Crappy padlock purchase - suck it up, or ebay dispute?

Did the damage compromise the strength of the lock mate, in addition to potentially letting water in etc?

You broke it you own it

If that link is to the seller you bought from ask if you can swap for this!...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285110222159?hash=item4261e4bd4f:g:uo4AAOSwD0tjxAfV

[img] [/img]

...and what a random selection of items for sale! 🤣🤔

Did the damage compromise the strength of the lock mate, in addition to potentially letting water in etc?

Yep, it'd definitely let water in (but then it is under cover), but it exposes the shackle so bolt croppers can get at it and some of the internals of the lock (it shows in the photos if they work)

So as far as the refund, there is a policy in place, but it has to be returned in the exact condition it was sent in.

i'd argue this is not a "I don't want this" refund, but a "not fit for purpose" refund. I'd expect a padlock to be fine if I dropped it, and this clearly isn't. I'd take it further

^^^ that, and if they argue & only refund the two, I'll be putting that in their feedback

and email Abus, to see if these are original or knock off...

I assume the bit that is broken is just a plastic trim as opposed to the actual lock (ie, it will still function as a lock)? If that's the case then I don't think you have a chance of a refund.

Unfortunate/annnoying accident but suck it up I’d say.
My daily use Abus D-lock had some attempts on it, generally tatty and looks worn but still keeps soldiering on. I’d certainly buy another.

I assume the bit that is broken is just a plastic trim as opposed to the actual lock

It's not plastic, it's some kind of resin, and it's not just trim, it's supposed to protect the shackle from bolt croppers.

i’d argue this is not a “I don’t want this” refund, but a “not fit for purpose” refund

Its purpose is being a lock and looking at the photos the locking mechanism appears to still be intact. Its purpose is not to be dropped on the floor.

I wouldn’t bother chasing the seller on this, particularly some random on eBay. I might have done that course of action if I’d bought it from somewhere like B&Q.

It may, however, be worth approaching Abus directly. They’re a reputable brand and might do something out of goodwill if approached in the right way.

suck it up - in effect you have tested one of their locks to (semi) destruction and found you didnt like how easy it broke, you cant expect them to refund the broken lock, but its realistic to expect them to refund the 2 you have not touched/used.

Its not much different to you going at it with a set of bolt croppers/angle grinder and deciding it was not strong enough and wanting a refund on the now broken lock.

I’d send the photos to Abus and ask if they think it’s a fake

It’s not plastic, it’s some kind of resin, and it’s not just trim, it’s supposed to protect the shackle from bolt croppers.

But half of the shackle is accessible anyway (even if that bit isn't broken).

I’d send the photos to Abus and ask if they think it’s a fake

I did wonder about this.  I'm surprised that bit is resin

Its purpose is being a lock and looking at the photos the locking mechanism appears to still be intact.

The purpose of the shell is not decorative, it's there to protect the shackle. If that shatters when dropped, it's not serving it's purpose. As I said, I'd expect a lock to be sturdy enough to withstand being dropped from a moderate height

The Abus website though suggests that the case should be a "<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">Solid hardened steel jacket</span>"

https://www.abus.com/us/Home-Security/Padlocks/Combination/190CS

If the casing is resin as @IHN suggests, or even cast steel that shatters on impact (i'd VERY MUCH expect hardened steel to withstand a drop), then this suggests a knock-off item and I might be asking ABUS if they want to have a look

I've something similar to that...the plastic seems to make it harder to get bolt cutters in to the actual clasp bit. I've assumed if the lock was dropped from height then the plastic would break - looks like you have proven my assumption.

I'm with the seller - I would refund for the 2 unused but not the broken one, By your own admission was done by you, so although it doesn't appear to be as secure as you thought it was, it was broken due to something you did, so I wouldn't be expecting the seller to refund me for my own mistake.

Not great, but take the refund on 2 and get something more suitable (and don't drop it).

Consumer Rights Act 2015, goods have to be "of satisfactory quality." A £2 lock that explodes after a two foot drop, too bad; a £60 lock failing in the same way, not so much.

Looking at the photos though, if that mechanism is the one I think it is then it's bypassable in far less time than it'd take to dial in the correct combination. That would be a greater concern to me personally.

Looking at the eclectic range of tat the eBay seller is flogging PLUS how easy the lock broke, my money is on the seller punting counterfeit locks.

I’d be getting a refund for the two now to reclaim most of your outlay and at the same time getting in conversation with abus to get their view on whether your lock is genuine. If it is fake, then I’d be pursuing that Avenue for refund on third lock too.

Resin doesn't fit the description here https://www.padlocks.co.uk/products/combination-padlocks/abus-190-60-closed-shackle - high strength steel and chrome.
80odd quid for a padlock should be bloody impenetrable! Weighs 800g soo a lot of weight to fall on itself I guess.
But as others have said, look to be fakes.

I bought Sterling round ones for my garage, much smaller, but there's no way you could bust em by dropping or hitting with a mallet.

if that mechanism is the one I think it is then it’s bypassable in far less time than it’d take to dial in the correct combination. That would be a greater concern to me personally.

Dunno about which one you're thinking of (and I know you know a bit about these things), but part of my pre-purchase googling found a couple of sites that said that the mechanism was good from preventing-bypassing point of view. This is another of the reasons why I chose it, I didn't just go "that looks big and expensive, it must be good".

Without having seen it (did it arrive in Abus packaging?) I'd say high chance it's fake.
There's also this website selling the same thing which is using the Abus name but clearly nothing to do with them, and has a very poor TrustPilot rating!
https://abuspadlocksonline.co.uk/abus-steel-code-190cs-60-series-2-padlock

what was it about that particular eBay seller which made you buy from them? Have you checked out the other items for sale? It's all cheap tat, or watches/Michael Kors handbags/Swarovski jewellery which is all obviously not counterfeit, no sir 😬

should be straightforward to get a refund though once reported to eBay/PayPal!

80odd quid for a padlock should be bloody impenetrable!

Actually they are £100 each inc vat, so you got them near enough half price... suspiciouser and suspiciouser

My guess is the same as scruff's.

They are selling a load of stuff that could easily be fakes.

Get in touch with Abus and if they say they are fake, let Ebay know.

I bought a pair of Audio Technica headphones a few years back, then another buyer got in touch with me and told me they were copies, I told ebay and they refunded me immediately and I kept the headphones.

Dunno about which one you’re thinking of (and I know you know a bit about these things), but part of my pre-purchase googling found a couple of sites that said that the mechanism was good from preventing-bypassing point of view.

"A bit" is about right, I'm far from an expert.

It looks like a notorious Masterlock mechanism. On that one you can get a knife down the side of the third disc and ping the release catch. I could be wrong, there's only so many ways you can design a combo lock! Though if it is a counterfeit as Scruff suggests, then all bets are off.

what was it about that particular eBay seller which made you buy from them?

I searched for the lock, there were a few at about that price, I picked one that did a multi-buy deal

Have you checked out the other items for sale? It’s all cheap tat, or watches/Michael Kors handbags/Swarovski jewellery which is all obviously not counterfeit, no sir

I hadn't then, I have now. Lesson learned.

I'm going to get on to Abus to see if it's a fake, and go back to the seller and tell them that's what I'm doing.

Clearly, they’re not cheap, and I spent the money because I wanted something pretty robust and secure for three stable doors.

I'm really struggling with this TBH. Given the fact that this question comes up almost every week, and almost every time almost everyone agrees that Pragmasis is the way forward, I'm really struggling to understand why you'd spend £55 on some crap from ebay rather than

£70 for this if you need closed shackle:
https://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=SS50CS
Or £40 on this if you nead cheapness.
https://securityforbikes.com/proddetail.php?prod=SS50S

Anyway, getting back to your question:
They must be knockoffs. No way they are genuine ABUS. TBH I'm not a fan of ABUS in general, but even in crime free Germany they know that the closed shackle part of the lock is key. As various people have said, the closed bit is supposed to prevent access to the U by bolt croppers.

This photo compares the closed shackle Squire 50 with the open shackle 50. As you can see the main body of the lock is completely different. The whole of the closed shackle on is a solid piece of steel; it's not a separate piece of steel to the lock body; and it's certainly not a piece of shit lump of resin moulded on as an afterthought...
https://flic.kr/p/2ofrg1e
As you can see, the closed shackle one has had the shit kicked out of it for years. It regularly gets used as a mallet for driving in tent pegs when we go camping etc etc.

If the shackle close can be easily bashed off by a tap on concrete then it can easily be knocked off by a tap with a hammer. Therefore it is not fit for purpose, therefore they should give you a refund.
But whether they will or not is a different matter. If they're content selling counterfeit goods then I can't imagine their customer care is that great

and go back to the seller and tell them that’s what I’m doing.

get your refund for the two before you do that

and go back to the seller and tell them that’s what I’m doing.

Why, they'll just close their account and pop up somewhere else tomorrow. Wait until you have the evidence. Then tell ebay/paypal/whatever, they may be able to freeze accounts and actually piss the scrote off.

get your refund for the two before you do that

was about to say exactly that 🙂

I’d be contacting Oxford trading standards

Good video on how high quality these locks should be

Why did you not buy from an established retailer; the typical price is £60 - 65 with rrp stated as c£110 so you made what you thought was a (small) saving.
You bought padlocks from an ebay site flogging a random selection of stuff; a seller with no pedigree in selling (genuine) security products.
Lock is not fit for purpose; possibly counterfeit.
Every part of a genuine lock should be both functional and resilient; yours fails.
Were locks supplied loose or in 'branded' packaging? If loose, that should have been a good enough reason to return them.
Your to do list:
- return 2 for refund
- contact Abus; packaging may help them
- when refund received contact ebay with response from Abus if it supports your view; if it doesn't, don't send it but focus on item not being fit for purpose
- when concluded, post negative feedback

Right, message off to seller pushing for refund on all three, and I'll contact Abus too (but he doesn't know that)

Every part of a genuine lock should be both functional and resilient

"Should" is 100% correct but is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

TBH the ebay route for refund should see you get all three refunded as 'not fit for purpose'. They tend to side with the buyer, and given the other tat the seller is pushing, it's likely fake. It's a reason why you don't buy chains off ebay or amazon, too many fake KMC/Shimano/SRAM out there. Good luck. A quick email to ABUS about the construction will probably confirm the top section round the shackle is a steel, not plastic.

You broke it you own it

Bollocks, it's a padlock not a vase. Dropping it is hardly a test of it's strength, or shouldn't be at any rate.

Nicely take their offer of a refund on the two.

Then raise hell with all concerned. Tell Abus, tell ebay and tell your credit card company that you think it is fake.

it’s a padlock not a vase

Thats debatable at the moment 😀

Definitely don’t tell the seller what you intend - he has your address after all. Contact eBay, ABUS, credit card company, PayPal by all means but just take the refund on offer first….

Looks like a second rate paint job on the case lettering too. Some bits missing.

Every detail I can see from the video looks exactly like the broken one, so I'd say it was real.

Again, take the refund on the 2, then start a separate not-fit-for-purpose action via ebay for the third, as well as contacting Abus who might do something from goodwill, or maybe replace and ask for the lock back to check over if that's an unexpected outcome.

Undoubtedly counterfeit. As is half the stuff on flyaway.

Hope you don't buy bike helmets, handlebars, brake parts or parachutes on there !

(Well actually I did sell  parachute on fleabay a few years back. Never heard from the guy since... 🙄).