Imported Vehicle radiators

[tims1959]

Leaking radiators  have been brought up now and then on this forum but worth mentioning again. Have purchased two new cheap imported radiators for a commodore V6 ute.  First one lasted around 12 months and the second last 7 months. My brother had the same experience with his cheap radiator as well purchased off Ebay. From what I can work out, the plastic tank walls are too thin  so over time they swell ( due to heat and pressure) then leak from the sealing ring. Also the sellers so called 12 months warranty means nothing.

So if the price looks too good to be true then it probably is, so steer clear and buy a quality unit. It may cost you two or three times more but whats the price of cooking your motor when your cheap radiator lets go.

[jellybirddesigns]

Just to add an additional point, in case the OP comes back to read:

When you purchase an item on Ebay, you only have 30 days from the date of receipt to open a claim/dispute.

That is why you did not get any response from the seller as they are under no obligation to rectify or respond to an issue after than time period. Sellers of poor quality items/knockoffs rely on the fact that they will work for a period of time....usually long enough to pass the 30 day period, but after that you're on your own.

For future reference, don't rely on what is just written in the description. Look where sellers are registered, and even more importantly, take serious note of what their feedback is like. Negative reviews should be scrutinised for issues of poor quality, items not being delivered and sellers response/non-response to concerns raised.

Buy from genuine Australian bricks and mortar stores for proper quality parts manufactured to Australian standards and with genuine warranties. This way you'll be helping our economy too.

[springyzone]

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@tims1959 wrote:

So how do you work out who is 'Authorised'?? What does 'authorised even mean on Ebay??

Authorised to sell radiators??? How does that work??

All I see is this and I quote.

We are professional sellers with many years of successful business experience. Our goal is to provide the most sensational products and exceptional customer service. 

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I think you have highlighted a couple of really common problems on ebay.

The first is that many people read an ad, see a comment such as that highlighted in red above and believe they have a reputable seller with a real guarantee, especially if the seller seems to be located in Australia.

The second issue is buying from authorised sellers. A lot of buyers aren't necessarily aware of any need to do this but if you weren't buying a particular brand name, it isn't something you would necessarily look into. I learnt something today and that is that there is actually a spot where you can tick 'authorised seller', or at least there is for car radiators. What I suspect is people think they can go into any store and buy something like a radiator and the guarantee will be valid and they assume it is the same online. It's not.

I was probably a bit the same years ago before I started coming on this forum and had my eyes opened.

So you have fallen into the trap a lot of buyers fall into, although you are right, if a price is super cheap, be suspicious because it is probably either a cheaply made one or else a counterfeit.

On ebay, you can find out a lot of information before you buy, but it won't all be in the ad, you as buyer have to work at it (which is why a lot get caught out).

You can't believe an item is located in Australia just because it is listed as such. You need to do a few more clicks to check out the seller and where they are located. Then check their feedback.

But even so, when it comes to a lot of items where the guarantee matters, ebay isn't the best place to buy.

Nothing is stopping a buyer from buying cheap but you have to weigh up the risks.

I know you meant this as a warning, which it is, but this is just a smallish forum and I would guess most regulars here would not buy a cheap radiator (or phone or electricals etc) on ebay ina  fit. You're talking to the already converted.😁