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Never buying from a reefer again
Well,
I am at a loss for words. some would say that drama needs to follow me. I guess that must be true. For my choice is to accept what others seem so naturally incluined to do to me, or to fight back. For now, I coose to fight back. I bought a fixture and ballast from someone here, Bubblemonkey. he advertised the items as NEW, and in perfect condition. I even researched the threads to find any discussions he had about the items. The threads seemed to support his claims of when he got the itmes and what the conditions were. I bought the items from him, only to find out, he opened up the fixutre, end ended up "... needng to re-attach severael wires..." When I emailed him about that, he conveniently remembered, and apologized about not telling me, but he "... heard or thought something was loose and noticed the wires to the HQI sockets were loose, so he re-soldered them..." The solder job was the worst I have ever seen. He literally laid the wires on top of the other end and dropped a glob of solder onto the two wires. He used heat shrink tubing, but did not know to shrink them, so the insulation just slides up and down. So, coincedentally, the two wires that were loose, are exactly next to each other at the connector. Coincendentaly, he was planning on changing the ballast to a blue wave VII, (so he would have needed to change the connectors, (except, he should have used the connectors from the fixture ballast so he could use the quick disconnect...) He was going to change the ballast because the fixture mfg has a bad history of ballasts that burn up, and ... Coincendentlyy, when he was testing out the fixtures and the ballast, that orginaly ballast did in fact burn up during a 3 minute test. Imagine that, knowing that he would get the defective fixture and ballast that he heard so much about.. Coincedentally, he forgot to tell me that the fixture is not new, and it is re-worked DIY project (failed) Coincedentally, the original problem he said he fixed in the ballast , ( a wire that was "... probably a ground wire that was screwed to the housing...") was still there, and it wasnt a ground wire, it was a connector wire to the T5 bulb end. Coincedentally, even thought the fixture fired all bulbs, he got shocked and the ballast arc'd, so he through out the ballast. He questioned me as to why I went inside the fixture. And when I explained to him that I did not have the original ballast, only the conenctors he cut off, and that the connectors are not labeled, I had to figure out which connector went to which fixture, T5 or HQI or fan. When I opend up the fixture the first thing I saw was the broken T5 wire that was screwed to the housing. I then noticed the two lead wires to the HGI bulbs that were re-soldered to the connectors at the exact same spots. I asked him why he would advertise the items as NEW and in PERFECT condition, and he explained that he thought I would be rewiring the fixture anyway, so he was not concerned about his solder jobs or the fact that the solder jobs had no insulation... I asked him to credit me back less then half my money or trade me other items. He is basically discounting the whole issue claiming I got a good deal to begin with, even though no one else was jumping at the deal, and he even lowered his price to sell the items that were listed as new... Bubblemonkey is just that. I wil not accept being ripped off. If someone s\ays it is new, and they know they went inside and rewired / resoldered things, they are fraudulent. It is a good thing I went inside, if I would have plugged the Blue wave into the fixture as it was, the blue wave would have burnt up too....... And I wold be out all my money... Be careful who you buy from. do not buy from strangers... |
Was this a local purchase? or was it shipped to you?
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you must be the unluckiest guy in this hobby. many of us have bought and sold used equipment and livestock from other reefers without any issues. maybe your expectation in buying pre-owned items is just a bit too high. or, maybe you do like drama. stick to the LFS so you won't have any issues in the future.
if your intent is to give the seller a bad feedback, you are using the wrong forum. post this in the seller/ trader feedback forum. |
man, thats just low. Selling your trash as new and perfect.
I assume you paid via paypal. File a complaint. Your payment will be suspended until he resolves the issue. MOST likely, you'll have to ship back the faulty product back to him. provide paypal with the tracking number. And then you'll get your money back. If thats the case, you'll just spend 20 or so dollars shipping it back and get the rest of the money back (probably more than what you were asking from him anyways) |
That really sucks!
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It was a local seller, throught the so cal forum. I paid cash when he gave it to me. And although we were face to face, he again told he story of how the item was new, and everything worked except the ballast from the infamous manufacturer that has a history of burnt up ballast and burnt up houses.
I just dont understand how he knew that he would be getting one of the defective fixtures? He is psychic, or just a psycopathic liar... I have several emails from him, where he admitted that he went inside the fixture, and how he 'fixed' the item that I originally saw and coincedentally contacted him about. How is it that I could see the exact same thing he allegedly fixed? He claims that a different wire must have slipped in between the housing and the end cap when he put it together... But he also admits to getting shocked when he tested it out... I mean really. You try out a fixture, you get shocked, and then sell it to someone else telling them it is a NEW and in PERFECT condition,,, His last comment to me via email was "... How would I explain buying something in the used and trading section of a forum, and not expect the item to be used somehow???" SIMPLE MORON, you told me and everyone in your message, that the item was NEW and in PERFECT ccondition.... And for the poster that suggeest that I am teh magnet for drama, I would ask how to prevent that or rather this last instance, (to be specific), from happening to him, if he were the person to have been unlucky enough to hook up with this seller??? Please be specific in your response please?? |
Hmm...
If this is a local hobbyist... I'm sure there's guys on this board that can help you get your money back, by any means necessary... :) |
thats unfortunate what happened to you. Apparently though, the lesson learned from the sump/fish purchase was quickly forgotten... Better luck next time
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I think the lesson to be learned here is not about buying from local reefers but making sure you are getting what is described.
For dry goods, when you go pick something up have them test it right in front of you. If it is not ready when you get there, leave. The last thing you want is to help someone break the item you are buying from them (or some other piece of equipment) removing it from their system. Not only does this protect you as the buyer, but the seller knows the equipment left in working order. If it breaks after money has exchanged hands, it is no longer the sellers problem. For livestock, only buy healthy looking livestock! Corals should be taken out of the tank after you get there and bagged immediately. If it is a fish/invert, it should minimaly be floating bagged in the tank or in a quarantine tank for easy catching. Anything else and you are asking for trouble. As a general rule, check out their other posts to get a feel for what they are like. If they are constantly posting about issues with their system, maybe buying from them is not the best idea. It is much easier to reply to a 'flake out' post with a description of what happened than having to post a bad experience thread (like this one). |
That sucks. Hopefully you can get a refund. It is obviously not new or in perfect condition. That's fraud.
And if you really want, you can go to small claims court and get a judgement against him. Since you have all the email, it will be easy to prove your claims. |
man that sux....but a lesson lived.....
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[quote]
Coincedentally, even thought the fixture fired all bulbs, he got shocked and the ballast arc'd, so he through out the ballast [/quote] This sux, shame on the seller. But as a buyer, this ^ should have been enough info to stay away from the deal. Safety comes first, why would you buy something that arc'd and shocked someone? And besides the fixture is an Odyssea, don't expect quality equipment from some low quality and price brands. You get what you pay for. [url]http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=970044[/url] |
he did not tell me this until after
He did not tell me anything until after I emailed him to tell him about the broken wire and the poor soleder jobs I found.
I could not get him to test the fixture as the fixture ballast had been thrown out, as it was deffective. The fixture itself was to be in excellent condition, tested, and all bulbs firing. But after I emailed him the story changed. Everything was excellent and all bulbs fired, but he did go int to do some repairs.. he did not test his repairs because ht ballast fried, and he got shocked and did not want to risk getting shocked again. Obviously, he did not trust his own handy work. I still have the fixture, and have not done the repairs. I wil go to small claims court. here is the pictures of the two wires he said came loose, (coincedentally at the exact same spot). [url]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140370mini-mini-dads_folder_048.jpg[/url] Check out hte solder job. Just lay the wire on top of the other wire and drop a glob onto the two and hope it all sticks... He did not even know to use heat to shrink the insulation into place. This is how I found the wires. Can you imagine if I powered the ballast. There is no doubt there would have been an arc across this 1/4" gap. not to mention the end cap wire for the T5, that was screwed to the fixture housing, (he thought it was a ground)... [url]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140370mini-mini-dads_folder_056.jpg[/url] The shiney black heat shrink was my doing. I thought I would fix it, before I realized I better contact him first about the other repairs.. When I asked him why he went into the fixture, he said the bulbs were loose. I then asked him why he would go intothe hot side, the side witht he power connectors when the other end has a thumb screw and access to the bulbs without using a screwdriver. It was at that point he admitted he did go inside and do some repairs... And yes, I know the datea are all wrong. I will set the date on teh camera again and retake the pictures... [QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8771954#post8771954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bennyinca [/i] [B]This sux, shame on the seller. But as a buyer, this ^ should have been enough info to stay away from the deal. Safety comes first, why would you buy something that arc'd and shocked someone? And besides the fixture is an Odyssea, don't expect quality equipment from some low quality and price brands. You get what you pay for. [url]http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=970044[/url] [/B][/QUOTE] |
Okay... how do i get the pictures to get shown in the message like everyone else does???
Damn it |
He did not tell me anything until after I emailed him to tell him about the broken wire and the poor soleder jobs I found.
I could not get him to test the fixture as the fixture ballast had been thrown out, as it was deffective. The fixture itself was to be in excellent condition, tested, and all bulbs firing. But after I emailed him the story changed. Everything was excellent and all bulbs fired, but he did go int to do some repairs.. he did not test his repairs because ht ballast fried, and he got shocked and did not want to risk getting shocked again. Obviously, he did not trust his own handy work. I still have the fixture, and have not done the repairs. I wil go to small claims court. here is the pictures of the two wires he said came loose, (coincedentally at the exact same spot). [IMG]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data..._folder_048.jpg [/IMG] Check out hte solder job. Just lay the wire on top of the other wire and drop a glob onto the two and hope it all sticks... He did not even know to use heat to shrink the insulation into place. This is how I found the wires. Can you imagine if I powered the ballast. There is no doubt there would have been an arc across this 1/4" gap. not to mention the end cap wire for the T5, that was screwed to the fixture housing, (he thought it was a ground)... [IMG]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data..._folder_056.jpg [/IMG] The shiney black heat shrink was my doing. I thought I would fix it, before I realized I better contact him first about the other repairs.. When I asked him why he went into the fixture, he said the bulbs were loose. I then asked him why he would go intothe hot side, the side witht he power connectors when the other end has a thumb screw and access to the bulbs without using a screwdriver. [IMG]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data..._folder_056.jpg [/IMG] It was at that point he admitted he did go inside and do some repairs... And yes, I know the datea are all wrong. I will set the date on teh camera again and retake the pictures... |
test
[IMG]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data..._folder_056.jpg [/IMG]
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Okay.
The pics show up in the preview of hte post... How come they do not show up in the message when I post... |
[img]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140370mini-mini-dads_folder_048.jpg [/img]
[img]http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/140370mini-mini-dads_folder_056.jpg[/img] |
[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8772230#post8772230 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bergovoy [/i]
[B]Okay. The pics show up in the preview of hte post... How come they do not show up in the message when I post... [/B][/QUOTE] Yay!!We're going to get pictures with your dramatic stories too??!! Christmas must have arrived early:rolleyes: |
Gina, LOL. You made my day :D
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and they accused me of starting a fight.. lol
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OKAY...How di dyou et my pics into your post!!!
Tell me or I am going to sue!!! |
I'm not sure what your point is. There are at least a few here that have the ability to help you out and make the repairs but might be a little leary.
Are you really retired? I'm 50 and pretty set in my ways but I hope this isn't a look into my future. ;) SteveU |
The indisputable fact that bubblemonkey intentionally deceived bergovoy by misrepresenting the condition of his item (he stated, new and perfect condtion) is proof positive that this was a premeditated swindle. No if's and's or but's about it. And I really can't comprehend how someone could then rationalize that type of deceptive con-man behavior by attaching some of the blame to the person that was swindled. Bergovoy was lied to and subsequently cheated out of his money by bubblemonkey, plain and simple.
I am under the impression based upon some of the responses found in this thread as well as the previous one posted by bergovoy (tank, sump and fish fiasco) that some of you are actually willing to tolerate this type of dishonest conduct. Sure it may be naive to just take someone at their word and buy their product without first verifying it's condition but there are some instances (this one is the perfect example) where that may not always be possible. I myself have been in the same exact situation where the sellers word was all I had. Fortunately for me though I have yet to be swindled. Bergovoy did not have at his disposal any method to veryify bubblemonkey's assertion that the condition of the light fixture was new and in perfect condition. His only other option was to take bubblemonkey at his word which as it turns out is pretty much worthless. It doesn't matter one iota that bergovoy was shopping around for a "substandard or inferior" product. That truly is besides the point. Which brings me to mine. Instead of rationalizing this shady deal and telling bergovoy to "eat some crow" the discussion should instead be about bubblemonkey's scandalized light fixture and making HIM eat some crow. He should be taken to task for lying about the condition of his light fixture and then selling it as such. No one in their right mind would have bought his light fixture had he been truthful and forthcoming about the real condition of it. In my opinion he should man-up and refund bergovoy's money instead of making excuses for himself. To take a man's money by deceit is still theft. And no, I don't know bergovoy. Never met the guy but I understand clearly why he feels the way he does. It's easy to point the finger when it's someone else that's been duped but if it were one of us none of us would be saying to ourselves, "Oh well, it's all my fault. I should have known better." To be sure, we'd all feel exactly the same way he does. |
[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8772656#post8772656 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gtrestoration [/i]
[B]IAre you really retired? I'm 50 and pretty set in my ways but I hope this isn't a look into my future. ;) SteveU [/B][/QUOTE] Never happen Steve! Gina, you just crack me up! :D Not sure where all this is headed, or what you hope comes out of all this, but maybe this should be between you and the seller. |
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