I bought a car computer scanner earlier in the year from China on an independent site and never received it, paypal refunded me including shipping.

Have you tried using the Pioneer Cyclosphere phone app, it provides alot of useful diagnostics and can see if calibration works with it.

 I did download that, but it ends up that this version on the Dura Ace 9000 does not have Bluetooth, so the phone app won't work.

You can file a SNAD complaint with PayPal and get a full refund, but you will need to pay for return shipping.

I assume this was a used crankset? Did you buy from a private seller? What were the terms of the sale? Have you contacted the seller?

You might have a chance if this was a brand-new item sold by a retailer. That being said, sounds like the crankset does still work but might just need some troubleshooting.

I bought some Shimano 105 pedals off ebay from china, and the spindle seized a few months later. Turns out they were counterfeit! (that was clearly a case for a refund)

This was a used crankset and I have not contacted the seller. From how the sale went down I just get the feeling that there won't be anything he will do about it. I also don't know what else I can do 8n terms of troubleshooting given that I have called Pioneer and done the couple of things they suggested already. The only thing left is to take it out, send it to them, and pay for them to look at it.

Gotcha. I guess you have to ask yourself if forcing the seller to refund the entire purchase is fair to them if the item was in proper working order, since that is what will happen if paypal issues you a refund. I would reach out to the seller and see if they would be willing to do a partial refund, maybe the amount you need to spend in shipping to send the unit back.

All of this, assuming the OP paid using Goods and Services. If the seller states it’s in full working condition or at least imply it, OP has a shout for receiving compensation.

Whether that is in the form of return or partial refunds needs to be negotiated. Note that is seller is not cooperative, Paypal becomes arbiter of dispute. In which case, much easier to ask for full refund and return the item.

Were payment by OP made using F&F, then tough luck.

The purchase was through goods and services. I would be open to a partial refund...

Not sure if this will help, but the orientation of the cranks is pretty important for the calibration process. In the article below, it suggests that the crank arms need to be pointing 'up and down' (perpendicular to the ground) for the calibration to work.


(from this article)
Once installed and paired, the CA500 computer picked up the power meter as fast as my Garmin Edge. The Pioneer system uses a zero point calibration and L/R sensor calibration that was a simple touch of the screen on the CA500. The L/R sensor calibration only required the crank-arm to be perpendicular to the ground.

In that case, you have ~6 months to ask for refund.

Only caveat about partial refund is that you are asking someone who's really not qualified (that is to say, Paypal) to determine how much compensation you should receive. As such, the more evidence you have in writing, the more likely you'll be compensated.

Top of my head, you have costs for shipping to and from Pioneer, what reads like an initial diagnostic cost, and cost of actual repair. Get those documented, and you should have a good chance of recovering those costs.

Then again, if I were you, and if the total cost were to approach 40% of total purchase cost, I would ask for a full refund and return the purchase.

Good luck, either way.

Also, the seller may not want to budge, but s/he can pound sand here.

The seller has stated that the unit calibrated just fine for him and suggested I try changing the battery. I'll admit I haven't tried that as my Garmin 1030 shows that the current battery is at 90%. Pioneer said that if that's what the battery is then that wouldn't be the problem.

I have made sure to have the pedal in the 6 'o'clock position and have tried calibrating before a ride, during a ride, and after. Nothing has made a difference.

"Only caveat about partial refund is that you are asking someone who's really not qualified (that is to say, Paypal) to determine how much compensation you should receive. As such, the more evidence you have in writing, the more likely you'll be compensated."


If the buyer files a SNAD complaint with PayPal, the buyer will receive a full refund.

PayPal doesn't decide on partial refunds. That would be negotiated between the buyer and seller.

Also, evidence is not considered. The buyer simply has to file a SNAD complaint and they will get a refund.

The first step should be contacting the seller.

Maybe you can work something out.

I'd send it in to get fixed.

Thanks for clarifying. I almost thought about doing a partial refund but otherwise keeping the product on a purchase that was not fully as described but wnet for full refund and returned the product, after realizing it would be too much of a hassle.