Have I been decieved?

[nickelroadster]

Most of us have bought something or another from a private party or very small business from a distance. Whenever you do this there is always a certain amount of trust that is needed on both sides of the transaction. If you do this very often you usually end up with a variety of different experiences that range from the really good to the really bad. Most of the ones I have been involved in have ended up positively not all. One of the most common complaints is that the item is not what it's advertised as. I recently had one of these.

I answered an ad for six Sherman hose clamps that were claimed to fit 2&1/2" hose. Sherman clamps were used mostly in th eteens and are becoming a little hard to find these days. They were advertised for 85$ plus postage. That sounded like a good deal as they retail for 32$ to 40$ dollars a piece.So I bought them.

Unfortunately when I recieved them, they were way to large a size being 3&9/16" ID. Ones to fit a 2&1/2" hose should have been more like 2&7/8" ID. I can't really think of a vehicle that could use them. Maybe a locomotive or a fir engine? Or I could build a 2X scale car.

I communicated back with the seller that they were not what was advertised and that I would like to return them. The seller denied any sort of deception and claime I should have known what I was getting. I even offered to absorb all the shipping but he still wasn't interested in taking them back. He said that if he took them back then he would just have to resell them and I could do that as easy as he could.

So, was I decieved? Yes, I think so. It appeared to me to be a bit of a bait and switch. Was I swindled or scammed? Probaly not. 85$ is an ok price for the items in question. The question remains of what to do with them as I do not really want to sell them to someone else like he sold them to me. Does anyone have any idea of what these monsters were used on? I am a little curious about that now.

So thats just another experience buying and selling car parts from a distance. Mildly irritating but nothing to get very upset about. I will probably continue to mostly trust other people unless they are really suspicious acting. I assume I will continue to have a variety of different experiences in these transactions but I actually think it is more fun to scrounge parts like this than to buy from a larger retailer. I still would like to know what these things were used on.

[nickelroadster]

Well Dave, you can't post names or places as that would be a negative post and the moderators would not like that. It was no place that I had any kind of protection.

[LINC400]

I collect antiques. A certain serving tray is available in 12", 14", and 16" from one manufacturer. I asked what size the tray was as this was not mentioned in the listing, not stating what size I wanted. The seller told me it was 16". Since that was the size I was looking for I bought it. When it arrived it was the 14" tray. The best part is the 14" tray actually measures 13 1/2" with a tape measure. The guy said his wife measured it so he is not responsible. Well I am not responsible for his wife's stupidity either.

If you paid by credit card, you can file a complaint with the credit card company. I had to do that twice, and the cc company ruled in my favor. The charge was removed from my card and I got the item for free. I would have been happy with just returning the item, but since the sellers were obnoxious and greedy and refused to do that, I'm glad they are the ones that got screwed on the transactions.

[FRED Z]

I feel that anything advertised in a catalog, Internet or eBay should have clear dimensions - Length, width and thickness and in some cases the weight. I have had to ask this of sellers more times than I can count. Once the seller gives exact dimensions, he or she should be totally responsible for the measurements. (Measurements taken by the guy's wife count too). One thing I found out the hard way is that when you contact the seller, be sure to do it through the eBay process, as they reference this if any disputes.

Fred

[Dandy Dave]

I ordered some o2 sensors for a Jag from a company a while back. when I recived the items the order was short one. After getting the runaround from the company, I finnally put in a request with the credit card company for either a refund, or the item. The item was then shipped and recived within a few days. This is the first time I have had to do this, all I can say is I am glad that it worked out. It seems that with the large company, money taks. Dandy Dave!

[DizzyDale]

:)Dear Nickleroadster,You sir, are being too much of a GENTLEMAN the vendor did not send you what you asked for,instead what he needed to clear off his shelves.Deceived is too KIND,he :mad:SCREWED:mad: you and if he is located anywhere in my neck of the woods he would be paid a visit and depending how he behaved when confronted he would be :eek:TUNEDUP:eek: if you get my drift.What's right is right and THIS aint right.Take Care.diz:)

Edited January 22, 2010 by DizzyDale (see edit history)

[nickelroadster]

Well Dizzy, I can sympathize with your thoughts and mine were not too kind either, but due to the fact that the items were bought from an individual there really is not a lot I can do abut it. It did seem like he waited for my check to clear before he sent the clamps. I suspect that he comes on this sight quite a bit. I would still like to know what these monsters were used on.

[HarryJ]

Nickelroadster..........Sorry to hear you got stuck with some pieces you cannot use. The seller from what I see should have offered to at least take them back, especially if they worth more than you paid. These clamps are much larger than any car hose I've heard of. If you are lucky they fit a rare locomotive or water cooled plane. By the way...............did this guy suggest you look at a '55 Pontiac he had for sale on E-Bay?

[Dandy Dave]

I say they fit a big old farm tractor from the early years like an Oil Pull, or an IHC 30-60 Mogal. Maybe a 22-45 Titan. Ect. Dandy Dave!

[john2dameron]

In addition to fitting some of the huge old tractors, they may also fit an old truck. Some of those things had monster engines. Post a low resolution photo of them on the ATHS Forums and someone may tell you right quick what they are for. You may be sitting on a gold mine.

[nickelroadster]

Pray tell. What is the ATHS forum. There is a picture on my first post here.

[mdsbob]

I'm guessing...American Truck Historical Society (ATHS).

American Truck Historical Society

Bob

[junkyardjeff]

I got decieved on that auction site a couple times and the latest was for a jack from a 54 chevy truck,the pics were a little iffy and was expecting a old jack not nececcarily a original but a late model jack came in the mail. The sellers excuse was it came out of a 54 chevy truck but at least I can use the handle on a old jack I found that is more period correct that was in the garage I forgot about.