Topic: dent in tank when it arrived at buyers house.

[cheftuskey121]

yeah that's definitely not appropriate packaging... :/   i hope you guys can work this out.

I hope so too mono, I would like to also add that immediately after receiving it in the condition it was in I offered to ship it back to him on my dime to get a refund. he declined that. that offer no longer stands as a reasonable resolve. I tried. I do have emails to back this up. I feel sad having to say that but since I am a new guy around here I need to cover my bases. sorry for dropping this negative vibe on everyone. I just want to rebuild my bike!

[Retro Rocket]

Luap, you need to step up to the plate and sort out YOUR sh1t mate.

[scottly]

I offered $75 shipped. he counter offered with $75 plus shipping. so I counter offered with $100 shipped. I say counter offered because I looked on UPS for a shipping estimate from him to me. for a proper sized and weighted box to ship it was going to be $30-$35. so with $75 plus shipping it would have been $110. that's why I counter offered at $100 shipped, so I could save a few bucks and it could be an even number.

 so right away I realized he overcharged me for shipping knowing that he was going to send it as cheap as possible.

Sorry, but these statements don't quite add up. It's OK for you to save a few bucks, but not Luap? I've met the guy, and I believe he meant well, but it does appear the tank was not properly boxed..

[cheftuskey121]

I offered $75 shipped. he counter offered with $75 plus shipping. so I counter offered with $100 shipped. I say counter offered because I looked on UPS for a shipping estimate from him to me. for a proper sized and weighted box to ship it was going to be $30-$35. so with $75 plus shipping it would have been $110. that's why I counter offered at $100 shipped, so I could save a few bucks and it could be an even number.

 so right away I realized he overcharged me for shipping knowing that he was going to send it as cheap as possible.

Sorry, but these statements don't quite add up. It's OK for you to save a few bucks, but not Luap? I've met the guy, and I believe he meant well, but it does appear the tank was not properly boxed..

That's the whole point of bartering. someone is going to save YES, but you do not intentionally rip someone off on shipping so you can make a few extra bucks. if it was packed well it should have cost him $35 to ship it. he "saved" money by packing it poorly and now look at the tank.

 you counter-offer eachother until a middle ground is reached. $100 shipped is in the middle of "$100 plus shipping" and "$75 shipped"

"$100 plus shipping" would be $135.
"$75 shipped" would be $75.
"$100 shipped" is $100. fair and square. we agreed on a price yes. bottom line is he cheaped out the shipping effectively making MORE money for him. if he was honest he would have said "hey $100 shipped is going to be MORE expensive than $75 plus shipping so lets just do that" or "hey it turns out shipping was less than I thought, here is the $8 back I overcharged you". simple ethics, especially for a forum. this isn't wallstreet.

that also doesn't resolve the issue of him flaking out and not responding, even when I offered to SHIP IT BACK ON MY DIME. I was willing to lose more money on shipping so I could get my refund but he insisted I talk with USPS about a claim on a package with no insurance. big dreams right there. If you know the guy, tell him to set this straight, it isn't right.

I will also add that I don't have a problem with anyone here, or even Paul. I give people the benefit of the doubt, a lot. I am patient and trusting. This is a sucky situation but from working in the service industry it only takes ONE bad review or upset customer to defer many new potential customers. I am upset with this incident more so than Paul, I am hoping he logs back on the forum to at least address this with something, anything.

[Rookster]

I wish I didn't read this thread. 

Cheftuskey:
I get it, you're frustrated.  You have a legit claim to a refund or some other restitution you guys can work out.  Here is where I think you are wrong: You are accusing someone of overcharging you on shipping when you were the one to set the price.  You made an offer.  He accepted.  There should be no ill will there on your part.  You need to work with Luap not accuse him of being dishonest.  The other part I don't get is where you presume Luap was out to screw you because he didn't pack the tank as you would have wanted it. 

Most of us are not professional sellers and when we sell things on the board it is usually below ebay values.  Thats all part of the community.  Try to see it from Luap's perspective.  You made him an offer below his asking price and he accepted.  He boxed and dropped off your tank undamaged at USPS.  At that point the deal is done 90% of the time.  You recieved the product damaged.  Luap didn't damage it or intentionally set it up to be damaged.  Now he gets accused of being dishonest and a bad seller.  Most likely he is out the tank and if he gives you a refund, the money paid for the tank.  What are you willing to give up?  Neither of you is at fault.  Work together and I'm sure you can come up with a solution you both can live with.

Scott

[cheftuskey121]

Scott, I see what you are saying but it does not take someone exceptionally smart to say "hey man your recent offer is going to be more than I just offered". maybe I am really old fashioned, but if you offer to sell something for $5 and the guy "counter" offers to buy it for $7, you sell it to him for $5, that's all. I also mentioned in my original post it wasn't a big deal to me, but it was noteworthy, so I am done defending that portion, it really isn't a big deal. I was happy to pay $100 for it, just bummed to find out the end result of the means. He put no insurance on the package, with a packing job like that. with the tank butting up against the box. who, in this day and age, does not know that shippers throw their boxes around? it seems to be common sense. I don't think I meant to say he was out to screw me if it came across like that. I would never suspect that. but when you pack a tank made out of thin metal like that, with no insurance, you are taking a mighty big risk.

also on a separate but related note, why isn't there some type of transaction rating system on this forum. there is over at talkbass, and other like-forums. it seems to reinforce the community of good sellers, as there is rarely a bad review, but its also nice to see reviews and comments for everyone selling. helps everyone out.

[scottly]

Hey ill give you $20 for it.

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[trueblue]

cheftuskey121 is there anyone in your area that knows how to repair motorbike tanks?  I would imagine that someone who knows what they are doing should be able to repair that.  It might be the easiest way around this problem.  I would imagine it would still be cheaper than buying another tank. 

[cheftuskey121]

cheftuskey121 is there anyone in your area that knows how to repair motorbike tanks?  I would imagine that someone who knows what they are doing should be able to repair that.  It might be the easiest way around this problem.  I would imagine it would still be cheaper than buying another tank.

I honestly have no clue, I wouldn't even know where to start asking? there doesn't seem to be a many old-bike guys or shops around here. I know for sure I don't know how to pull the dent out other than the obvious "grab-onto-the-cap-and-pull"

[trueblue]

cheftuskey121 is there anyone in your area that knows how to repair motorbike tanks?  I would imagine that someone who knows what they are doing should be able to repair that.  It might be the easiest way around this problem.  I would imagine it would still be cheaper than buying another tank.

I honestly have no clue, I wouldn't even know where to start asking? there doesn't seem to be a many old-bike guys or shops around here. I know for sure I don't know how to pull the dent out other than the obvious "grab-onto-the-cap-and-pull"

It shouldn't take much more than that to get it out.  It is all about applying pressure in the right place .  I would start by calling around paint and panel shops and asking the question, then if you find someone who can do it take it around for them to have a look and get a rough quote.

[Stev-o]

You have a legitimate beef about the tank not being properly packaged. A member shipped a tank to me and it came in a huge box, not an problem.

Drop the shipping charge complaint. You agreed on "$100 shipped" not "$100 shipped unless it cost less than $25".

I hope this is resolved soon and this should be a lesson to all, it it's over $50, buy the insurance and get delivery confirmation.

[754]

The more you grind the seller, the less likely they are to pack properly.. Its just a fact of life...
 I have paid extra to get properly packed parcels,and I often give a good tip when I get something at a decent price.
 I also dont sell certain items the time to pack properly ratio to selling price is often to far apart..

[cheftuskey121]

Fair enough Stev-o. Ill take it out of the original post.

[cheftuskey121]

754 I do not see eye to eye with you on that. If I come to an agreement on price selling something that is completely separate from how I pack something. I like helping people and want things I sell to arrive perfectly. I even make it a rule of thumb to specifically follow up to make sure it arrived and works as it should. Overkill is underrated in my book. High standards maybe but it's nothing I wouldn't do myself. 

[goofy3392]

Not getting on you at all, but you should have asked for insurance if you wanted it, just like when you buy on Ebay you can click a box if you want to add insurance to your order. 

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[754]

 So how many items have you shipped would you say..

[seanbarney41]

I have bought from Luap.  ...it was just a 550f kickstart lever...not big money, easy to package, hard to damage...everything went well.

[seanbarney41]

Chef, just look for a body shop with a stud welder(pretty much any body shop) a few good whacks of the slide hammer should pop that dent right out...

[Retro Rocket]

At that point the deal is done 90% of the time.  You received the product damaged.  Luap didn't damage it or intentionally set it up to be damaged.

Oh yes he did, he set it up to be damaged as soon as he packed it,  the packing was stupid, simple as that, i just had exactly the same thing with a HIPO head i bought from the states, could have been packed by the same guy looking at the way this tank was packed. The bottom line is if this had been done through ebay it would have been already resolved, i got $200 bucks back for the bent stud and other damage to my package. I can't believe some of the answers here, Luap may be a good guy but this is clearly his fault....

[Trevor from Warragul]

I sent someone on the forum a FREE 350/4 carburetor part (the main jet holder).  I got some thick cardboard & made a custom sized box for it.  I put the box in a padded envelope.  I then posted it at my own expense.  Some people are just more considerate I guess...

Trevor

[domer]

i really hate to dive into this, but i did the same #$%*... got bartered on a tank, had shipped 2 before with no issues, packed this one a lil tight... didnt opt for the insurance,  and i got #$%*ed.... worst part was, it was an obvious foot print on a lh shovel tank. started off as a brand new bought and paid for box, by the time it got to new jersey from cali, looked like it traveled through time.... and somebody used it as a #$%*in step stool. Hate to say it, but insurance isnt for covering the buyers ass... now i get it no matter what i ship.

[Terry in Australia]

Not getting on you at all, but you should have asked for insurance if you wanted it, just like when you buy on Ebay you can click a box if you want to add insurance to your order. 
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Bingo. You both cheaped out on this deal, and you were both too cheap to get insurance. Sure, Luap packed the tank poorly, but you were too cheap to pay him extra for insurance, so suck it up mate, it's a cheap life lesson. Cheers, Terry.

[cheftuskey121]

Not getting on you at all, but you should have asked for insurance if you wanted it, just like when you buy on Ebay you can click a box if you want to add insurance to your order. 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Good to know if I ever buy something from you. Insurance is standard when I ship something its not to protect to the buyer, its to protect both the seller and the buyer. if this was an ebay deal I would have had my money back by now. It cost an extra dollar or two, it isn't the end of the world. there is an unspoken rule among people who like to do things the right way. cover yourself when you ship it, don't "cover the buyer".

[cheftuskey121]

So how many items have you shipped would you say..

If you read through my carefully worded and written original post in this thread, you would have read that I have done 160ish deals on ebay. now I most buy there, I have only shipped out about 20 or so items. all packed very carefully, never a complaint, never a problem. I also mentioned I have 90ish deals on talkbass, the other forum I am on frequently. here is my personal feedback profile there http://www.talkbass.com/forum/itrader.php?u=90364 take a minute or two and read it. over half of those 94 transactions are selling. NOT one single one of those people have ever asked me for insurance. its somthing I do, and the buyer should do regardless. and thats selling electric guitars, electric basses, other instruments, and music gear. those have long, skinny wooden necks that would snap if not in a case and not packed well. other than a few select items on the bike, shipping guitars is way more difficult and nerve wracking, because the whole item could be kaput if not packed properly. I have shipped many guitars and basses without cases too. so I know how to pack properly. it isn't complicated. so I hope you are not mock asking me how many items I have shipped because it has been a lot. there are no "packing" rules on that forum as well. there are no rules about "you must have insurance". its common sense. I think if more people gave a flying crap about what their name was worth over the internet we wouldn't have issues like this. I love using my name online, it makes me more accountable. I'm not in the sales business but if I ever am, I want to make sure people who have bought things from me have had the best experience.

I don't write as much as I do for my own good, its for everyone to read, so please read my posts carefully. I like to be detailed. I'm sorry its a lot of text to read but better that than very little.

[cheftuskey121]

Not getting on you at all, but you should have asked for insurance if you wanted it, just like when you buy on Ebay you can click a box if you want to add insurance to your order. 
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Bingo. You both cheaped out on this deal, and you were both too cheap to get insurance. Sure, Luap packed the tank poorly, but you were too cheap to pay him extra for insurance, so suck it up mate, it's a cheap life lesson. Cheers, Terry.

'

Terry, please read what I just posted. Insurance is not something I should be asking for. its a common courtesy option that the seller should always do. I do. thank you for letting me know if I ever have to buy something from you that you are not courteous enough to cover yourself and me in the transaction. its not just for the buyer. it's for both of us. you may be right about the lesson, it is noted now.

I would also like to add that when the thread first started and luap posted, NOBODY seemed to be taking his side on the issue. go back and read, pretty much everyone seems to be telling him he is screwed, even tews19 mentioned he has a similar case and he ended up out the money but his "name" was worth more. do you not take pride in your self, even over a virtual interspace? now all of a sudden I am getting flamed because I got a dented tank, and want a refund? I did nothing wrong, and he STILL has not contacted me or piped up in this thread. Paul may be a nice guy, he may be a great guy, and this at this point this thread is not debating that. what it IS debating, however, is that he messed up by not packing it correctly, and now is not in contact with me about reparations. that supersedes all.

the only thing I have learned hear to is be more careful with some of you on this site, and to NEVER use paypal gift as an option again. if I used regular paypal "goods and services" I would have my money back and the tank would have been back in his possession.