An eBay Parts Story -- 370z Exhaust System
 

Here is an amusing tale related to buying parts on ebay.

First -- a bit of background -- I have been buying and selling parts (mainly Datsun Z and now Nissan Z) since 2001 and have more than 600 transactions with a 100% rating. This last one, though, was a first for me and I thought that I would share it with the forum.

I have been researching an exhaust for my 370 for a few months and the Greddy SE was on my short list. So I see an eBay listing back in May for a New, Never-installed SE from a seller who claimed that he sold his 370 before he took delivery of the exhaust. Made sense at the time...

The pictures looked great, I exchanged several emails with the seller to verify its condition and completeness -- answers to all of which assured me that it would be a good move to purchase it. So I did -- thinking I was saving 400 - 500 bucks. Guess what? I was wrong.

What I received was a stock, used muffler section (and tips) and the stock Y-pipe. Rusty, carbon fouled junk was what I got. The seller at least included the Greddy warranty card and Greddy License plate frame and the Greddy shipping box.

So I ask the seller via email what's the deal -- trying at first to give the benefit of the doubt -- and the reply came back that the seller had no idea what I was talking about and that my problem with what was sent was a "fitment" issue. Amazing as I had not thought that it could be a fitment issue, not that the seller was trying to rip me off.

Long story short is that PayPal totally backed me, I got my money back and everything is cool now. Lesson learned I guess. The final note is that the seller gave PayPal a bogus address for me to ship his junk back (it was an actual post office street address) and when UPS attempted delivery they could not deliver it and the seller igonored all requests by UPS and PayPal for a correct address. So, it came back to me. Anybody need a used OEM muffler??? Kidding as it is going to the dump probably.

All's well that end's well. In the time I spent getting this resolved, Berk has released their cat back and I ordered one last Friday.

i want to punch that guy in the throat

Actually your statement is a little more tame than what i had in mind. Alas, that was my former life.

:bowrofl:

It's still hard for me to believe just how many scammers are on eBay and elsewhere for that matter.

I guess I've reached the age of "When I was younger....".

eBay is a great tool but only buy from people with plenty of positive feedback.

Do you have the guy's eBay page/name so nobody else on here get's scammed by him?

i'm sure for every one of you (someone who can tell an OEM exhaust apart from a Greddy) there are about 10 people that can't. I guess the dealer didn't get lucky with you, ha!

When it comes to buying parts cheaper than MSRP or dealer prices, I think forum classifieds are a lot more safer as well as more populated with items, than eBay is.

This is what you get for buying **** on ebay. You have a equal opportunity to get scammed and come out ahead.