Tips for the buyers and sellers

[SandervG 1,522]

Hello! So you are in the market to buy an Ultimaker? Great idea! 
Ultimaker 3D printers are considered real workhorses, so looking for a second hand Ultimaker makes sense if you are starting or expanding your 3D printing capabilities. In order to ensure a satisfying conclusion for both parties involved, here are a few general tips: 
 

• If possible, look for a 3D printer available in your local area. Being able to see it in real life and avoid shipping with a courier is usually in your advantage. 
   
• If a pickup is not possible and the printer needs to be shipped the seller can contact a local Ultimaker reseller and they should be able to provide original Ultimaker packaging to ensure safe passage. 
   
• Before you commit to buying a 3D printer, it is recommended to see some pictures of the printer itself (like the print head, X/Y axles, build plate, print hours) and some 3D prints. If there are any mechanical defects, they usually surface in print quality. Unsure about the quality? Ask our community for their opinion.
   
• When all is to your satisfaction and the final step is transaction, we recommend to use a payment platform that provides buyer protection, like Paypall. 
   

Are you looking to sell your Ultimaker? We’re sorry to see you go. Hopefully we’ll be able to welcome you back into our community again at a later moment! 

[nighthowlers 2]

Thanks for this post SandervG!

 

As someone who fell for a scam just recently, I would not deal with anyone who refuses to use  Paypal Goods and Services . Do not use Paypal friends and family or Zelle or any other mechanism.

 

Additional steps you can take as a buyer:

1. Goto archive.org and take a snapshot of their post. This way if they delete evidence or alter it, you will have a trusted 3rd party source of the original post.
2. Have the person Include the link to the original post in their PayPal Invoice.
3. Have the person send you a video of the printer with today's newspaper or NYT website open or something. Do not worry about inconveniencing them. You are buying, they are selling. You are the customer and they should be doing extra work to make a deal work.
4. If you fall for a scam, call your bank and then file an FBI report here: ic3.gov. It may be slow, may not seem like the feds will do anything, but eventually it will happen.

Additional Steps as a seller:

1. Ship via tracked and signature required. This way a buyer cannot open a dispute with PayPal that you never shipped.
2. Take a video of you packaging and a photo of the final box for dispute related incidences
3. Do not skimp on the insurance for the package
4. Only ship to PayPal verified addresses. If the buyer does not have one, ask them to do it (it takes 2 minutes).

[dfrez 21]

Thanks for the tip regarding Ultimaker packaging. I had no idea you could buy it separately, would have saved me the headache of a poorly packaged UM2+ that I received damaged. 

[JTDesign 1]

Very soon I will be listing my Ultimaker S5 for sale. Gently used. I bought just over a year ago, so it’s just out of hardware warranty.

 

Question, is it customary when selling a used printer to accept returns when no longer under hardware warranty? 

[nighthowlers 2]

23 minutes ago, JTDesign said:

Very soon I will be listing my Ultimaker S5 for sale. Gently used. I bought just over a year ago, so it’s just out of hardware warranty.

 

Question, is it customary when selling a used printer to accept returns when no longer under hardware warranty? 

 

No I have almost never seen private sellers accept returns, however in case something is not right or was not described appropriately, honest buyer/parties work out a solution. If you sell via PayPal, I as a buyer would only purchase via PayPal Goods and Services. That means, you should take good pictures and list the details as accurately as possible. On receiving, if I as a buyer find discrepancies, I can open a dispute with Paypal and the resolution would likely result in the buyer sending the printer back and getting their money.

 

As a seller, you can protect against fraudulent Paypal disputes by taking lots of pictures and describing the printer in detail.

[haeh 0]

Could someone please post a list of checks that should be performed on a second hand printer, assuming personal inspection is possible?

 

- rattling noises overall

- screeching noises like damaged bearings when manually moving the print head

- solidity of the print bed and rough alignment (not bent, slanted, ...)

- working display and similar accessories (camera, control wheel, ...)

- test print: no clogs, no underextrusion

- bowden tube: visible wear, solidly fixed to the print head

 

Anything else?

Is there a non-resettable counter of the hours of operation?

 

Thank you in advance

Edited April 5, 2022 by haeh