Test Equipment Anonymous (TEA) group therapy thread

[AVGresponding]

I shall be there this evening 

Edit: unicorn alert!!! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F184210156865

Quite a lot of their items are identical to previous scam listings, they must either be the same person, or they download a portfolio of items from ebayscams r us   

[beanflying]

I shall be there this evening 

Edit: unicorn alert!!! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F184210156865

Forgotten exactly when but the same sort of 24 hour faked listings word for word was discussed here a week or so back? Some mainly Record seller from memory  Unsurprisingly all items were magically disappeared with an hour or two to go.

[bd139]

Ah yes good call. I was clearly half asleep when I saw that! 

Literally just got out of bed 20 minutes ago

[Specmaster]

I shall be there this evening 

Edit: unicorn alert!!! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F184210156865

Here's another unicorn warning https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aeroflex-IFR-3500A-Portable-Radio-Test-Set/184210155573?hash=item2ae3c7e835:g:onkAAOSwIxVebJSa

[beanflying]

Ah yes good call. I was clearly half asleep when I saw that! 

Literally just got out of bed 20 minutes ago

Found it was actually discussed last week on Discord 'Junorecords' were the wombats then

[URI]

I shall be there this evening 

Edit: unicorn alert!!! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F184210156865

Scam, probably hacked account "abhstrading".
Same as last week with account "Junorecords"   
Just reported.

[bd139]

This is a regular scammer. I'm surprised I didn't pick up on it. I blame the lack of coffee. 

[PA0PBZ]

I shall be there this evening 

Edit: unicorn alert!!! https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F184210156865

Here's another unicorn warning https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aeroflex-IFR-3500A-Portable-Radio-Test-Set/184210155573?hash=item2ae3c7e835:g:onkAAOSwIxVebJSa

If you look at the sellers other listings there's hundreds of scam listings

[Specmaster]

Regarding the eBay listings, I have discovered that there are 12 pages of these scams on this one account and have spoken to eBay who are now aware and this account has been suspended and these fraudulent listing in the process of being taken down. The seller was totally unaware of his account being hi-jacked.

If anyone has an eBay account, please activate the extra security of adding your mobile number so when you or anybody logs on and attempts to add, delete or anyway modify listings, they cannot do so unless they respond to the 6-digit code that is sent instantly to your mobile phone. I had my account hacked a few months ago and it is a pita having to keep inputting the code numbers but at least it keeps your account safe.

[bd139]

Good advice. Also make sure you have a unique and strong password for your eBay account

[Specmaster]

Soon be wasp season, I wonder if Tautech does this with his bastard wasps?

[Mr. Scram]

I really don't have a problem with them refusing to sell parts to the end-user that they have no idea if you're Tim Taylor or Shahriar Shahramian or something in between, like Dave maybe...? 

mnem
"Dave's not here, ma-a-a-an..."

They refuse legit outfits all the same. Only Fluke is allowed to install spare parts, even the cosmetic ones. Keysight and TTi do sell parts so that's not really an excuse either.

[Mr. Scram]

nope

It was a joke. 

[bd139]

I really don't have a problem with them refusing to sell parts to the end-user that they have no idea if you're Tim Taylor or Shahriar Shahramian or something in between, like Dave maybe...? 

mnem
"Dave's not here, ma-a-a-an..."

They refuse legit outfits all the same. Only Fluke is allowed to install spare parts, even the cosmetic ones. Keysight and TTi do sell parts so that's not really an excuse either.

This is actually one reason I got rid of the 87V. The 87 is fine, well documented and plenty of scrap units available for parts.

[med6753]

I really don't have a problem with them refusing to sell parts to the end-user that they have no idea if you're Tim Taylor or Shahriar Shahramian or something in between, like Dave maybe...? 

mnem
"Dave's not here, ma-a-a-an..."

They refuse legit outfits all the same. Only Fluke is allowed to install spare parts, even the cosmetic ones. Keysight and TTi do sell parts so that's not really an excuse either.

This is actually one reason I got rid of the 87V. The 87 is fine, well documented and plenty of scrap units available for parts.

Same with all my vintage Flukes. Plenty of beat up basket cases out there for parts. 

[Specmaster]

Now I'm confused, Apple don't sell parts, infact they don't even have "proper" authorized repair agents, they prefer to IMHO to rip their customers off by selling them a new device. It even comes down to where customers are even prepared to accept a new device and pay for it, providing they can get their photos and personal data recovered from the old device, to which Apple say its impossible to do. This a load of BS because there are many well documented cases of Independent 3rd party repairers who have both successfully been able to both repair item that were declared by Apple as unrepairable and also recovered photos and other personal data from other so-called unrepairable devices that Apple refused to even look at.

Apple have even now gone down the route of data locking batteries to a device, along with home buttons and screens, by crippling certain functions if anyone else other than Apple replaces these items because they embed chips within them that need to be programmed to unlock the features.

How would you feel if your TV remote lost certain functions because you replaced the batteries?, or your car had a heated function that would only work if the manufacturers agents replace your shattered windscreen, etc?

[med6753]

Now I'm confused, Apple don't sell parts, infact they don't even have "proper" authorized repair agents, they prefer to IMHO to rip their customers off by selling them a new device. It even comes down to where customers are even prepared to accept a new device and pay for it, providing they can get their photos and personal data recovered from the old device, to which Apple say its impossible to do. This a load of BS because there are many well documented cases of Independent 3rd party repairers who have both successfully been able to both repair item that were declared by Apple as unrepairable and also recovered photos and other personal data from other so-called unrepairable devices that Apple refused to even look at.

Apple have even now gone down the route of data locking batteries to a device, along with home buttons and screens, by crippling certain functions if anyone else other than Apple replaces these items because they embed chips within them that need to be programmed to unlock the features.

How would you feel if your TV remote lost certain functions because you replaced the batteries?, or your car had a heated function that would only work if the manufacturers agents replace your shattered windscreen, etc?

So fucking ironic. That's really the Apple Fan Boys marching.

[Specmaster]

I'm not anti Apple, I have an iPad and I love it but I'll be mega pissed off if the battery fails on it and I cannot either replace it myself, get it replaced quickly and at a reasonable price. 

[Cerebus]

Played by Marty Feldman; one of the greats of "slightly off" comedy. Passed much too young; almost 2 4 decades ago now.

Ahem. 4 decades ago.

That's further away than the second half of this century.

Shit; 1982. I was thinking it was early 2000s...

mnem
holy fuck I'm old... 

Yup, it was that long ago. I remember several of us raising a glass to him in the university bar on getting the news. As we did my friend Robin said "At least there's a good side to it. Maybe now people'll stop calling me 'The fella that looks like Marty Feldman'". Robin had curly hair, the same shape face as Feldman and also suffered from hyperthyroidism so had the same bulging eyes - the resemblance was quite remarkable.

[bd139]

I'm no fanboy. In fact I have an iPhone now and that's it and I fucking hate the Apple keyboards and MacOS these days but honestly the folk bitching about Apple service I can't agree with. Your other options:

1. Some other major brand manufacturer (Sony, Motorola, Huawei, Samsung, HTC, Google) who sends it off to an independent repairer and you lose it for 4-6 weeks while they just fuck it up or send you a bashed up refurb back.
2. Take to Abdul down the market who will hot snot the screen back in and put a battery back in it which is made of fire or break off all the clips inside it.
3. Obtain some hooky components of unknown origin (doesn't matter which manufacturer you buy there) and do it yourself risking fucking up the entire handset in the process.

I'll take Apple service thanks. The one time they fucked up replacing a screen, which had a minor blemish on it, they just gave me a brand spanking new boxed handset for a grand expenditure of £0. Also 2 hour turnaround on batteries at my local one (Kingston Bentalls Apple store).

Relating that to Fluke, if I was running a commercial operation I'd take the Fluke repair or warranty option. The issue is most of the stuff isn't in warranty that we have so we have to resort to paying them to fixing it or taking the risk yourself.

[Cerebus]

Now I'm confused, Apple don't sell parts, infact they don't even have "proper" authorized repair agents,

Plain untrue. There are Apple authorized repair agents. There's availability of spare parts and even rather good documentation available to them - where do you think Louis Rossman gets his detailed schematics from. I suspect, but can't prove, that there's also an official price list on what to charge for what repairs.

I've no problem with people bashing Apple for the things they actually do/don't do, but it's a bit tiresome to hear the same old fictions repeated third hand. It's no different in essence to all the "All things cinese (sic) are crap, countefeit (sic) or contain stolen ideas" that are rolled out by the same old knuckle-draggers on here. Yes, Apple are vociferously opposed to truly independent repairs and lobby at great expense against "right to repair" legislation, but it's completely untrue that there aren't Apple authorised third party repair agents. They are rare as hen's teeth, they are no cheaper than Apple, but they exist.

[mnementh]

Played by Marty Feldman; one of the greats of "slightly off" comedy. Passed much too young; almost 2 4 decades ago now.

Ahem. 4 decades ago.

That's further away than the second half of this century.

Shit; 1982. I was thinking it was early 2000s...

mnem
holy fuck I'm old... 

Yup, it was that long ago. I remember several of us raising a glass to him in the university bar on getting the news. As we did my friend Robin said "At least there's a good side to it. Maybe now people'll stop calling me 'The fella that looks like Marty Feldman'". Robin had curly hair, the same shape face as Feldman and also suffered from hyperthyroidism so had the same bulging eyes - the resemblance was quite remarkable.

*Imagines Marty, Robin, George & Jonathan playing poker*     

mnem
Would they even be able to finish a hand...?

[bd139]

Now I'm confused, Apple don't sell parts, infact they don't even have "proper" authorized repair agents,

Plain untrue. There are Apple authorized repair agents. There's availability of spare parts and even rather good documentation available to them - where do you think Louis Rossman gets his detailed schematics from. I suspect, but can't prove, that there's also an official price list on what to charge for what repairs.

I've no problem with people bashing Apple for the things they actually do/don't do, but it's a bit tiresome to hear the same old fictions repeated third hand. It's no different in essence to all the "All things cinese (sic) are crap, countefeit (sic) or contain stolen ideas" that are rolled out by the same old knuckle-draggers on here. Yes, Apple are vociferously opposed to truly independent repairs and lobby at great expense against "right to repair" legislation, but it's completely untrue that there aren't Apple authorised third party repair agents. They are rare as hen's teeth, they are no cheaper than Apple, but they exist.

Indeed.

Now the right to repair I don't necessarily agree with because quite frankly, to paraphrase tggzzz, a lot of people suffer from the Dunning-Kruger Effect. "I am allowed therefore I can" is a dangerous concept in the wrong hands. One dickhead changing a Li-poly pack in a tower block and we've got Greenfell two. As mentioned I've seen the guy down the Treaty Centre in Hounslow doing phone repairs and he's a rip off merchant and dangerous to boot.

We should focus on mandatory materials buy-back, recycling, price capping of repairs and "fit for purpose" statuatory warranties on all things. Manufacturers need to support their products for the entire reasonable lifetime rather than kick them over the fence and forget about them. Apple are actually one of the only companies that does all that believe it or not...

[mnementh]

Now I'm confused, Apple don't sell parts, infact they don't even have "proper" authorized repair agents,

Plain untrue. There are Apple authorized repair agents. There's availability of spare parts and even rather good documentation available to them - where do you think Louis Rossman gets his detailed schematics from. I suspect, but can't prove, that there's also an official price list on what to charge for what repairs.

I've no problem with people bashing Apple for the things they actually do/don't do, but it's a bit tiresome to hear the same old fictions repeated third hand. It's no different in essence to all the "All things cinese (sic) are crap, countefeit (sic) or contain stolen ideas" that are rolled out by the same old knuckle-draggers on here. Yes, Apple are vociferously opposed to truly independent repairs and lobby at great expense against "right to repair" legislation, but it's completely untrue that there aren't Apple authorised third party repair agents. They are rare as hen's teeth, they are no cheaper than Apple, but they exist.

What's really  rolling-my-eyes-so-loud-you-can-hear-it-through-the-computer-screen dumb is hashing the SAME EXACT ARGUMENT OVER AGAIN... multiple times with the SAME PEOPLE. We had this very same discussion IN HERE about a year & a half ago: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/test-equipment-anonymous-(tea)-group-therapy-thread/12600/

Since it's the same memespace, and the same recidivist perps at large, I'm going to copy my response from then lock, stock & 2 smoking barrels right here... it remains as true now as it was then:

It’s the day job leaking into the escape I think

Physical cards are a nightmare. One reason I like Apple Pay. It generates a new card number for every transaction basically. Zero chance of reusing any snatched data right up until the bank. Plus you can’t just grab someone’s handset and use it. The biggest security risks these days are with the merchant and vendor.  Look at ticketmaster recently.

Well I can't even pretend to understand what all security protocol chat is about but your Apple pay has me intrigued, why couldn't I for instance just grab your iphone and use that to pay for something? Its a contactless payment method isn't it?

I will never drink the apple juice....out of principle. In 1984 Apple trashed my employer with this commercial:

*MacIntosh Ad*

They have become 100x worse than IBM ever was. All those drones sitting there are the same drones lined up outside an Apple store for the privilege to buy a $900 I phone. You gotta be freaking crazy.

You're thinking too small; thinking like an ordinary person with bills and a limited amount of money.

What Apple is selling is convenience and TIME; time YOU don't spend figuring it out, time you don't spend fixing it if it breaks, time you don't spend arguing with customer support. All you have to do is fit your needs within the confines of their ecology, and give them boatloads of money. In return, they constantly revise their ecology to fit more and more of the people with money, so eventually you will get more and more functionality from them.

Honestly, it's not that bad a deal, unless you are one of those people who just HAS to do it for yourself; then you're well and truly boned.

mnem
Time is your most valuable commodity; the one thing you can't make or buy more of. Trading mere money for more time is a deal that's ALWAYS in YOUR favor.

[jjoonathan]

Yeah, apple authorized repair agents aren't repair agents, they are sales agents for new phones.