Maybe I screwed up? eBay sale...

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I bought a saw last year. Was supposedly rebuilt tuned new bearings seals piston cylinder rings. Rebuilt carb. Totally gone through saw. Shipping was good got it on time. Packaging was less then impressive but the saw wasn't damaged so I didn't mind. I had to buy b&c went with a 24" jones red b&c for the 385xp. I ran it literally 2 and a half hours and it locked up. I ran it rich in the fuel mix knowing it was rebuilt an wanting to break it in right. I filed a claim
With eBay and ultimately because I would not ship the saw back to the seller they said **** me and I was stuck with the saw. So eBay isn't always on the buyers side even though I offered for him to pay for new piston and jug. The. I offered for just a piston because I felt I could clean up the jug.


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eBay may not side with him.

Last year I bought a 660 that was supposed to be a good running saw.

I got it and it wouldn't run right. Idle was probably 1/2 throttle. I tried dialing it in, and it was not happening. I brought it to the local Stihl dealer to cover my butt and they found the carb was trashed, intake boot torn and the spark plug was JB welded into the cylinder because it had been stripped out. In other words, it never could have run right in that shape.
eBay sided with him because I had the Stihl dealer look at it. They claimed it was them that did the damage.
The customer service lady I talked to understood the situation but it was "written in stone" on eBays policies. In order to be "correct" I would have needed to have an agreement with the seller that I was going to have the saw (mine at that point) looked at.
 
Selling a saw on ebay all depends on who you sell it to. I've had great buyers for the most part but occasionally you get someone who is a little unreasonable. Chainsaw people are for the most part a hard working bunch who aren't in it to screw people but sometimes a miscommunication happens...2 stroke engines sometimes quit or seize without prior notice.
 
It sounds like something came loose...circlip is the first thing that comes to mind but it could be something behind the FW, a bolt from the carb, or a bearing. I would just refund the money and get my saw back. He stated it will turn to a certain point and stop...that's not a seizure/scoring. You may get lucky and no major damage has been done. If it has been scored, then you may be able to clean it up and get it going with just a piston.

BTW, if I can help, I'm only a couple hundred miles to the south of him. Shipping to me would be about $20.
 
Thanks nmurph. I told him is try to find somebody relatively close to send the saw to. I'll give him that as an option.
 
I'm about 40 miles east of Alabama, what part of the state is he in? I'd be happy to look at the saw and call it as I see it.

He's up somewhere near Huntsville. more north-central AL. Thanks for the offer! I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what he wants to do moving forward.
 
Doesn't really matter, buying or selling you can get the shaft! I have owned auto salvages, body shops, and mechanic shops. Bought and sold tons of stuff including a little on e-bay.

Seems unfair and probably is but you are probably best off to give a full refund and get the saw back. Repair if possible, and sell it again. In twenty years in business and hundreds of thousands of dealings I went to court twice when the shafting I was getting on something I sold was just too raw to take. I lost both times! Both times to people who knew they were lying but it didn't matter. Once I had to pay the full amount, once only a fraction but that was $400 when I didn't owe a penny! Had an expert witness that knew that but his job was at stake if he testified.

"Stuff" happens. Easiest on you to accept that things aren't always fair and move on although it might not seem that way at the moment. Money may be tight but ultimately it isn't worth cutting ulcers over. When you get the saw back you may find you made a mistake or something you installed was defective too, it all can happen. A mechanic with thirty years experience left an oil drain plug loose in an engine he rebuilt. Cost a friend of mine he worked for $2000.

Chances are the customer screwed up. If they did they may or may not know they did. One person talking bad about you speaks louder than dozens speaking good.

Hu
 
I got a text from the guy a few minutes ago... said that he dropped it at a Stihl dealer for diagnosis. "They say it is indeed locked up and needs a new piston and rod. I decided to buy a new one, as the cost to repair is more, and I need to get cutting before I go back to work."

Sound to me like the guy straight-gassed it, or did something else accidentally, but knows it's something that's his fault. Obviously, the dealer didn't tell him it needs a "new piston AND ROD." Well...I say obviously, but I'm sure there are some Stihl "techs" or counterfolks that might say something to that effect. I don't ever default to the notion that somebody is trying to screw me, and I still don't think this guy is actively trying to screw me on the deal, it sounds more like he's realized he did something wrong to the saw.

I'm going to give him a call this afternoon and see if the shop indicated what caused the failure. I'll even offer to buy the saw back for a reasonable price to help offset the new saw he bought. I've been bellyaching about needing more parts saws, anyway.
 
I got a text from the guy a few minutes ago... said that he dropped it at a Stihl dealer for diagnosis. "They say it is indeed locked up and needs a new piston and rod. I decided to buy a new one, as the cost to repair is more, and I need to get cutting before I go back to work."

Sound to me like the guy straight-gassed it, or did something else accidentally, but knows it's something that's his fault. Obviously, the dealer didn't tell him it needs a "new piston AND ROD." Well...I say obviously, but I'm sure there are some Stihl "techs" or counterfolks that might say something to that effect. I don't ever default to the notion that somebody is trying to screw me, and I still don't think this guy is actively trying to screw me on the deal, it sounds more like he's realized he did something wrong to the saw.

I'm going to give him a call this afternoon and see if the shop indicated what caused the failure. I'll even offer to buy the saw back for a reasonable price to help offset the new saw he bought. I've been bellyaching about needing more parts saws, anyway.

He took it exactly where he shouldn't have. One of the folks who offered to look at it on your behalf surely would have seen what happened AND fixed it, very likely for less than the cost of a new Stihl. It seems to me that he knows he caused it and was sheepishly trying to get you to take some of his pain.

I like your attitude. I wish I could re-learn the turn the other cheek thing. I/we have had so much damage done to us in the last 15 years, I worry I will never get back to my old genteel self. Even when I physically let some grievance go, I find it remains just under the surface in my mind.

Good for you. Inner peace and all that. Seriously, I admire that you can do that.

Cheers,
Glenn
 
I'll be interested to hear the outcome on this. I'd like to sell on ebay because its a country wide customer base, but there sure are a lot of horror stories. For every rule I read about, I eventually read one opposing it. Sure is hard to get the straight of the ebay/paypal rules.
I'll be selling some Stihls down the road after proper repair/rebuild/maintenance. Ebay brings higher prices than local or the Tradin Post but one bad buyer could offset it.

Let us know how it comes out. I thing kz1000 made a good point, the guy used it.
 
I wish I had seen this sooner. I'm in Huntsville. Let me know if you still need some help. Which stihl dealer did he take it to? We have two in this area. One I know pretty well.
 
Well Brett, selling running saws on auctions can drive up some pretty good numbers, but there are too many variables, plus the buyer has to buy, pay for the shipping, get it out, and run the saw a while, and if anything happens in that time span, he will
likely be pissed off, and if he feels like he has been screwed, even the thought of having to pay the return shipping will leave him with a sour stomach. Which is what caught my ear about this one, the buyer is up front willing to settle for a $150 loss.

Doesn't really matter, as E-Bay will side with the buyer, and he will get his refund minus the shipping back no matter what.
As far a a bad rod, well.. The OP would probably be best to have him ship the saw back, and give him the refund.
The real bad part about it, is that after all is said and done, the buyer can still give negative feedback.
 
I sold on eBay for about ten years. I quit selling when their policy was changed to favor the buyers, with the seller having no rights at all.
It seems some of the buyers have become aware of that fact, and take advantage of some of the sellers.
I lost $450 on the last caper, so that cured me from selling on eBay. That was not the first time I had lost money, It was just the last time.
 
The real bad part about it, is that after all is said and done, the buyer can still give negative feedback.

That's the worst part....I'll do my best to remedy the situation, but he could still burn me even if I do exactly what he wants. I think I'm cured of eBay. The fees are ridiculous anyway... 10% fee on the shipping cost?!? Not anymore for this guy.
 

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