Bought a life jacket on eBay described as ‘very good’ condition. Tested it as soon as I received it and it deflated in less than 30 seconds.

Amazing frankly.

what an appropriate user name!

I’m conflicted.

On the one hand I agree with you, but on the other you are buying a second hand life jacket off ebay.

what an appropriate user name!

Indeed – seems like the perfect jacket for sharkbait if you ask me. Don’t know what you’re complaining about 😆

Something you life depends on – mmm, let me think…….. I know, I will save a few quid and buy a second-hand one of the Bay of Fleas.

Frankly, which bit is amazing ?

Wanna buy a parachute? One careful owner, genuine reason for sale.

Things not to buy second-hand on eBay: life jacket, climbing harness and ropes…

Wanna buy a parachute? One careful owner, genuine reason for sale.

Unopened?

Shame that. Vast majority of ebay sellers are reliable and trustworthy. Usually a good option to buy something that you won’t use that often so are looking for a cheapie. Sharkbait (arf!) was unlucky.

they possibly thought it was in good condition, plenty folk dont realise they need to do routine checks on lifejackets, such as checking the gas bottle hasnt come loose, and manually inflating it from time-to-time.

Certain used items can be safe to buy and use – handlebars, frames, forks, cars, aeroplanes, motorbikes.

Other items I’d be iffy about – climbing / bungee ropes, ejector seats, life jackets, Soyuz (or Apollo for that matter) capsules, latex prophylactics prophylatics rubber johnnies.

Unopened?

😆

Something you life depends on – mmm, let me think…….. I know, I will save a few quid and buy a second-hand one of the Bay of Fleas.

Frankly, which bit is amazing ?

🙂

[spelling pedant]

Who is Dangerous and what exactly is s/he practising on eBay?

[/spelling pedant]

Who is Dangerous and what exactly is s/he practising on eBay?

Selling something that fails in it’s only purpose with life threatening consequences?

I don’t see a problem with buying a used life jacket, no different to a bouyancy aid really – people buy used stuff all the time without thinking about their importance (such as the tyres on any used car).
At least with a life jacket it can be easily tested – blow it up and see if it stays up for 12 hours, that’s all there is to it.
It’s really easy to do and this is why I have an issue with the guy who sold it – he could easily have tested it beforehand but either chose not to or didn’t care.
I had concerns as soon as I removed it from the box as could see wear at points were it had been folded.
Amazingly he wants me to send it back. I’ve told him I’m not spending any money returning it and that it needs putting in the bin. If he wants proof I’ll do a video.

Wanna buy a parachute?

I wonder if there’s a website like parachute track world or a magazine where this kind of thing gets reviewed, slagged to death

Other items I’d be iffy about – climbing / bungee ropes, ejector seats, life jackets, Soyuz (or Apollo for that matter) capsules, latex prophylactics prophylatics rubber johnnies

dildos

I too am surprised someone would buy a safety device second hand off ebay…if there’s one thing worth spending money on is safety equipment.

Your life is worth spending a bit of money on surely?

Amazingly he wants me to send it back. I’ve told him I’m not spending any money returning it and that it needs putting in the bin.

I think you need to send it back, you could keep it, but then I think he’s entitled to keep your money.

Wanna buy a parachute?

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaelQDY2bUw[/video]

I too am surprised someone would buy a safety device second hand off ebay…if there’s one thing worth spending money on is safety equipment.

So you buy a used car do you immediately replace the tyres and brakes? You go to somewhere like Go Ape and you’re handed a harness – do you turn it down because it’s not new?
If you bought a boat that came with an anchor would you throw it away and buy a new one?
I doubt it – you assume that they work and you would test if possible. I assumed that a reasonable person would not sell a lifejacket that had holes in it, but I was wrong! I always test our lifejackets every few months – we’ve never had to use any of them in anger in over 30 years but I still test them.

Oh, and for anyone that’s interested ….. parachutes 🙂

It’s up to you really…I wouldn’t buy a second hand life jacket.

I shouldn’t think they’re that expensive to buy new.

It certainly is, and anyway this was more about the fact that someone had sold a piece of safety kit that was obviously flawed than who buys what from where.

McHamish – Member

It’s up to you really…I wouldn’t buy a second hand life jacket.

I shouldn’t think they’re that expensive to buy new.

and what exactly would you do to confirm a new life jacket was safe and hadn’t suffered from mishandling, stored correctly (out of UV), manufacturing defect, age (it might have been in the shop years), etc.?

If you don’t care very much about whether or not you stay afloat, I’m sure there’s some great deals out there on second hand lifejackets.

But then I wonder why you’re even buying a lifejacket.

I can’t decide who the biggest idiot is – ebay for allowing it to be sold, the seller, or you.

Any safety critical piece of plastic which may have been extensively exposed to the sun and elements is probably a poor secondhand buy.

And why do people buy helmets secondhand when they have no idea of the impact history?

and what exactly would you do to confirm a new life jacket was safe and hadn’t suffered from mishandling, stored correctly (out of UV), manufacturing defect, age (it might have been in the shop years), etc.?

Someone gets it.

So you buy a used car do you immediately replace the tyres and brakes? You go to somewhere like Go Ape and you’re handed a harness – do you turn it down because it’s not new?
If you bought a boat that came with an anchor would you throw it away and buy a new one?

That would be a car that comes with ab MoT I assume

Go Ape the place where they have quite substantial public liability insurance req’s and reputation on selling “safe fun”
Anchor – if it floats it’s broken.

2nd hand inflatable Life jacket – no I would not buy unless from MattOAB!

What about 2nd hand Nuclear protection underwear – No, because Cher-nob’ll fall out…

OP I have around 10 in Hamble, all need new cartridges but you’re welcome to one or two and we can inflate to test.

ebay for allowing it to be sold, the seller, or you.

..or maybe you for that post?
Just maybe, like.

Jamba – ygm 🙂

On the one hand I agree with you, but on the other you are buying a second hand life jacket off ebay.

This ^

Isn’t that like buying second hand crash helmets and remould tyres?

Recent ones I have heard about are adult harnesses that have been cut, being repaired and sold in kid sizes.

And a guy from my home town was recently jailed for selling counterfeit replacement airbags, so any crash damaged car not repaired by an approved garage may contain them.

I’d want it to stay inflated for more than 12 hours. Unlucky purchase but good learning curve. At least you tested it. Plenty of wafi’s wouldn’t.

Isn’t that like buying second hand crash helmets and remould tyres?

No, it would be like buying tyres or a crash helmet off ebay that stated condition as ‘very good’.

There are risks buying anything anywhere. If you dont understand the risks you go to a shop to buy it new, and pay for the privilege of someone taking (some) of the risk away. There are still always risks, and if you dont know what the risks are buying s/h then you dont know what they are buying new. Someone could have dropped the helmet from a height causing non-visible damage, you dont know, you just hope, the chances compared to a ‘s/h new unused’ one on ebay are a lot less and therefore you pay a lot more for it.

To compare fairly, its like buying a burger off someone who has just walked out of macdonalds, you dont know if they have spat in it, but equally you dont know if the guy making it has spat in it either, but you would hope they have systems in place to prevent it.

In the case of a life jacket you can check either buying s/h or new, you inflate it, like the OP did.

Don’t see the issue in buying selling second hand as long as description is accurate, the op has found it isn’t so need to communicate with the seller or make a claim via eBay/PayPal.

Personally I wouldn’t buy a helmet second hand or even a new one if the box was badly dented..
But a life jacket no problem , I’d do as the op has done, test it first

Things not to buy second-hand on eBay: life jacket, climbing harness and ropes…

… condoms

Can you convert to tubeless?