Hi Dave,
To me it sounds like the motor isn't getting enough power or is faulty. Could be power delivery related here, though the tonearm not adjusting or moving at all after pressing start tells me some other component may not be aligned or in place properly. You could take the thing apart, test components with a multimeter, etc. but the things are not made super well. It may be more frustration than the thing's worth.
To be certain here, have you tried plugging the unit into another outlet?
Instead of pitching the unit, I would sell it as-is for parts if you don't want to fix it up. While it may be of no use to you, the otherwise brand-new components can be of use when repairing other units!