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  1. Hi folks,

    I'm a newbie here who just bought a Panasonic AG-1980 on eBay that was guaranteed fully functional. Well, it arrived packaged really well but the first essential step to functioning is a bust. The cassette door is locked (stuck, jammed, blocked?)! I don't don't want to force it too much but it is seriously inhibited on the right upper corner. Is there a sensor switch there or something that has malfunctioned? I need to decide whether to send it back (at a cost of $15+) or to try to get it fix. Is it something minor or major? Please give me your 2 cents worth!

    Thanks a bunch!
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  2. Originally Posted by RonFree View Post
    Hi folks,

    I'm a newbie here who just bought a Panasonic AG-1980 on eBay that was guaranteed fully functional.

    That was your first mistake.

    Welcome to VH.com and good luck getting your money back.
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  3. Member zoobie's Avatar
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    Don't force it. There's a little latch on all of them opposite the hinges. See if you can at least use a paperclip to get it open. Contact the seller, etc.
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  4. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by MOVIEGEEK View Post
    Originally Posted by RonFree View Post
    Hi folks,

    I'm a newbie here who just bought a Panasonic AG-1980 on eBay that was guaranteed fully functional.

    That was your first mistake..
    I just got my Philips player (JVC clone w/tbc) yesterday in the mail.....bought it off of Ebay. FANTASTIC deal. I've never been burned on Ebay.
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  5. Banned
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    You pays your money and you takes your chances on Ebay, Craigslist, etc.
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  6. Originally Posted by MOVIEGEEK View Post
    Originally Posted by RonFree View Post
    Hi folks,

    I'm a newbie here who just bought a Panasonic AG-1980 on eBay that was guaranteed fully functional.

    That was your first mistake.

    Welcome to VH.com and good luck getting your money back.
    Yeah EBay/Paypal side with the buyer 99.9% of the time so I doubt the OP will have problems getting his money back. Sellers are at more risk of getting screwed. I had a guy buy a lens from me that was certainly working, 35 days after he buys it he demands a refund claiming it's defective and Ebay gave him one out of my account (since I wouldn't willingly do it). Received the lens back with a big dent in it's side, aperture ring cracked and scuffs on the glass. Hmm....

    Anyway, back to the OP's question...My AG-1960 has magnets in the corner of the door top that sometimes 'stick' I think because there is either a glue seating them to the cabinet that has migrated or some sort of residue got on them. A little careful determination on my part opens it without too much trouble if it's been closed a while.

    Good Luck!

    --dES
    "You can observe a lot by watching." - Yogi Bera
    http://www.areturningadultstudent.com
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  7. Thanks for all the responses.

    Thanks to Frank Findley, the tech at StudioSoundElectronics.com, I got the jammed door problem fixed. The front panel had been installed wrong leaving a plastic tab blocking inward opening of the door. A slight rearrangement of the panel took care of it by placing that little tab on the outside.

    Next problem: Now the VCR will accept the cassette tape but it does not stay in the machine and, within about 3 seconds, it ejects the cassette and shuts off automatically. It seems like it is loading up properly and ready to play, but then ejects.

    Any ideas about what is causing this malfunction?
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  8. Have you tried another tape? If so then send this lemon back.
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  9. Yes, I have tried several different types of VHS cassette tapes.

    The unit was obviously not fully check out. As I read back over the ad it didn’t even say that it was. It just said that it powered up and that it was “guaranteed” to be fully functional. However, the seller was very gracious by not only giving a full refund including shipping, but offered to send me a paid shipping label for the return. Since the unit was still malfunctioning and may not be worth repairing, I countered by suggesting that it would save us both stress, time, and money, if I just kept it. She agreed and promptly refunded the complete transaction through PayPal.

    Perhaps the biggest lesson to be learned is to stay away from mass by-outs (when you cannot physically checkout the product) and stick with individual sellers who have actually used the item. This particularly applies to high-tech equipment with loads moving parts and caps, etc.

    I have generally done well with eBay transactions.
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