Friday, March 30, 2012

Bad eBay Seller


I HATE THIS and avoid this shit like the plague generally speaking but I'm a bit put out at this point.
I don't call people out often and even less often a "business", I'm far more likely to shrug off a fuckup if I think there's real effort on the other end to find a solution, sometimes even if said solution doesn't materialize as hoped.
(trying to stick with the 'I' comments here....)

I purchased a CBR600rr swingarm on ebay recently for a bike I'm putting together. It's a neat piece, one thing I really dig is that there's no need for an upper shock mount...it's part of the swingarm. Simple, clean and eye catching. Also like plankton on ebay because the vast majority of them get augered by some squid in an Affliction T-shirt so I wasn't completely stunned to find a suitable unit for what appeared to be a very reasonable price. I contacted the seller regarding the possible presence of the lower linkages not shown in the pic. What did show was the top of the swingarm, the shock and the associated bolt on shock mount

Our communication went like this; (cut&paste directly from ebay messages)
 
Me 2/23: I'm building a custom and am interested in your cbr swingarm assembly. It looks like the shock is there, is the lower linkages as well. If so consider it sold!
Thanks,
Lee
chop-shop-motorsports 2/24: Yes sir 

So far so good, coms and quick and friendly though that 'sir' guy is my Dad..haha

Me 2/24: Done and done, thanks for getting back quickly.
 
chop-shop-motorsports 2/24: Not a problem. We will ship your item out after we recieve your payment one the 29th. You say that your building a custom if your looking for anymore parts please contact us before you go anywhere else because more then likely we have it and for a affordable price. Thanks again

Here's a pic from their auction. Note that the top mount is in place......
More good, friendly communication...things are looking gooood! At this point chat digresses to me extolling the virtues of my project to someone who politely doesn't give a shit and an exchange of info regarding what we do in our individual shops and the like. Could be the start of a good working partnership, right?

Time passes, shipping info is in and the package is on it’s way, yeehaw! I can’t wait to get my big ol’hairy paws on it and get my swingarm pivot section designed to suit it!
Uh-oh........

The box gets to mydoor about a week after they dropped it off with UPS, pretty standard stuff, no worries…oops. Hmmm…
The swingarm came in a large box, large enough to drop the whole assembly into, well wrapped in bubble wrap and still have room for a small family of Laotian farmers. 

Ok, whatever so they didn't have a suitable box. Open her up and sure enough there's a couple bundles cocooned in bubble wrap. 'Ok, so they pulled the shock for some reason.....' I thought to myself and sure enough it was out and separately wrapped. Cool, nice touch...all that. A couple hours later when I had time to open the stuff up for inspection I find that the top shock mount had been unbolted and left out of the package. Back to ebay messages...

Me 3/7: Hi, I got the swingarm today, thanks. There are a couple issues, the scrape and bent spool mount I can deal with but it's missing the top shock mount and some hardware. Bolts and such aren't a big deal I guess but I need that top mount.
Thanks,
Lee

In some cultures this would be considered high art.
 

























chop-shop-motorsports 3/7: We will send that right over we will look for that tomorrow at the shop sorry for the troubles
Oh yeah, remember that top down pic? Yeah didn't show a scuff and a badly gooched spool mount. Neat.....but nothing I can't deal with since I'll be refinishing it anyway.

But.......

Me 3/9: Hi, any word on the missing top mount and hardware? Thanks
I didn't expect it to arrive but possibly to be shipped? 

chop-shop-motorsports 3/9: We are shipping it out today sorry for the delays
Huh? Thought they were already on it....like days ago
 
chop-shop-motorsports 3/9 ~10 minutes later: the tracking number should be in your paypal
What!? Ok wow that was quick once it was brought to their attention. Feeling ok again.......

Quick check at paypal....
Nope, that was the original tracking number. Damnit. But I decide to hold out and wait, plus I have a shitload of stuff on my plate so I'll hope for the best.
A week passes and that smelly; something rotten in Denmark feeling has crept in. But I'm still guardedly optimistic.

Me 3/14: Any news on the missing top mount?

chop-shop-motorsports 3/14: The item has been shipped a while ago so you should get it any day now if you havent already also to pin point you item you can track it with the tracking number that paypal sent you

Me 3/15: Aha...that maybe part of the issue....I got nothing from paypal. When should that have come thru? I'll inquire with them. Thanks for the help, have a good day.
Lee

chop-shop-motorsports 3/15: You will have to look under the swing arm paypal notice because we sent it as a second one

Nope, still no good. BUT....in the mean time a small box has arrived from them so I'm feeling all cheery and full of not-stompiness. Fuck the missing hardware, I'll source some on my own but this upper mount is integral to the function of the swingarm so I'm back to feeling OK.....

OH FUCK ME!!! 


No they haven't sent me the part I need, they sent me what appears to be a footpeg pivot for some random bike. Hmm...can I make this work? What do you think sparky?
 
I’m a pretty patient guy, I want to be fair and give everyone a chance. I’ve fucked up before, I’ve dropped the ball.....anyone who says they haven’t is full of shit. 

So I email them outside ebay and wait. 

Aaaaand wait.

A good bit of time passes and I lose said patience. Sorry, I’ve done my best I think......
 
Me 3/27:  Hi, any word on the missing top mount? If this is as it is to stand I will not hesitate to leave the appropriate feedback. The part you took off is clearly shown in the picture.
Feedback posts tomorrow at noon here as well as the shop blog and forums.
Your call how it plays out.

chop-shop-motorsports 3/28: look man we cant find the part we can give you half of the parts money back and you can keep the part or you can send the part back and we will refund your money sorry for any troubles please dont leave bad feed back

......sigh.....I am a giant fucking pussy. I will wait for that partial refund

Me 3/28: fine, a refund will work.
I'll keep the negative feedback off ebay
I really want to be nice and understanding. I do.....


chop-shop-motorsports 3/28: ok once we recieve the part we will refund your money

Wait…what? WTF!!??! Jesus H. Christ on a soggy damned cracker! Are you fucking kidding? Seriously.....

No, seriously??

C'mon...you're not that damned dumb are you?

Me 3/28: Screw it. You keep dodging and messing around. I'm done I tried to play nice.
You 'offered' a partial refund but I'm no longer effing interested.

chop-shop-motorsports 3/28: i can do a do that but you said refund so i thought you want it all back
a few hours later......

chop-shop-motorsports 3/28: we arent trying to screw with you if you want the money back please send us your paypal email

.....the one you have on record in YOUR paypal account? The one I PAID YOU WITH?

Today is March 30th, 2012 and I have not received my partial refund. Nor any further communication, though admittedly I would have to initiat it to receive any at all.

Ebay has a set short period to deal with shit like this, if you don’t resolve your problem within the allotted time it gets cleared off the books to make room for the next. I understand the need for expedience when you have to wade through half a million pissy customer complaints a day.Best to act within the window as I could see a dodgy seller dragging things out long enough for it to get bumped.


I’m not gonna tell you all NOT TO SHOP WITH CHOPSHOP MOTORSPORTS of Keller, Texas
That would be mean.



But.....there’s loads of good safe sellers on ebay, do yourselves a favor and look to them for your parts you mugs and save a headache.

6 comments:

  1. Keller Texas?
    It's only about 8 hours from here.
    You want I should go pay dem a visit?

    ReplyDelete
  2. redbird.. you should go 'say hello' . I hate ebay for that reason exactly!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Easy kids, I appreciate the support but in the end these guys will dig their own hole.
    I vacillate between feeling a little bad about posting this here, but I also think I was pretty patient and that they were dodging. It's odd too, they had 100% feedback but I need to keep in mind that ebay's feedback system is pretty screwy.

    I sincerely hope this was only a singular incident and that they can keep things moving forward for themselves in a positive manner. I just won't be helping....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Well how do ya like that? Ebay took my feedback down because it included a link to this post.
    fuckers....

    ReplyDelete
  5. No problemo ;)
    But youz jus say da werd, an he'll be sleepin wit da crawfish :P :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Haha....that's ok Sergi(we have the Russian mob here) karma will take care of him.....

    ReplyDelete