A few weeks ago i sold a granatelli 85mm Maf that was on my car. It was working on my vehicle and i decided to sell it because im going with a SD tune. I un-installed the MAF and packaged it with plenty of bubble wrap. The guy i sold it to recieved the maf the day after i shipped it. Weeks go by and now the guy wants a refund. He says he never installed it on his car because the box arrived damaged from shipping so he decided to sell it to another person instaed of installing it himself. That person he sold it to installed it on his car and now says it doesnt work right. So the guy i sold it to had to refund the other guys money and NOW he wants ME to refund his original money. I dont believe i should be obligated to refund his money, but i would like other members input.

 

Full Story:

I'm the guy who originally bought it from him...here's the story...

I bought the maf from him for 100 dollars because it was a good deal and I thought it would go well with my swap for my el camino. Keep in mind , there is no way I could have tested this thing because my motor is still sitting on my engine stand.
One thing I do know is that when I received the box from fedex or ups (forgot who it came from) it was bent/smashed on one end of the box with a slight tear at the bottom.

After only two weeks of having the maf I decide to sell it because I figure, there's more important stuff that I need for my swap, like push rods to go with my yella terra rockers I just ordered. plus I have a stocker maf so I really did'nt need it that bad, which is why I decided to sell it.

okay...so I sale the thing and pack it in a different box (the only time I took it out of the damaged micheal jordan shoe box) because I did'nt want to ship it in a shoe box that was tacky packaging from the get go...so I packed the thing with bubble wrap and foam in a different, brand new priority flat rate box...no chance of being damaged IMO.

so the guy gets the maf and he says that his car threw a "no maf code" and wouldn't stay on with out him giving it gas. so I offer to give him his refund and told him that after I get the maf back, I'm going to send it to the original seller.

original seller, 1fastz tells me, for all he knows...the guy could have shorted it or damaged it somehow. I find it hard to believe that a guy can short something that's plug and play...you can't plug it in backwards or any thing crazy like that lol.

So 1fastz tells me, well it was working when I pulled it off of my vehicle. So I figured, it must have been damaged while being shipped from him to me...in the jordan box (which isn't as stable as a regular shipping box to begin with). He tells me, if fedex damaged it, it should not be his fault...which I agree with...but should'nt it be his responsibility as a seller to give me my refund back for a defected part just like I'm giving the guy back his money that I sold the maf too???

he's making it seem like, since the shipping company he choose to ship with could have damaged it I should have to talk to them...which I feel is wrong. I should be refunded and he should have to deal with fedex for damaging the part!!!

if any sponsor on here sells anything and it comes damaged or broken during shipping, they will replace the product and deal with the shipping company themselves...so why in the hell should I have to deal with the shipping company if I'm the one that received the package and not the guy who sent it???

what do you guys think?

 

deeloc1, you're in a tough spot being in the middle. I've been there a couple of times myself.

If I remember right, if somebody is using a 3-wire to 5-wire maf adapter, it is possible to hook it up backwards, which is said to be able to fry the maf electronics.

It's probably too late to file a shipping claim. And unless the maf sensor is noticeably physically damaged in a way that's consistent with the damage on the box, there's probably no claim there anyway.

This is exactly why the parts stores won't do returns on electronics. There's no good way to know what was done to it.

You offered to buy it back, but with somebody else's money. That's where you got in a bigger bind...

 

So, what was i suppose to do if the thing was damaged before i ever sentit to him and it really was broke? Isn't it my responsibility to give him his money back? So...if i don't give the guy back his money should this be a discussion between him and 1fastz??? I never used this thing at all, and there's two possible situations where it could hve gotten damaged. Either while 1fastz was shipping it to me or while this other guy was installing it on his car. All i know is that i should not be coming out of the pocket! Period!!!

 

you should've tried it if it arrived in a damaged box. how is the original seller supposed to know if the guy hooked it up right or not. if it worked right when sold the first time then sorry for ya luck bud but its not 1fastz place to refund the $ if he didnt sell it to that member. sorry but thats how i see it. you sold the part not knowing if it worked or not. if it was damaged in transit then ins. would have covered it. and no1 would be out of any $$.

 

but i dont think any sponsor would pay once a 2nd party was involved and/or after 3 weeks have passed. have you even tried the maf yourself? the guy may have just hooked it up wrong or maybe decided that he didnt want it.

 

Haven't got it back yet...i should be getting it back sometime next week.

I told the guy that i sold the MAF too to read this thread, here's what he had to say...

Re: 85mm maf
"Wow, I've been working on cars for 30 years. I own Advantage Transmissions. I can tell you without a doubt that the maf was installed correctly.
I sounds to me that it was damaged in shipping. If the wires are damaged or anything the maf is toast."
Carl

I'll check and see if it works on a buddies z28 when i get it back, so i can see if it works.

 

Yea, should have tested it first. Even if his engine wasnt complete to test it, he should have tested it on a buddies ls1 at least. Too many factors come into place when an item has been passed down from one person to another. And then the shipping carrier may have damaged it on delivery. Looks like its too late.

Agreed

 

Anything sold here is always "Buyer Beware". That policy has not changed nor ever will.

Everyone in this situation just learned a lesson of one kind or another.
1. When selling something either post "haven't used it, not sure if it works, buying as is" or "will refund if it doesn't work".
2. If anything arrives in a damaged box, report it immediately to the shipper or refuse the package due to the damage.
3. Take it up in email and sort it out from there.

EVERYONE screwed up on this deal. If there was any mention of refund then it should be carried through, if not, you all know better when buying from here or anywhere on the net.

 

One thing that bothers me about this whole thing is that nobodys said anything about tuning for the MAF. I've bought three MAFs for 2-LS1s and 1-LS6 in the last year and have had to reset the tune for each one. Has anyone tried that yet. All sorts of things can upset a PCM somtimes 8-). (My .02)...Jim

 

Seems as tho the people have spoken.....

 

Yeah, they have...i learned a great lesson. I...the middle man ended up coming out of the pocket!!! Never again, will that happen! Although it is still uncertain where or when the MAF was damaged...word to the wise...don't ship your **** out in shoe boxes and make sure it's in working order before you sale it to someone else so "you" the middle man doesn't have to pay....LOL!

 

Actually, it would be a lesson of asking the seller if it does not work after proper installation (and possible tune depending on the part) is to ask if you can return for a refund.
This applies to the first seller, second, third and so on.

 

I personally always test things when I get them. And I'd never sell something i was positive worked.

 

If it was damaged in shipping and you were worried about it then you were the one trying to get over on someone else by selling it. Now that it isn't any good you want to blame the original seller yet you made no attempt when you recieved the MAF to insoect it for proper working condition or file a claim with FED-EX or the original seller. Sounds to me like the responsiblity lies with you.

 

agreed, I dont think that he should have to refund it because you tried to pawn it off on someone else not knowing if it works or not.