How I got burned for 410 dollars, and my quest to get it back

[defaultName]

An accident like this could cause some pretty serious damage to a steering wheel...





Especially if the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. It does kind of look like a M Tech II wheel but it also does not look damaged. Perhaps it was in the car but not installed...

The oddest thing is that he didn't post any pictures of the actual wheel that was for sale. It could be laziness but this guy has pictures of EVERYTHING on his Photobucket. Cars, wheels, shift knobs, bewbs, cameras, stuffed animals, more bewbs, etc. A beautiful wheel like that deserves to be photographed.

[brianao34]

I just got done with a transaction with a guy who sent me a "Mishimoto" radiator. I bought it from bimmerforums. It was some eBay knockoff.
In the end I got my money back no problem, just took about a month.
File a claim. I've always had luck with Paypal being reasonable.

[Cletonius]

Damn dude that's mangled pretty good. Hope you filed a PayPal dispute. Good luck.

[PootieTang]

I'm siding with the buyer on this. I think the seller conned the fuck out of you.

The sheet of paper packed should be very official. We're talking USPS raised lettering, a detailed explanation, phone numbers to contact, etc. it sounds like the paper just says "hey bitch your wheel got fucked up so "we" put it in a different box." or seller created and thrown in there.

Also I read the seller was going to contact "USPS"...I've shipped dozens and dozens of shit. I have never seen a USPS box that wasn't white with their markings everywhere. So my deductive reasoning says IF they were to repackage it in the first place, it would be in one of their boxes in the first place. This looks like an average joe cardboard box, which leads me to believe the seller originally packaged the damaged wheel.

Also, they most definitely fit in USPS boxes-that's how mine came. So it would rule out "it wouldn't fit so we used..."

Also USPS's tape is very distinctive. Also white with their labels printed continuously, from what I'm seeing that's clear packing tape.

...stoned observations...good luck brother

agree with all of the above. usps isn't gonna pull some sketchy shit like that, you need to file that paypal claim NOW and let them sort it out, he's gonna wind up paying forsure if you show his ad and the item you've received.

[slaterd]

I instantly thought of this when I saw the first pick

[solo318]

If you purchased it through an ebay ad, then file a claim wiht paypal.
I had a crankshaft reboxed in route and they do not leave you a note. The new box was however preprinted with their logo.
Most definitely file a claim with your CC card or banks fraud dept.

[Rsully70sev]

Btw I'd rock it or try and bend it back if you get fucked.
Btw if you don't file with PP you're fucked.
Btw if you paid through PP with a credit card your bank will do a charge back no questions asked.
Btw I want to know what could have possibly mangled this. I got in a nasty car accident, my head hit the steering wheel and it was still intact. No way that was the cause. It's like Oprah and Rosie O'Donald had a tugawar contest. No damage to the leather is mind boggling.

[Rsully70sev]

I'm siding with the buyer on this. I think the seller conned the fuck out of you.

The sheet of paper packed should be very official. We're talking USPS raised lettering, a detailed explanation, phone numbers to contact, etc. it sounds like the paper just says "hey bitch your wheel got fucked up so "we" put it in a different box." or seller created and thrown in there.

Also I read the seller was going to contact "USPS"...I've shipped dozens and dozens of shit. I have never seen a USPS box that wasn't white with their markings everywhere. So my deductive reasoning says IF they were to repackage it in the first place, it would be in one of their boxes in the first place. This looks like an average joe cardboard box, which leads me to believe the seller originally packaged the damaged wheel.

Also, they most definitely fit in USPS boxes-that's how mine came. So it would rule out "it wouldn't fit so we used..."

Also USPS's tape is very distinctive. Also white with their labels printed continuously, from what I'm seeing that's clear packing tape.

...stoned observations...good luck brother

[Wh33lhop]

Why the fuck haven't you filed a paypal dispute yet?

[graveshaker]

Wow. Thank you for all of the responses guys. It means so much to me, you have no idea.

I was hesitant to start a thread because I don't deal with confrontation well. I spend a large majority of free time on this site and would like to be a good person, learn things, and make connections with like minded people. I just felt lost after sending pics to this guy weeks ago and him responding with, "that's awful, I'm calling USPS" After that, he was gone.

He completely ignored my polite demands for my money to be returned.
I've sent three msgs since. All have not been responded to.

Regarding the box, It said on a sheet of paper on the inside of the box that it had to be repackaged because it arrived damaged.

I don't mean to raise doubt about this guy. In all respects, in our brief exchanges, he seemed like a good guy. I believe deep down in my heart that no one would send a damaged steering wheel. My goal was not to cast aspersions about him.

He has just disappeared and not responded for my repeated pleas to be refunded. This was right after I sent him some of the pictures that I posted in this thread.

I believe that I should be reimbursed. There needs to be recourse from this.
It was a risk he took by not spending the couple extra dollars at the post office to insure this. I believe that when he said no to insurance that he essentially taking that risk and banking on the fact that most times you don't need to worry about packages arriving damaged. That, and he wanted to save himself a couple more dollars.

These days it literally pains me to look at the steering wheel. I just shut it in my trunk. A 400 dollar + paper weight. I wanted an m tech 2 with tri stitching so badly. I counted down the days until it arrived, and when it did, and I unwrapped it, I actually cried a little.
I only say this to show how much it meant to me. In the scheme of things, it's just a stupid steering wheel, and it's trivial to a lot of people I imagine. Hell, it is to me in some ways.

To the guys who suggested trying to bend it back into place, it can't happen. This thing is impossible to bend by hand, body weight,etc. The pictures don't do this damage justice, it is bent, flattened, tweaked, twisted in very subtle and aggressive ways.
I can't budge or move this thing in the slightest.

It's just time for this guy to step up to the plate and reimburse me. Am I wrong? I don't think so.

Thank you for reading everyone. I know my posts may seem a little choppy, but it's just nervous energy about debacle.

F3AR, my man, I'll hit you up with a pm.

Line seven clearly identify the shipping company at fault. Shipping company would not have cared if contents were damaged inside a box. They destroyed box and was obligated to repack. UPS will only repay $100 plus shipping cost if not insured. I know this is true for a lost claim not sure for a damaged claim but call UPS.

[Pantless Spency]

So OP, do you really only have 1 day left for a paypal dispute?

chill jerry springer.
but really OP is right it is shippers responsability to cover his ass in the incident of lost or damaged goods... i recently sold an e21 trunk lid spoiler for like 180 bucks, i packaged that bad boy up so well, framed the inside of the box in wood, packed it all tight no air, even after all that i still got insurance for $200... it was only 3 friggin dollars, but only to save my ass in the incident of neglect, i would refund the dude and still have a couple bucks to dick around with.
come to think of it i really should have insured it for twice its value so i dont lose my personal dividends over the BS.


but yes. OP has every right to get every cent back from that guy.

[Vivek]

So OP, do you really only have 1 day left for a paypal dispute?

[Robotin]

definetaly rock it

agreed. rock it. fuck em.

[DisgustipatedAP1]

The world's largest leather pretzel. Eat that shit.

[george graves]

How I got burned for 410 dollars, and my quest to get it back

So far I'm not seeing much of a "quest".....