Vendor screwing me. Need advice please.

[Rusty Shackelford]

I was wondering if I could get some advice from you guys about a problem I'm having with a vendor. Here is the situation:

Back in May, I purchased a used engine for my DII. The vendor promised to e-mail me mileage on the motor and warranty information. The engine arrived and my mechanic installed it. There was no warranty or mileage ever sent.

He could not get it started and told me that the engine was blown when it arrived. It overheated so badly, in fact, that the crank-shaft sensor was melted. I immediately put my mechanic in touch with the vendor via telephone. The vendor admitted that it might have overheated when he tested it prior to shipping it out. He then told me he would send a newer, tested engine "with all the bells and whistles" (whatever that means), mileage, warranty and $100.00 for my troubles. The engine arrived and was installed without issue.

Meanwhile, my mechanic charged me $1250.00 for the install and a new crankshaft sensor for the first engine. Then, he charged me $1100.00 to install the second engine. I am now out $1250.00 because of said vendor and his blown motor.

Well, now it's August, and I have yet to recieve the warranty, mileage on motor or even the 100 measly dollars he promised me!

I have called the vendor numerous times and he said he would call back at a better time - he never did. So i PM'd him every week for four weeks in a row - he never got back to me.

So now, I'm angry as hell, and my last message to him gave him the opportunity to make it all right by sending me what he promised, and perhaps a drive-shaft as a sweetener, now that he is full-on blowing me off and didn't even deliver on his original promises. Is that too much to ask?

Am I wrong here? How do I get him to deliver on his original promise? Do you think owes me $1250.00? Do you think he owes me a re-built driveshaft for all my troubles? Do you think that his reputation is in serious jeopardy?

How would you handle this if it was your thousands of dollars at stake?

Thanks in advance, i have to go away for a couple days, but I'll be checking in from time to time.

 

[Axel]

What information was provided to you in writing before you decided to purchase and install this engine? Why would you even pay for a used engine without knowing the mileage and without warranty information in writing? How much did you pay for this engine?

The vendor did replace the blown engine, which is all I think you can reasonably expect him to do. The fact that you decided to pay someone to install the engine rather than doing the work yourself really isn't the vendor's problem. If you wanted to pay for only one engine install, you should have had your mechanic source a new engine for you in the first place - any legitimate repair shop would have stood behind their work in a case like this. Mine did when my wife's Freelander needed a new transmission a few years ago, that transmission was out of the car and rebuilt twice before we ended up getting a replacement transmission sourced by my mechanic. We only paid for the replacement transmission and one install. The shop ate the cost of the unsuccessful rebuilds and other work. I will recommend that shop to anyone, and still use him regularly.

Used is used, not new. Caveat Emptor. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[ptschram]

You received the second engine and t is so far working well, right?

How long was the warranty? Most of the used engines I deal with only have 30-60 day warranties-it may already have expired, and what sort of warranty were you expecting? A pretty piece of paper, or a promise for it to be replaced if it failed?

While you're sadly out the cost of the first install, you bought a used engine and sometimes this happens,it's happened tome once or twice, it's the gamble one takes with used engines.

4.0 or 4.6? What happened to the overheated engines?

 

[Paul Grant]

This is exactly why I so VERY rarely sell engines. I feel bad enough if a sensor I sell to someone fails right after they get it let alone something major like this.

Nevertheless, the fact that the vendor did provide a replacement engine at no charge really does fulfill any obligation he might have to you. When you hire a mechanic to install a part you bought from someone else he is being hired for a specific job with very limited responsibility. I hate to say it but expectation of reimbursement for labor beyond whatever good will the vendor provides is unrealistic.

 

[jhmover]

I don't think the vendor is screwing you. You bought a used part and while I'd expect a short warranty period, from my experience no one's going to pay the labor to removed a defective used part and put a new one in. If you want a full warranty you need to buy a new/rebuilt engine with a warranty covering the part and the labor to replace it if it's bad. You buy used the labor's on you.

 

[sven]

I totally agree with what everyone else said. You bought a used motor and paid a dude to install it. Naturally the mechanic is gonna charge you twice because you supplied the motor. Its not his fault the first was a turd.

The vendor admitted that it might have overheated when he tested it prior to shipping it out.

Wow, so he's basically admitting that he knowingly sold you a overheated motor? Thats pretty shitty if you ask me. I wouldnt want to buy anything from this person..

 

[Drillbit]

He bought this motor from me and isn't being entirely accurate. He did buy this motor and I shipped it to his mechanic. I got a call from him a few weeks later and said there was a problem. I talked to him and his mechanic who claimed the motor was shot. This motor was running fine in the truck when I pulled it. I checked it for compression hot and cold and did a block test for exhaust in the coolant. We then left the motor idling for another 20-30 minutes, after that the gauge showed it at normal operating temp. What I told him is that I didn't check the engine temp with a lazer temp gun so if the temp gauge was bad that might explain it. This is very rare but I have seen failed temp gauges. It is also possible his mechanic overheated this somehow on install and blamed it on the motor or there was some other problem with his car that caused it to overheat. I couldn't know that and it was under warranty so I shipped out a replacement motor within a week. I also sent a check for the 100 dollars I told him I would send him back and sent it the same day the as the motor. I sent it to the shop with him as the attn, this was the only address I had for him. As of today that check hasn't been cashed. I'm genuinely sorry the first motor didn't work, I tested it and shipped it in good faith. I'm glad the second motor did work out. You should call your mechanic and ask if there is a letter with your name on it there, if not send me your address and I will send you another check.

 

[Axel]

Ok, after reading both sides of the story I would say that this falls in the 'Shit happens' category. Nobody is screwing anyone, sorry Rusty. Case closed.

 

[brianhoberg]

Ok, after reading both sides of the story I would say that this falls in the 'Shit happens' category. Nobody is screwing anyone, sorry Rusty. Case closed.

x2

 

[eliaschristeas]

A few points having read all -

i recently overhauled the entire cooling system on a D2 I sold... new everything, including sensors..... still "overheated." Laser told me otherwise. Long story short, it was a bad "new" temp sender.

recently, i blew a tranny in my 92. had NO time and had this place put a great used one in. they fucked up the heater core, admittedly they even installed the old/bad torque converter. took out my good "new" used tranny.

they didnt give a shit.

i had a ZF specialty place build me a custom hp24 set up and i made the time to put it in myself and havent looked back.

its a crap shoot being charged twice for used part replacements. i would recommend a cooler mechanic who'd wanna help you out. a lot could have happened to this motor that your mech isnt telling you about and in my opinion, the seller did the right thing.

you could have bought a $200 crane from pepboys and had some buddies give you a hand.

that said, you're outta the woods and should feel good about that!

 

[varova87]

Rusty, been in your shoes. Sucks to buy things to have it turn out the opposite of what you expected. Natural to look to the seller for responsibility. Hell, I bought a truck from Justin only to learn it was a rust bucket. I was pissed, but he never did anything wrong and did everything to make it right - I just had my panties in a wad after buying a truck sight-unseen. My fault.

Truth is, the vast majority of the vendors on this board (I don't know all of them) are as honest as the day is long. Tough pill to swallow, but it sounds like Marty did his part, as would PT, Will, Justin, Paul, and the others I'm forgetting. For those of us like you and I who can't do an engine install on our own, we have to eat costs from time to time.

 

[rover4x4]

This is how I would have expected any discoweb vendor to handle this situation. I'm sure it was overheated when your guy failed to properly bleed the cooling system. I Perhaps you radiator or fan clutch is shot.

 

[I HATE PONIES]

He could not get it started and told me that the engine was blown when it
arrived. It overheated so badly, in fact, that the crank-shaft sensor was
melted.

How did it overheat if it was never started? Did the mechanic do a compression test to verify it was blown?

 

[jhmover]

Crank sensor melted. I can't see Marty sending an engine with that as I would think he'd notice it. Then I have to wonder why the mechanic who installed it didn't notice it. That leaves me to speculate it happened after the install. I can't say for certain but it seems to be logical. The not being started sounds like BS.

 

[KyleT]

Crank sensor melted.

i can say that is one i have never seen before.

 

[Mongo]

for that to melt, the engine had to get incredible hot, and other things would have failed well before the sensor melted...

Sounds like your mechanic fucked it up and is trying to blame it on a bad engine from Marty...

 

[WNYDiscoIIErik]

How do you figure he owes you a driveshaft too? fuck off.

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Axel, I bought a used engine from Marty due to his reputation on this site. He said he would send me warranty info via email - he never did - that should answer the "in writing" portion of your question - I never got what he promised - again, a matter of reputation. This was only after my mechanic couldn't find an engine from his usual suppliers (DII engines seem to be very popular for some reason!).

PT, my mech said something about stretch bolts being extended, the crankshaft thing, he was using very specific language that I felt better directed at the vendor so I put them in touch. As far as bleeding the cooling system, He replaced the electrtic fan when he tried to do the head gaskets in the original engine (slipped liner in piston #5 - thus, all work stopped and he said I need a new block) there was also a slight leak in the radiator, so alot was replaced prior to the new engines arrival. Again, just trying to answer questions, I believe these details to be irrelavent now that Marty has come forward.

And that is what I was trying to get from you guys, is it the mech's fault? The vendors? Mine? A combination of two?

Marty, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST ANSWER MY EMAIL A MONTH AGO? How was I supposed to know you sent my money to someone else? I told you in every attempt to reach you that I am a reasonable and patient man, but after no reply for weeks on end, I genuinely thought that you were trying to screw me and so I did what I had to do to get your attention.

Buyer beware indeed. Like Axel and Brian said, I guess this case case is closed.

Thanks again for all the replies.

 

[p m]

Sounds like your mechanic fucked it up and is trying to blame it on a bad engine from Marty...

+1

 

[Rusty Shackelford]

How do you figure he owes you a driveshaft too? fuck off.

Erik, I don't think that he owes me a driveshaft, I do belive that if someone was out a thousand dollars because of something that I admitted responsibility for, I would try to make up for it with some small token - like a spare part that I may have laying around, you know, just a way to try and keep a customer happy.

You have yourself have a nice day.