At-least you got something adjusted. Nearly-all my ebay transactions have been fair ones, I can't say I ever got burned, except on about my second transaction, when the seller refused to send the item I won, a vintage British child's 'ride-on' toy, like a pedal car, but a locomotive. It was worth about 4 times what I would have paid for it. I tried to get ebay to force the shipment, but they didn't get the seller to comply. I didn't lose any $, but I didn't get the item. I used to collect vintage pedal cars, now I just admire the ones I have.
I once went to a FL used parts shop. I was looking for a gas tank for another Yamaha, an XS-650, and how I came-by that bike was another story.
So, I asked the guy if he had a good used tank, he said he did. He brought it out of the back, and set it on the counter. I went to pick it up, and he pulled it away from me. I moved to one side to see if I could see the back-side of the tank, he moved it so I had no view of that.
I said, "how-much for the tank?" His price was very high from what I recall. I asked, "and that's for the tank as I see it, emblems, gas cap, and petcock?"
No, he replied, all are separate.
So, I told him, "I want to see the insides." I really wanted to see the other side of the tank.
He told me to pay for it first, and I could see the insides.
Now, by this time, I was pretty-ready to verbally lambast this moron, I'm not gonna buy a 'pig in a poke.' I told him that there was no-way in Hell that I was gonna buy it w/o thoroughly inspecting it inside and out. I demanded to see the opposite side of the tank.
He kept-ahold of it, and when he displayed the other side of the tank, it was smashed to sh_t, and looked like someone took a serious high-side in that direction, No-wonder he didn't want me to see that side. Remember I asked him about getting a "good used tank."
I had bought a few small bits & pieces off him over the years, but this was the first time I had this kind of experience. I informed him that he could have saved us both time by telling me, "no I only have one which has been road-rashed badly, and is no-longer safe or intact." My suggestion that he amend his business practices to adopt a 'full-disclosure' policy was met by a demand to exit the shop, "and don't come-back!" With devious, lack-of-scruples behavior like that, why would I return? Of course he is no-longer around.
Caveat emptor!
p.s.: I got the XS-650 from an acquaintance who literally picked it off a salvage truck and who had it delivered to my home, as a present. He knows I like old crocks, and has had many motorcycles and interesting vehicles over the years. Interestingly, when I ran the VIN on the bke, it came-back as still being registered to its original owner, an acquaintance of ours, who was a police officer where my friend and I were firefighters on the beach in FL. He filed for the title after I got ahold of him, and I got it running easily and cheaply, and then sold it to guys from the U.K. who came to FL looking for bikes to ship-back to refurbish and to sell. That thing shook as-bad as my other firefighter friend's CB450, the DOHC 'hairspring' paint shaker that was Honda's first attempt to out-do the British manufacturers in producing a leak-free, low-maintenance parallel-twin. We switched bikes for a short trip to our classes at the local community college, where we were majoring in meeting the opposite sex (and getting degrees for advancement at work). When we arrived, I asked him if he'd checked for a broken motor mount, or missing engine bolts. He said, "that's the way it's always run!" He bought it new, and rode his bike or drove his '67 GTO to work at the fire station. Man, and I thought my H-1 Kawasaki 500 triple two-stroke buzzed!
Thanks mate!!! No hard feelings at all. I just like full disclosure in my business dealings.:clapping:
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