Dodgy Selling

[watchapoison]

Hi all.

Just wanted to share my recent experience and am happy to receive any advice.

Purchased a ride on mower on ebay at auction. Picked it up myself at his shop, where he demonstrated it started. It was impractical to run the cutting blades because we were in doors. I load it and take it home.

Next morning, take it out and give it a run. Engine doesnt start. Discovered battery very low on charge. I charge it up, I blow a fuse. I replace the fuse. It seems to start and run normally. I engage cutting blades but they dont run. Seller says i need a new battery and it happy to provide me one if I drive the 2 1/2 hours to his shop.

Today I am taking it to my local service mechanic.

On the Item Description for this auction, it has listed "good working condition" and "just serviced", although I seriously doubt that judging by my experiences that past few days.

The money has already been banked by the seller.

Is there any recourse I can pursue with the seller? Is it reasonable for me to ask the seller to contribute to whatever cost I incur at the mechanics?

I am of the belief that legally, there is not a lot i can do.

Thanks for any assistance

[*sparklz*]

As it was a pick up item you have no recourse as you should not have paid till you were happy with it.

I would have asked to take it outside and see the bldes working.

All you can do is leave neg feedback to warn others saying not working as stated in listing had to take to mechanic.

If they were a registered business it would be different.

[watchapoison]

Thanks Sparklz.

They are a registered business, they have two shop locations.

However, they chose to sell this item on Ebay, and I think I now know why.

Seems you can be dishonest and get away with it on Ebay.

[lemmayj]

If you look at the OP's buying history it would appear that the seller is a large dealer of mowers with an open shop as well as an ebay presence.

The problem here is the 2 1/2 hour drive to return the mower, as the shop has already offered to replace the battery.

Given that they've offered to replace the battery, I don't think they're really responsible for paying the OPs local mower mechanic to go over the machine.

However, given the price of the machine, $1800, if I were the OP I would get my mechanic to inspect the machine and identify all the issues. Then contact the seller and ask them to either

a) fix all the issues (yes you're going to have to take the mower back)

b) refund on the machine (you'll still have to take the mower back)

c) see if they'll contribute to getting the local guy to do the repairs (they don't have to but they may just to make the problem go away).

The only power the OP has is feedback, since as far as ebay are concerned he should have inspected the item at pick up. The item was an auction item, which (not totally sure about this) may affect his statutory rights. However the seller's feedback suggests to me that they will probably try to do the right thing by the buyer. But it's not their fault that he drove 2 1/2 hours to collect the mower. So try to sort something out with the seller, and don' t leave any feedbacjk till you've exhausted all the other possibilities.

[watchapoison]

Thanks lemmayj.

All sounds sensible to me.