On the topic of ebay(long post)

[Matt H.]

Now I know this doesn't have to do with engines but I like to get some of your thoughts on this.

About two weeks ago I found a JD tractor on eBay. It was close to home and I had always wanted this model. The add stated that it ran well and needed nothing. I bid and won. It was paypal only which I had no problems with.

Then I got the invoice and the price had doubled. I emailed the seller and told him I couldn't afford this now doubled price and didn't realize I would be taxed. He said that was his mistake and I could pay the price I won that tractor for in cash on pick up. I might add the tractor had a full money back 3 day warranty if I was for some reason not happy.

I made arrangements with him to pick it up on a Saturday (won it on a Wed). My dad and a friend and I went to get it. The tractor was out in his field. He told me he couldn't get it to start. So we tried to pull start it.

As he pulled me through a field with his truck mud going everywhere he decided to go on the road. After about 1/2 mile, I stopped him. I looked at the gas and it was green. He said the only gas he could find was two stroke. Then I realized it had water mixed with it. He didn't seemed concerned and he had me pull him then (meanwhile gas and oil came out of the muffler because it was so flooded.)

We stopped at "his buddies place" who he sent to get fresh gas. Once we drained the fuel it finally started (after some more pulling). The tractor smoked (though this could be from the gas I would think the smoke would die down after 15 minutes running) he told me it never smoked before. It would run at half choke only and the engine made some rather unhealthy sounds (grinding in the gov. area). He told me on 3 or 4 occasions I could back out on the deal.

I told him I wanted to think about this, and told him I would call him Sunday. I called him Sunday and told him I wasn’t interested and he then accused me of taking a spare generator from his shop and wasn't pleased I had backed out of the deal. It just seemed very fishy to me the tractor may have been great and I know there were going to be flaws with a 50 something year old tractor. I just feel if you are going to say something runs well it would be running when I got there.

To make a long story shorter, I feel he misrepresented the tractor. He left me negative feedback saying I was a dishonest person who thinks he is shopping the trader papers. My question is was I in the right? I wouldn't have bid if it hadn't been for the 3 day grace period that he said was at time of pick up. Any thoughts? I can take criticism and I feel in some areas I may have been wrong. Sorry for such a long post.

[CThomas]

Matt: Unfortunately there are folks out there who are trying to make a quick buck at the misfortune of others and can be very misleading. I feel that for you to keep your end of the deal he had to keep his first. If I was to purchase somthing and specifics were given, and when I arrived and it was not what was advertised , I would not purchase. If I was to put an article on ebay or sale out rite, I would not be misleading. But unfortunatley the world is full of good and bad folks that we have to deal with. I purchased a Fairbanks morse 1917 supposedly 6 horse motor and asked many questions, when I recieved the motor, it had very noticible water cracks in the block and by the specifications was a 3 hp motor. It hurt my fealings being a new commer to the hit and miss world, when I had it shipped and opened the crate , I had asked this question about the cracks and the reply was no cracks. but, decided to put that behind me and get her running. Just one more lesson I learned. If I had the chance to pick it up, I would not have pruchased it. The end result is that you have to be happy and I think you made the right decesion.
Clifford

[Junkologist]

Matt,
I don't think you did anything wrong and it's a good thing you didn't Paypal the guy the money right away or you'd be stuck with the tractor. According to his description, you'd never think you would have went through what you did when you went to get the tractor. With his return policy clearly stated on the listing, he had no reason to leave you negative feedback either. He didn't have the tractor ready to sell and his deceptive description just made it worse.

Mike

[Allen]

Your best choice left on this may be a bit of a pain. First you'd have to leave HIM negative feedback (and also respond to his feedback with an explanation). Then you offer him to mutually withdraw those feedbacks.


Be prepared for it to fail though. On the other side of the coin, I once had a buyer leave ME negative feedback because I wouldn't let him alter the terms of the sale to suit himself (he wanted a LOT of changes too). Even reporting him as a non-paying bidder didn't faze him. and I'm STILL stuck with the feedback.

[Matt H.]

Thanks for the replies folks. I left him some negative feedback. Took my score down to 90% but I just bought a few little items that should help bring it back up some. Live and learn and being only 23 I have a lot of both to do still.

[Kevin O. Pulver]

Matt, you seem to be a reasonable sort. You admitted you could have been partially in the wrong. I don't think you were, but it does count good for you that you are open to the possibility.
The guy should have had it running, and he shouldn't have continually given you the option to back out and then got mad when you did.
AND don't worry about the bad feed back. I got one myself, and most people know how easy it is to tangle with a jerk and ruin your 100% score that way. Each transaction is a gamble. It's like trout fishing every day and losing your perfect record just because you catch a carp. You caught a bottom feeder it sounds like to me, and it's not your fault. Kevin

[CStaples]

Hey Matt, what tractor was it? I bid on a couple of D's recently. Thanks, Chris

[Al Wait]

I really don't like to buy anything expensive that I can't see and touch. I have learned that there is really no engine that I can't live without. Al Wait

[Matt H.]

Originally Posted by CStaples

Hey Matt, what tractor was it? I bid on a couple of D's recently. Thanks, Chris

It was a late A. (he said it was a 53 course they didn't make 'em in 53. I never got around to checking the number on it)