dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

Hey all,

Would appreciate people's opinions on this matter.

I've recently had a gearbox rebuilt by a local firm that have always done a good job for me in the past. I've decided to go a different route with the car, never fitted the box and sold it on which is a Classic DCCD box. The buyer was in Kenya and paid for shipping to get it out there which was almost as costly as the box itself.

He's come back to me saying that box is basically scrap and wants his money back. I've said if he returns the box I'll quite happily pay him his money back. Clearly the transport costs are fairly high. We had come to an arrangement where I pay him half his money back (£250) and he keep the box. However, on reflection this doesn't sit well with me because I only have his word that the box is actually duff I've asked him to provide proof and he said its fairly hard to prove worn bearings. As said the company I have used rebuilt my old six speed which coped with 450bhp on my old car for 20,000 miles and is still going strong with its new owner. So I dont think they would have ballsed the job up.

What do you good people think I should do?

Hopefully the buyer will comment too.

Cheers in advance

Daz

Foofighter

IMO he is trying to screw you over mate.I'd want the box back first

Pavlo

caveat emptor.

No refund without at least some evidence. Bearing noises could just be it makes more noise than he is used to, or he has a new paddle clutch and lightweight flywheel which makes boxes noisey, or he's added prodrive mounts etc etc etc.

The Trooper 1815

iTrader: (31)

Does he have a Nigerian uncle who needs to transfer £2,000,000 to his European mother via your bank account

cookie sti

Id personally think the buyer needs to get a report done on what is wrong with the box and show you the report then you should see the garage who rebuilt it for you and see who is in the wrong either they didnt replace parts that needed replacing or if you just wanted what was broken replaced and nothing else or the report that you was given is fake then either pay for repairs or buy back the box or just agree thats the end of it. ive had it before that someone says something is faulty but wasnt and that the person was just dishonest and tried it on

bunsofsteeeel

iTrader: (1)

he's having you on he could send a scrap box back tell him to get stuffed.

muthaducka

You've had good experience with your local firm before so I'd say you've got no reason to doubt they've done a good job and the gearbox should be alright.

As for the chap in Kenya, there isn't a great deal you can do. You've sold something in good faith. It's a bit unfair to tarnish him with the typical foreigner brush but I must say that asking you for money back or half/half sounds shifty and is typical of experiences I've had and other people have reported dealing with overseas customers.

I'd draw a line under it and as someone else has suggested, buyer beware, sold in good faith etc - it's his.

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

I see what you're all saying but by the same token I don't want to be seen as ripping this guy off if he's genuine.

I think I'll offer the partial refund IF he provides proof that the box is indeed faulty.

jonny_693

iTrader: (5)

On a smaller scale I sold something recently on here and like a fool sent it out in standard post unrecorded. Low and behold a couple of weeks later the guys mailed me saying it hasn't turned up blah blah. I ummed and ahed over what to do and in the end gave the guy a full refund. I have never heard a peep out of him or even a thank you. For all I know he's got the bits for free and muggins here is out of pocket. You talk about buyer beware but it works both ways. Be wary.

DaveBeck

iTrader: (12)

Sticky situation.

They must have companies in Kenya that deal with gearboxes etc that he could get a report? But still i'd be dubious that he didn't write the report himself or pay the company off.
Asking for partial back seems dubious but as said you cant tarnish a guy as he might be genuine

If your really worried, how about asking him to send it back. IF there is a problem with the box, tell him you will give full refund plus half return postage. If he is trying to blag you he wont want to return it?

I sold some alloys on ebay and 5 days after sending got an emal asking for money back as they had to buy 2 new tyres. I asked for proof or photos of alleged damage to tyres. They said the company had thrown them away and couldnt get photos now. I wouldnt except a letter from the tyre company as she said her fella worked there. They opened up a dispute which got quashed in 10 minutes for lack of proof. Some people are out to **** you over. some are genuine

Blue by You

iTrader: (23)

IMO, with the best of intentions, no proof = no refund.
It sounds harsh maybe, but you have no real idea what's going on.
If you were to send the guy a refund it's basically saying you have little faith in the rebuild job.
All you can do is go with your gut feeling, but I would agree with previous replies here that you have to insist on absolute proof before you part with any money.

cossie-nutter

iTrader: (45)

Tell him to shove it hes a scammer!

hodgy0_2

i dont think I would do anything tbh -- on condition the following points were correct

you sold it in good faith -- and had no reason to doubt the box's condition (important)

you mentioned to the seller the above point -- as presumably it had not been installed in a car or dismantled to get an accurate view on its condition -- and he accepted that

I think if I had fullfilled both the above points (in my mind) -- I would tell him to swing for it

we are all grown up here arn't we-- he took a risk, it didnt work out -- tough -- move on
why should you subsidise his risk, i'm sure you would have been more that happy for him to turn up and inspect it?

he will want you to wipe his ar3e next

why would you ship a fvcked gbox to kenya anyway

dazdavies

iTrader: (22)

The intention was to use this box to run my car in and then go for a six speed. It never got fitted. Had I knowingly sent a knackered box to kenya or anywhere for that matter I would expect it to come back to bite me and have to be sorted in the long run and as such not worth the hassle.

Buyer was fully aware it was freshly rebuilt but had never been fitted.

Think I'll ask for definitive proof before he gets any money back.

hodgy0_2

Exactly Daz -- why would you

imo you are subsidising HIS risk by offering a refund etc, he should not automatically expect one

I would make it abundantly clear that you are doing him a big favour, coz if you give these people an inch they will turn their problem into your problem!!!!

Guv

iTrader: (8)

Its a scam, if it is really is F**ked then as we live in a moden age of video and photography he can photograph or make a video of the damage and send it to you.

Otherwise refer him to the gentleman below:

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

It sounds to me like hes trying to pull a fast one - why would you buy a box from the UK if you were in Kenya ? surely there are companies who can refurbish gearboxes in his own country ?

The fact he agreed to half the money back is also fishy - why would he want to still end up paying £250 for a knackered, unusable gearbox ?, why not demand all his money back ? however, getting a perfectly good item, and half your money back seems pretty appealing !

Also, it sounds unlikely the company who refurbished the box for you would screw you over as a) you have dealt with them before without any problems, and b) as far as they knew, the box was going in your car, so any problems would be apparent pretty quickly, and you would be straight back onto them.

Even if you ask him to get an engineers report, there's no saying he wouldn't just take them his old knackered gearbox and get them to inspect that.

The only thing I would offer him would be a refund once he sends the box back to you, at his expense, and you check it is the one you originally sent and in exactly the same condition ( i.e. even if the casing looks the same, not having had the gears swapped over for old ones ! )

Terminator X

iTrader: (7)

You a fan of RCM

TX.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Box back first Daz! He wanted it; he knew the score re the logistics should things go wrong, you sold him the box in good faith, buyer beware!

If you don't get it back, you just don't know if there is an ounce of truth in his claims. This kind of thing is pretty common in the less reputable areas of the trade as a way of getting a nice discount on goods by claiming they were ****e, but you can fix it at the sellors expense!

Best not to get involved with international transactions for goods that size if you're non-trade really. Bloody minefield!

millwrx

iTrader: (1)

scam,had the same thing with a phone i sold the once,tell him to stick,i did,

Mark'sWRX

Sounds highly suspicious to me. Even if he sent the box back or an engineers report, who's to say it's not from another knackered box. I assume you could tell whether it's the same one you sent out.

I'd never want to rip off a genuine buyer, but I'd say he is trying it on.

dj219957

yup get him to send some sort of photos or vids to prove its "scrap".

madscoob

iTrader: (3)

as a seller of industrial gearboxs we are unable to find a carrier that will take them with oil in so i am guessing you sent it with no oil in try asking the numpty has he put and oil in it that would explain the noises . some of my customers have fitted empty gearboxes dispite a large sticker saying EMPTY OF OIL FOR TRANSIT PURPOSES

dunx

iTrader: (3)

The fact that you even asked shows you are a decent bloke, but he knew the risk, and I doubt that you'd do anything like this too shaft him deliberately.

dunx

DaveBeck

iTrader: (12)

Am I missing something here, Everyone is saying "he knew the risk" Sorry but what risk? If i bought something from someone which was rebuilt i'd expect it to work! UNLESS when Daz sold it he said "I have not run this box and take no responsibility if it doesnt work" THEN its a risk.

Im going through something similar with my engine. engine was built for someone, then i bought it from them not run in. Found a suspected fault and asked seller, he asked the builder who was more than happy to carry on the warranty to me(Happy solution)

Im not saying the blokes not trying a fast one(see my post 10) but im not seeing what your saying about it being his risk

hodgy0_2

i dont want to speak for the OP but he states clearly that the buyer knew the score


surely the fact is if you buy something long distance it's a risk, otherwise make the trip to see the merchandise

DaveBeck

iTrader: (12)

I suck fully back and hadnt seen Daz last post.

My mistake

SkullFudge

Only just seen this thread


I remember you telling me this mate, and it is a difficult one mainly due to locations.
Looking at it fairly from both angles you are in your rights to leave the situation as it is.
They have bought your goods with no legalities involved.

I or you don't know them but if I were you I would just convince them it was in good order, ta ta.

YOU know you have not ripped anyone off !

cster

Don't give him his money back.
He needs to learn the lesson - "don't deal with foriegners, they are all dodgy!"

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Thought about the oil thing last night - has he actually fitted it to a car and tried it with oil in as cogs can sound quite noisy when turned dry ?