David: Thank you for the information. I am hoping to remove myself from this situation thanks to the escrow service. If I manage, I'll pass your support information to the seller so that he may have it repaired.

Oh, and it is a general practice of mine to ask for a picture of the serial running on the player. Alas, I got impatient in working this deal and skipped that step. (i was solidly under the impression that the player was in a shrinkwrapped box that could not be opened. once we effectively communicated that the box could be opened, i had expended so much energy that i just said "F it, send the unit" because i didn't want to piss the seller off by continually pestering him).

iMaGe: Thanks for the tip. I just found that out a few hours earlier by calling UPS. Since this was a personal transaction, he has no contractual obligation to fulfill the order once I return it. So, maybe the escrow service will help after all.

I'll let ya'll know how it goes. I get the feeling that my inclination toward escrow is really a waste because of all the subjectivity involved