Depending on how much use the cart has seen, I think it may be new stylus time. That sort of channel distortion and skating problems leads me to think that the stylus has worn down. If you like the replace/retip price, I'd go for it. But try to figure out how much the previous owner used it. I know my Ortofon OM 30 stylus guide says to replace it every 6 months, when playing 2 Lp's a day. Now if you've been using it daily (1+ Lp a day) for 5 months, and the revious owner did the same for much more that 3 months, I'd look to replace it.
Good luck
