Bad buying experience here...

[jevansx1]

Not sure where the appropriate place to post this, I wanted a little advice from the board on a bad buying experience I am currently dealing with.

I bought a Pfeba IS trunk spoiler from a member selling one in the For Sale Parts section. I bought it for $150 + $20 shipping. The condition stated by the seller was to be in "very good condition." I received the spoiler yesterday, which was wrapped in a thin layer of styrofoam packaging I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best as I removed the packaging, but my worries were confirmed when I saw the 2 large, deep scratches in the painted surface of the spoiler.

I paid top dollar for this spoiler, but with the scratches put in compliments of UPS, I would say the condition is now only fair - definately not worth what I paid for it. This is all due to crap job of packaging by the seller, and could have been avoided if he had wrapped it in cardboard.

I pm'ed the seller letting him know the problem, and I know he got the message, but he has not responded. I still want to keep the spoiler, and will deal with the scratches, but I would like some of my money refunded (via paypal) for the seller's negligence. Does this seem reasonable? Any advice please?

[al525i]

looks like you bought from someone who joined the board just to post the spoiler for sale. It does sound like you were sort of ripped off but i'm not sure what remedies you have to be made whole again here.

Short of asking for a return and refund scenario, i'm not sure what the best course is.

deciding on a discount percentage due to shipping damage is hard unless both parties are willing to really work it out.

if you paid via paypal you could dispute it and return it. Paypal always takes the buyers side it seems, even when they are wrong.

[Karl Grau]

Did you take any pictures of the packaging?
It looks like you bought from someone who joined the Board for the sole purpose of selling that spoiler so there is no track record or reputation involved here.. I hope it works out.

[davintosh]

So it sounds like the packaging was sub-par, but you infer that the damage might have been caused by UPS. If UPS is at fault, surely there was some insurance on the package that might help to make things right. Any photos of the packaging and damage to the spoiler might help prove your case, whomever might be at fault.

But first thing is to get in touch with the seller and see how best to work things out. Did you have any other contact info for him? Email or physical address?

[wkohler]

That sucks.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=116991

What also sucks it that he's one of those dickwads that deletes the ad once the item sells.

PayPal won't help you on a "not-as-advertised" transaction outside of eBay. They will only help on a "yo, I ain't gots dis" transaction. If you paid with a credit card, you could go through them, but more likely, you'll be sorting this out yourself. It was a strong price, but not really top dollar as I've seen a few of these eclipsing the $200 mark.

Also, just caught the replies while I was posting.

It's completely unethical to go after UPS for this damage which was caused by poor/inadequate packing by the seller. They would likely not pay the claim either, and the seller has to file it. I went through this on a set of wheels I purchased from a well-respected member on r3vlimited that were obviously bent many times before shipping. He filed a UPS claim for damage not caused by them. Even if it was, they were poorly packed. The only thing I could tell the UPS people was that the seller said the wheels were straight. I got them and they're bent. I didn't see them personally before shipment. It's his claim, so beyond that, I don't know what to tell you.

[ahab]

That sucks.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=116991

What also sucks it that he's one of those dickwads that deletes the ad once the item sells.

Not much to add here, I concur. Sorry to hear you ended up with bummer deal and good luck with a resolution.

[jevansx1]

That sucks.

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=116991

What also sucks it that he's one of those dickwads that deletes the ad once the item sells.

PayPal won't help you on a "not-as-advertised" transaction outside of eBay. They will only help on a "yo, I ain't gots dis" transaction. If you paid with a credit card, you could go through them, but more likely, you'll be sorting this out yourself. It was a strong price, but not really top dollar as I've seen a few of these eclipsing the $200 mark.

Also, just caught the replies while I was posting.

It's completely unethical to go after UPS for this damage which was caused by poor/inadequate packing by the seller. They would likely not pay the claim either, and the seller has to file it. I went through this on a set of wheels I purchased from a well-respected member on r3vlimited that were obviously bent many times before shipping. He filed a UPS claim for damage not caused by them. Even if it was, they were poorly packed. The only thing I could tell the UPS people was that the seller said the wheels were straight. I got them and they're bent. I didn't see them personally before shipment. It's his claim, so beyond that, I don't know what to tell you.

I agree, this is not UPS's fault, it is the seller's fault. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of the packaged item as delivered by UPS. I do have pictures of the damage to the spoiler, which was not there in the pictures the seller originally published. Those pictures the seller posted are mysteriously gone now...

I knew I was rolling the dice when buying from this guy, but he had the spoiler I wanted in the color I needed. I am not sure it is worth fighting too hard for a few bucks. I think what I will do is suggest a partial refund and threaten action with Paypal if he doesn't accomodate. Hopefully he will man-up and do the right thing.

[WilNJ]

For what it's worth, he's on R3VLimited too, or at least someone using the same name.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/member.php?u=34994

and are these the pics you saw?

http://s299.photobucket.com/user/nugent ... t=3&page=1

[jevansx1]

For what it's worth, he's on R3VLimited too, or at least someone using the same name.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/member.php?u=34994

and are these the pics you saw?

http://s299.photobucket.com/user/nugent ... t=3&page=1

Yup, those are the pics, and I can just make out the 2 scratches I thought were caused during shipment in the piss-poor photos of his. This guy obviously doesn't give a shit!! All I can say is I should have known better...

[WilNJ]

Yup, those are the pics, and I can just make out the 2 scratches I thought were caused during shipment in the piss-poor photos of his. This guy obviously doesn't give a shit!! All I can say is I should have known better...

No offense, but if that's the case, I'm not sure what claim you have against him. If the pictures weren't satisfactory, that's something to address before hand.

I know buyer's remorse all too well and I feel for you but you might want to just suck it up on this one.

[jevansx1]

Yup, those are the pics, and I can just make out the 2 scratches I thought were caused during shipment in the piss-poor photos of his. This guy obviously doesn't give a shit!! All I can say is I should have known better...

No offense, but if that's the case, I'm not sure what claim you have against him. If the pictures weren't satisfactory, that's something to address before hand.

I know buyer's remorse all too well and I feel for you but you might want to just suck it up on this one.

Yup, I agree, I am probably just going to have to eat this one. I guess since the pics were such crap I just relied on his only description which was "very good condition." I would not consider deeply stratched paint as an item in "very good condition." I am still going to attempt communication with him and see what he says. I will post any outcome later.

[S54ATL]

So it sounds like the packaging was sub-par, but you infer that the damage might have been caused by UPS. If UPS is at fault, surely there was some insurance on the package that might help to make things right. Any photos of the packaging and damage to the spoiler might help prove your case, whomever might be at fault.

But first thing is to get in touch with the seller and see how best to work things out. Did you have any other contact info for him? Email or physical address?

He "implies", you "infer".
-Shawn D

[jevansx1]

I ended up eating this one...

I filed an "item not as described" dispute with Paypal - that got his attention, and he came out guns a blazin'. He was very defensive. He sent me more links to his crappy pictures, one of which you can barely make out the scratches. He said he told me about the scratches, which is a lie, and I don't remember his add mentioning anything about any scratches. All I can remember his add stating was that the spoiler was in very good condition and that it was missing one of the mounting studs.

I got tired of arguing with him, so I closed the dispute. The spoiler is actually pretty nice, except for those deep gouges. I polished the scratches as well as I could and put on some touch up paint - they are a lot less noticeable now.

I don't mind the part being less than perfect, it was just the shady and dishonest approach of the seller. Or more probably, the guy is just plain ignorant. I wouldn't have had a problem if I had known what to expect. Moral of the story, only buy from the guys that have good seller history, and that are trusted by the other members of this forum. Duhhh!!!

[garageboy]

Not to hijack this thread, but a couple points:

1. I cannot believe people still buy stuff from folks with no reputation. Do we get so caught up on the notion that we gotta have it now that we're willing to deal with scam artists? There's a reason we have that Feedback note. On the Internet, no one knows you're a dog.

2. When I wanted to post my pristine, fully documented Style 42 wheels for sale on Bimmerforums, there were pretty severe restrictions on how many posts one needed to have made before being allowed to post in the For Sale note, as I recall.

I would think we have enough wisdom here to help the moderators come up with a scheme that doesn't alienate new posters while protecting long-time members. People should not be allowed to join and immediately post anywhere they see fit -- it almost encourages sloppy and insensitive postings, and sets us up for deals like this dickwad who sold the OP this piece of crap.

It ain't right.

[lilpoindexter]

Can you post a picture of the gouges?

[tsmall07]

Those pictures the seller posted are mysteriously gone now...

You can always check to see if Google has cached a web page before it was edited. I've had good luck with that recently. Just do a Google search for "cache:www.webaddress.com" without the quotes.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... 8L8c&pbx=1

[Mike W.]

Rule 1, don't buy anything where the posted picture is a crappy cellphone pic. I guess some cellphone cameras are ok, but most of them look just like what they are, a picture taken by a phone.

[oldskool]

I say kick his ass.

[jevansx1]

Can you post a picture of the gouges?

[jevansx1]

Those pictures the seller posted are mysteriously gone now...

You can always check to see if Google has cached a web page before it was edited. I've had good luck with that recently. Just do a Google search for "cache:www.webaddress.com" without the quotes.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/s ... 8L8c&pbx=1

Thanks! That is a neat trick! I knew that little bitch didn't post anything about the scratches in his add before he deleted it. I am ready to move on now, and evict this fool from my head. Just not worth my time. And truthfully, it could have been worse. I could have received a completely trashed spoiler, or no spoiler at all. This one is still going to look nice. Trying to keep a positive outlook here.

[TurboChris]

Now that you have proof....especially proof that he LIED....I'd open a dispute with paypal AGAIN. Why not? What have you got to lose and at a minimum it'll piss him off.


do it.

[oldskool]

And also kick his ass. Drive there. Do it. Hell, make someone else do it. Make that motherfucker look like a racoon. Be sure to take video. See if anyone else sells ratty shit around here again.

[1st 5er]

Live and learn.

Good luck whichever route you take.

[euro635gas]

Now that you have proof....especially proof that he LIED....I'd open a dispute with paypal AGAIN. Why not? What have you got to lose and at a minimum it'll piss him off.


do it.

Not possible. Once you close a dispute that's it.