Hi Everyone! I'm looking for some help with my eBay problem.
I had listed a transmission for sale, a 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission that I pulled out of my 1971 Dodge Charger with 440 engine. I changed transmissions in my car to a manual 4 speed, thus I had the automatic I no longer needed.
A buyer hit my Buy it Now option, and bought the transmission for $250. Even though I had listed the transmission as "Free Local Pickup Only," the buyer immediately asked—using poor grammar and punctuation—if "shipping was really free" and if I could ship it to him outside Atlanta, Georgia. He left a phone number to call if there was any issue.
I called the number and explained to him that the ad clearly stated that the transmission was local pickup only. Being in Atlanta, GA, and the transmission here in Queens, NY, I tried to help him out by finding an affordable, easy solution using Uship.com. I did this in an effort to help him out, even though it was more work and hassle for me. We talked for a while on the phone and got along very well.
Finally he decided he would drive up with his wife from Georgia, something like a 16 hour drive, to pick up the trans. I was trying to visit my mother in Massachusetts the weekend he wanted to come up, but I rearranged my schedule and left a day later so that I could meet him in New York. Despite that, at the last minute he said he wouldn't come up till that Monday so I ended up having to leave the transmission locked up to a chain outside my garage in Queens so that he could pick it up without my being there.
While I was in MA, the buyer called me as he was getting close to the pickup location, so I walked him through the turns on the narrow streets of Queens to get him to the alleyway where my garage and the transmission were located. He is a lifelong southerner who has never been to New York City so the trip was very exciting for him, and it was fun to hear his amazement at the size of the city and the sheer number of people living there.
He found the transmission and seamed very pleased with it. He located my hidden key to the padlock, loaded the trans up in his truck, and asked for a pizza recommendation for him and his wife to go to. I gave him a great recommendation in Brooklyn.
The next day I get a call from him, saying that he had made it back to Georgia. He said the pizza place was amazing, but he stopped a liquor store a few doors down and he was shocked at how high the prices were. He told me that he got a bottle of Jack Daniels and mixed it with Coke and sipped on it the whole drive back to Georgia, claiming that he drove for 20 hours straight, sipping on his cocktail to help keep him awake. Sounded super dangerous to me, but he made it back in once piece so that was good. He thanked me for my help and I thanked him.
Two days later I get another call from the guy. He was sounded depressed. He said the transmission wouldn't fit the motor in his Plymouth Fury. I expressed my condolences but essentially told him there wasn't much I could do. I could tell he was fishing for something. I told him if he wanted to, he could bring the transmission back and I would happily refund the full amount. He didn't want to make the super long drive back, and I told him that that's why I selected "local pickup only," as if it was a drivable distance it's easier to resolve any issues. I told him I was sorry but that was the risk you take when you decided to drive 16 hours for an item from an independent buyer. He sounded downtrodden and got off the phone.
The next day I got a text message from the guy, asking me for $100 back on the transaction. This really annoyed me. Why did this guy have to be the guy to buy the transmission from me? We couldn't it have been a local guy who knew what he needed? Arg. He claimed that my ad said the trans would fit a 383 motor, which it will. Any Mopar aficionado knows that a big block Torqueflite 727 transmission will fit a 440 or 383 motor. He claims that the transmission will not fit his 383. I know a lot about Mopars and know that this cannot be. But honestly, I think he might be confused about what size motor he has. The way I see it, it's not really my problem. When you buy a used transmission, its up to you to figure out if the part fits your vehicle. It's not up to me to research your car for you. I'm not a big retailer, I'm just a guy with a part. I explained this to him via text. I mean, for all I know, this guy thinks he has a Plymouth but it's really a Chevy. Who knows! I listed the transmission accurately, and it seems to me that it isn't my problem that the guy bought the wrong thing from me.
A few days later I get a notification from eBay that the buyer has said he has "not received his item" and is looking for a full refund. Keep in mind, the buyer has a 0 transaction count, with 0 feedback. I have 172 transactions, with 100% positive feedback. I always try to do the right thing, and went way out of my way for this buyer only to have him try to screw me in the end.
This is super annoying and it saddens me to know that there are people out there like this. I have all our text conversations saved, as well as footage from a camera pointing at my garage showing that the buyer picked up the transmission.
The claim is still pending. He started the claim saying "never received item," to which I responded as a message to the seller, asking him to cut it out. I am worried that eBay is going to rule against me.
What should I do? What can I do?
