there is a similar margin on the tools themselves too for that many scam returns.

[@RandyFortier]

It really is a testament to the reliability of Dewalt tools. Considering how much worksite dust and drywall plaster was inside those, yet most of them still work.

[@QuantumCraftingTools]

I appreciate your honesty about the $110 profit for hours of work. Even with a monetized KZbin channel, it seems like you’re more in it for the satisfaction than the money. I get that!

[@paablopalacioo]

love your content man. Super patient with all the fuss. Take it easy and glad you look super healthy once more. Regards from Patagonia.

[@3dfymyworld484]

I honestly don't know why I love watching him taking things apart

[@michaelpattemore5273]

Great to see you looking healthy again!

[@calrez]

Looking good, nice to see You! 🤝

[@stevetealey2804]

That Dewalt Reciprocating Saw that is locked up with rust i would of had it off you but im not in the USA some times i like giving things like that a go at fixing and tri to get them working again.

[@23Rrhmj]

I love your electronics repair videos, but its nice seeing you repair other items.

[@Zer0G101]

I enjoy you fixing different stuff other than consoles. Loved the mixer fixing video as well. Keep It up 👍

[@KC8EWU]

Steve, the not for sale one is just a nonfuctional dispay unit. Same as where corded ones dont have a cord. I used to work at Sears, covering pmt (large item returns towards fhe end) checking items for possible resale. A small microwave was put over by RTV (Return To Vendor), i went to pick it up, the thing was as light as a feather! I could not figure out why at first till i spun it around. The customer was accidentaly given a display dummy! Somehow when it came off fhe truck, nobody noticed the box said on it nonfunctional display unit, not for sale! A couple other times after that, I found others in fhe backroom that said fhe same thing.

[@hubertnnn]

But why make those? It costs more the make a dedicated unit, and looking at the drill, it already had all the expensive parts, so 90% of cost was there. Wouldn't it be easier to just put a working device on display and then sell it as used when its no longer needed? At least that is what we do in Poland.

[@KC8EWU]

@@hubertnnn theft issues is one reason. Also as a shopper, I want to hold the tool in my hands, check for balance and other criteria. Another is for safety reasons.

[@JohnDoe-fv7ue]

Bro can fix anything, he fixed cancer. What a stud.

[@HarrowTTV]

i suggest soaking the rusted parts in CLR and see if it actually helps with it loosening up

[@joeclifford183]

Opening the back of the motors (prying the tabs) should be doable with flathead screwdrivers or long nose pliers. These power tools do need some persuasion at times to get into places. I’m fascinated by this video as I’m an electrician and I’ve fixed a few of my Milwaukee tools and a few friends makitas but there’s heaps here I’ve never tackled. I’d probably just buy a new motor to give it a full lease of life myself.

[@timothystevenhoward]

you have to open the Dewalt switch to access the metal wipers. its a potentiometer and they get dirt and grit inside and gums up the wipers. And you are correct Dewalt switches on brushless tools come as an assembly, so having a stock of spare parts is the only way to fix economically.

[@ErickBuildsStuff]

8:44 I use cutting pliers specifically that we use for wire cutters. You can pry open the motor and clean brushes. Use a hammer to rebend them to original shape

[@TheGuya]

Steve, you're looking so young again! Keep your inspiring work up and big fan 💪

[@jeremyfre9761]

The staples should be sunk into the wood. That adjuster on the screw gun is a clutch to prevent over torque

[@blamhokje]

I realllllly like this series. This time round you had bad luck but it's exciting, you never know what you will find.

[@f8keuser]

Here where I live the store staff will actually open up the box and examine the tool. People use to be able to scam their way out but now it's far harder to do so.

[@Just_sandwich]

There was this one time where we bought a wet-saw for doing tiles on our fireplace from Home Depot. “It was being sold as brand new,” but it was clearly used.

[@crazyjoe6679]

The Milwaukee m12 screw driver is a tool I use everyday I love it I’ve had mine for four years and use it everyday for work I’m a HVAC TECHNICIAN NEVER EVER had any issues with mine way worth the money

[@ronaldtentschert6876]

I like you doing the tool ones and toys, they're my favorite.

[@revengenerd1]

About 6 years ago I remember my dad giving me his old drill and it worked once then not again, as I was a newb at DIY and the tool was old and not an expensive one at first time, somehow me trying to drill into a door frame loosened up the contacts and my dad just got a metal clip and soldered the broken contacts on battery and then it worked.

[@ianburkard]

25:00 sometimes these are used to vibrate cement in forms to level the concrete, fill a mold, vibrate air bubbles out of a complex shape. I bet some DIY person was shaking cement in a mold for a random project.

[@DM4Aaron]

the millwakee motors are rc car motors, i got a couple that had terrible motors and used some amazon ones and they have been great for the last couple years.

[@coondogtheman]

Steve one thing you can try for that gunked up drill motor is to simply run it long enough and the brushes will scrape off the gunk.

[@emmettturner9452]

22:23 The DCF850 they returned is a much more desirable impact driver than the Atomic that set was supposed to include. Hopefully it works.

[@craighare1711]

The dewalt sawall was used by a flood company cutting wet drywall from flooded houses.

[@fmbbeachbum8163]

Could've been using it to vibrate concrete while it's being poured.

[@techrestoread]

Nice work I've never tried working on power tools before good to see your doing well keep up the fantastic work ❤

[@russthebuss5]

Damnnnnn that hair coming back with a vengeance! ❤ Happy to see you looking better man!

[@onemrtrouble9155]

anyone else would of tried to get the "not for sale" working by putting a board from one of the other staplers into it and soldiered everything onto it since it looked really good...i know you want to get something working in less time but i think if it has never been used, it would feel better to sell.....i love watching your videos though steve -_- keep up the good work

[@me-jv8ji]

no one else would have done that that you are the only one who would have done it. there is too much much work for little profit. if you wanted the sticker that said not for sale just swap cases the internals are all just the same.

[@eliyahomar]

you are a great guy Thank you so much to you and to your wife for making these videos

[@datelovuelta]

Looking good my man!!! my thing is videogames but I have a coursing that loves tools that will love this content, keep it up!! great to see you this good again!

[@ryanlfg5717]

Glad to see you still making videos! Ever thought about trying to repair a PSVR?

[@Alhick4496]

Great video. Looking forward to more videos like this!

[@fourdoorstance]

love the videos! I follow every episode this is good content you should have more of these anyway that milwaukee 2 all you have to do is break-in and clean that motor, like what we do for the tamiya mini 4wd motors to get stable contact and get it to spin smoother

[@Myrddraalfade]

I use a Wilde GT132 - Hook Tool to pry open those small motors for disassembly.

[@MrCowering]

That Dewalt SDS (if its like mine) drills until the switch is almost completely pushed, then adds the hammer thing. you need special bits for SDS also

[@johnd0e25]

I didn't believe so many people would openly do these return scams

[@AntonisGiatilis]

That Dewalt you were fixing the switch on, that one with the many gears in it seemed to have very rusty contacts where the battery plugs in

[@kitkat8dirty1gaming5]

You look amazing bro bro! Keep doing what you gotta do, and dont work yourself too hard.

[@shocked_shocked7703]

Those return scammers make me so mad

[@vanloggins]

You should try buying up a bunch of AS-IS, unrepaired, customer returned 3D printers. There are always tons of them available on eBay. I am batting 8 out of 10 for fixing the ones I have bought. Got a parts machine that was missing about half of the needed parts that became a donor to fix others, and one I fixed, but for the life of me I have yet to get it to give me a decent looking print.

[@Watcher3223]

There is a noticeable difference in the sound of that Milwaukee hex screwdriver drill, with the sound after service being much better. It's likely the motor is running stronger now. Before you serviced the motor: 4:26 After you serviced the motor: 10:22

[@MrKlarthums]

So are the big box stores simply not checking their returns? Or is the pallet seller making some convenient swaps? I've returned a brand new Makita jigsaw to Home Depot in the past 2 years and customer service opened the sealed box to actually inspect the tool. Maybe she thought I was lying and resealed it because my return reason was that I didn't need it for the job I was doing.

[@eyewitness329]

Not sure about the US, but in EU they are definitely checking what are you returning. Especially when buying over the internet, cause you have 2 weeks return/cancel policy on anything sold remotely (no matter if it's a tool, phone plan or bank loan) - BUT, thing you are returning can't show excessive wear.

[@hubertnnn]

@@eyewitness329 Didnt realize its an EU thing, I thought we had this specifically in Poland. But even the 2 week return policy won't help against scams, eg. I had a situation with Orange, I bought a 5 year internet plan, first 2 weeks: 50 Mb/s perfect network, after 2 weeks 3 Mb/s, daily disconnects up to an hour offline and I had to buy a new modem because "they don't support the old one any more".

[@poeticsilence047]

Think it depends on the store, but it is dumb that they just accept anything

[@mtshark7]

Nicely done Steve!

[@amystanbridge6482]

for Cleaning Electric motors like that you attach your positive and negative terminals up then completely submerge it in Metho and turn on the power and let it run for 5 mins

[@darylhudson777]

What you do is you Ziploc all the pieces like on that rusty one and save it for parts like the shell and you might be able to fix the motor and I would stick the gearbox in some Evapo-rust to see if any parts are salvageable as everything can be used if you just take the time to put it in a ultrasonic heated cleaner tank Etc.

[@ContraG]

I hope you made good profit from ebay and the channel revenue. You do great work and I never miss a video. Thank you.

[@jackd23]

I've seen scammers going as far as taping very small items into a package, to match the original item's weight to the gram.

[@daniel070487]

20:00 why not take the cylinder from the not for sale ?

[@maxtaker1]

Happy to see you happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@andryNt1]

Hey Steve! Wdyt to put the whole assembly of the “store model” stapler into the non working one? It looks like brand new and can probably solve the problem. Ps. It’s really clear by these videos what a good person you are Steve! Thank you for what you bring to the community

[@paddlesouth]

Those Dewalt bags are worth money too

[@Wootsickles]

12:23 typically if they are marked as not for sale it will be a bundle item. My Makita cordless set has a similar marking. I bought 2 drills and a saw and a light and stuff in a bundle.

[@luisfelipefigueroa2067]

that green stuff in the first drill is patina. corrosion in cooper due humidity. someone soaked that drill and that's why it ended up not working

[@hammyzgod]

That dcf850 is worth a lot more than $50 even in that condition, that is a top of the line micro impact

[@doctorlaptopuk]

When anyone sends us a package, we open it on camera ONLY. Covered from several angles so there can be no dispute over what they sent us. We have had a slab of wood for a laptop, part of a house brick for the exact weight of a Canon camera. They are getting smarter, so you need to also. Scammers particularly cry when you catch them out and can prove it. The fun you can have makes it all worth while.

[@BrandonWAndrews]

Been waiting!! Awesome

[@kulilin3104]

Just as a side note with these tools. Most of them have either a three year or even a lifetime warranty that some stores are authorized to fulfill. So there is an off chance that customers brought in busted tools and had them swapped out under the warranty. The store will get a credit from the manufacturer, then just ship them off to wholesale. I worked retail and we had some items that we were authorized to swap out under manufacturer warranty.

[@isaacclarke8841]

18:01 - feels like a training your dog: stay, sit... Good boy

[@edwardkay]

Is the buzzing on stapler A an air compressor or something to build up pressure to shoot the nail in.

[@dilling442]

Looking good Steve!

[@imzimansvideos]

Suprised u jus dont test the old items thy are worth a bit if u chk the models. Also b a little careful wen waving tools and talking to the camera. Glad ur all well love ur content

[@revengenerd1]

Kept refreshing page until I knew your video was here, it's the highlight of my Friday lol.

[@snkfan]

I would love to see you fix VCRs the insides are insane

[@metarugia3981]

I think diagnosing and fixing power tools will be a natural fit for you Steve as they're somewhat similar to game consoles haha.