[morzh]

The end of the story.

eBay decided in my favor, I got the refund yesterday when the tubes' delivery back to the seller (fast, shipped it Friday!) was confirmed. Everything including the shipping, the shipping back to the seller was at the eBay expense.

Now, day before I received the refund I got the tubes from Jim McShane that worked fine, so I wrote to the guy one last time. I thought, heck, I am not angry and he might want to sell these tubes again.
Here's my message:

"James

The information I am about to provide below is solely for your benefit. If you choose to disregard it and answer me with your standard set of expletives, that would be just fine with me, I do not react to it the way some people hope I would.

I know you are pissed, but both you and I know you are getting your tubes back.

Now. The information.

I have bought (I had to - still was needing 4 12AT7 tubes ) 4pcs of CV4024 of Jim McShane. You may know who he is, he is active on I think Audioasylum, and I was referred to him through Audiokarma. You know what 4024 is, a military grade 12AT7 by Mullard. These are true NOS fully tested tubes. Yesterday I put them in my amp and listened to it for the whole evening without any mishaps whatsoever. That should tell you something.

Now since the tubes are the ones you sold to me, and I am sure you do know a bit more about tubes and tube amps than I do, (still I am an EE with 35 years of practice and another 13 years of amateur experience, so I am not completely ignorant) - if you decide to sell them again to anyone, DO ask them if they have a Mac amp or any amp where these tubes are DC-coupled drivers for the output. Because at least two (one of them is marked by me on the wrap, and I did not give other 3 the chance) of them obviously have some CG-K leakage. In an AC coupled amp (which is how most amps are, like EICO, Dynakit etc) they might work as AC coupled stage is not critical to this particular parameter.

Best wishes".

Today, after two days, he answered. Though he wrote in capitals, it at least sounds like an acceptance speech.

"I JUST TRIED ALL THREE TUBES U SAID WERE BAD AND THEY WORKED PERFECT IN MY KOCH STUDIOTONE AMP. A HAND MADE IN FINLAND GUITAR AMP WORTH $2000.00. THEY DIDN'T BLOW ANY TUBES OR ANY FUSES. YOUR MACINTOSH HAS PROBABLY GOT A PROBLEM OR IT'S LIKE U SAID THE TUBES AREN'T RIGHT FOR YOUR AMP. SORRY."

I guess he is admitting he got his tubes back. And they might not be right for the Mac.

Well, that's the end of that story. Or so I hope.

G'nite, kiddies!