digit

[mikus]

I'd prefer not to go the route of a bad guy thread but am without recourse.

on 11/20 digit contacted me with an offer for genuine HKS BOV (I mentioned interest in a thread) I followed up with some questions (new vs old model, condition, have recirc fitting). Payment was sent about 11/23 or so for this item.

The item received is photographed below. As you can see it's mounted (which is probably OK if it comes off OK, I haven't tried yet), and was spray painted a flat gray rattlecan that is peeling off in various spots. The spray paint thing was not disclosed to me. This was intended for SS pipes and is not useable as is. I'm also suspect of any part that's been painted like this, much like buying a car with a fresh paint job. What's under there? is it even a real HKS?

So anyway, things happen, I figure I'll return easy enough. Even would eat shipping cost since I didn't ask for pics (my mistake, I assumed a seller would disclose such a signifcant alteration!) My PM was read 11/22, I have yet to get a reply to it. I filed with Paypal next for resolution (and later a claim) I know paypal won't back me up since I received... something... but I wanted to get it on record, and hoped it would help for resolution.

Anyhow, here I am with this item which may be an HKS. I don't have an application for it anymore, am getting no response from digit, and couldn't recoup nearly what I paid (what would YOU pay for a spray-painted HKS?) I'm disappointed with how this whole transaction went down, the seller's multiple 'good guy' listings led me to believe something like this wouldn't happen.

Here's what I received:


Here's what this item should appear like, what I was anticipating receiving (even if there were a few dings/scratches but certainly not rattlecanned):

 

[beaner]

Take a good picture of the inside, where the air exits. I will be able to tell you if it is real or not.

 

HAHAHA I got you good f*cker! JK sorry I have a bad sense of humor.

Please do take some pictures. I will offer a refund if it is not a real HKS unit since I thought it was. I don't even remember were it came from I have so much sh*t laying around here.

I thought I was doing you a favor by giving you a deal on the bov(as they seem to sell all the time for $150+shipping/paypal) and the paint wouldn't be that big of a deal especially since you didn't ask for pictures. If the pants that big of a problem I'll send you $4.95 for some lacquer thinner and it will come right off. As the paint has nothing to do with the actual performance I would not give a refund on that option.

Also on your dates you are wrong. You paid for it on 11/20 so how did you get it by 11/22 to send me a pm on that date saying whats wrong with it?



Also what is interesting about this is that the PM I got from you on 12/05 which you had not recieved the BOV yet read...

"Hey there, just wanted to check in on shipping for that HKS BOV.

I actually wont even need it anymore (just bought a 'more finished' vr4), so no rush, just wanted to keep it on the radar. Goes into the very large "off to the amrket" pile of upgrade parts LMK please, thanks "

So this to me seems you might just be looking for a way to get a refund since you don't need it anymore. Not saying you're trying to rip me off but I also don't want you to think I was trying to rip you off.

Then on 12/06 your PM read...

"Hello - I've received the BOV today. It's spray-painted flat black..? This is far in excess of description of 'used' condition, it is a significant flaw. I wouldn't have considered the purchase at all if this condition was disclosed, as it's unusable for my application.

I wish to return this item for refund, please advise on how you wish to process this return. Thank you, Mike M "

Which I read but did not reply to right away and I forgot about it. Sorry December was a busy month. I wish you would have sent me a 2nd pm about it and we could have taken care of it that way but this is fine I'm glad it was brought to attention and hope we can come to a civil resolution.

I would also like to add Mikus was a great buyer and payed promptly.

 

[mikus]

Quote:
I thought I was doing you a favor by giving you a deal on the bov(as they seem to sell all the time for $150+shipping/paypal) and the paint wouldn't be that big of a deal especially since you didn't ask for pictures. If the pants that big of a problem I'll send you $4.95 for some lacquer thinner and it will come right off.

Item wasn't described as "painted gray with peeling paint, needs to be stripped". Wouldn't have bought it if this information was disclosed.
Is it unreasonable to expect a seller would disclose that an item is not original appearance, needs work before it is? If you purchased a red car for a good price and the seller delivered it to you in primer without telling you, but included a few gallons of red ppg, would that be acceptable?
Quote:
Also on your dates you are wrong. You paid for it on 11/20 so how did you get it by 11/22 to send me a pm on that date saying whats wrong with it?

On review, you're right that date was wrong, I paid on the 28th (not 20th or the 22nd, PM you reference has other content). Not really relevant to issue either way.
Quote:
So this to me seems you might just be looking for a way to get a refund since you don't need it anymore. Not saying you're trying to rip me off but I also don't want you to think I was trying to rip you off.


You're right, I can't say that doesn't look sketchy. I can't prove either way what my intent was, I have to leave that judgement to others, facts and my own credibility being what they are. FWIW I do not think you were trying to rip me off, it's a great price for an HKS, maybe even if the condition was known if it was OK for the intended application.
In the end I'm not going to lose sleep over $110 - it's the principle of the matter, and giving other board members exhange history/issues so they can make prudent purchase decisions in the future. The issues in this exchange are:
1) The item is changed/modified in a way that decreases market value and potentially usage, and this change was not disclosed.
2) When I inquired to see about a middle ground on the matter (here first, later paypal) there was zero response, suggestion for resolution, even a reply of "this does not merit a refund in my opinion" - no response until this thread was opened.

 

I told you the first PM got lost in the busy season and that was it, you never sent me another PM and there is no record of any complaint filed with my paypal account. I replied as soon as I saw this pop up here it's been waiting in approval since then. So don't think I was trying to ignore you or this situation.

 

[mikus]

Check your email address on file w/ Paypal. This went to Resolution center 12/10 and escalated to a claim 12/26 (both should generate email to your address on file). I communicated via paypal after trying here, as paypal is more 'official'.

In sum, I'm not pleased with this transaction - your item was not what was expected and there were communication (or lack of) issues. On the other hand, I acknowledge I should have asked for pics first. I do believe good intention was there and would do business again - just would be as specific/detailed as possible.

I'll check out the item to ensure is true HKS tonight (haven't disassembled until this was closed), I'm sure it is but we can resolve via PM otherwise.

 

[mikus]

 

Send it on back, you know the address. When I get it I'll give the refund.

 

[mikus]

Digit did originally state that if it was in fact a knock off he'd refund, on inspection of internals it was. I returned and he promptly refunded... We're good. Closing the books on this one.

 

Well, I bought a transfer case from digit. He told me it "Came off running car with 127k good condition no problems" So, with his reputable feedback on the boards I bought it from him for 120 shipped. paypaled the money to his account on the 6-12-08 (thur) and said it would ship out on friday, but somehow UPS didnt show up at his shop.... no biggie I guess, so he said he would ship it out mon... 6-20 rolls around and still no transfer case... he lives in fl. its a 3 day ship MAX. I finally recieve the tcase and it basically FELL out of the box on my porch when I attmpted to pick it up... you could tell it had fell/dragged on the ground the tcase had clearly gone through the edges and worn through the poorly "wrapped" box. I understand not having the proper shipping materials, but dang, this was shady... so i pull the drain plug, and the plug is full of metal shavings... at this point im getting worried. I completly clean it inside and out, and the outside was filthy.... but I expected that. I then install the tcase and used penzoil syncromesh fluid. Im backing the car out of my drive way and as im turning the wheel to pull out, I hear a faint "clunck" I think to my self, its not the tcase, suspensions is re settling and whatever.. so I drive to wal-mart (5 miles) down the road, and im pulling into a parking spot and i get a fast clunk clunk clunk... Now I now that wasnt suspension.. at this point Im quite mad. All this money and time is now wasted. I drive it home, drive it around my neighborhood and its getting worse. a few days of hoping for the noise to go away didnt help, it continued. So I pm digit let him know whats goin on and he asked if my transmission could be the cause... I said no, wasnt doing this before your transfer case (mine had previously just seized) I had heard the cluck once or twice in the original tcase then it locked on me. So I tell him no known issues with the transmission, it has 45k on it. I even took the tcase to a 4g63 specialty shop and they inspected it and said it was no good. After that first pm a week went by, no response, I see hes online and posting, so I thought mabybe he forgot. good thing this isnt my daily! I pm him a few more times no response. So i take it to paypal claims and this is where I am at.

I have tried to contact you several times regarding this transfer case on the forums with no response, so you gave me no choice. I was, and still am willing to work with you on the defective part you told me was good and sold me. I told you upon receiving and installing the transfer case that the car made malfunctioning (clunking) noise. I even offered to ship the item back to you but you still gave me no response. I have since bought another unit and it works fine. Now I just want my money back.

his response is

You bought a used item with no warranty expressed or written. You then installed and used the item which you even stated worked and drove the car with. No refunds on used items especially installed and working.

then me again

You stated that the item came off a " running car in good condition and no problems" this is clearly not the case. I did install the item and it DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY!! the item clunks and makes noise, CLEARLY not in "good working condition" as you have stated. you sold me a DEFECTIVE item when you stated it was in good condition. I even took it to a automotive repair shop and had them look over the item and tell me that it was defective. point and fact you lied about what you sold me. Now I want a refund.

So he is refusing to give me a refund. So I guess this means that even if someone has GREAT feedback on the boards it doesnt mean sh*%! cause im still getting shafted. I saw this first post before I had bought the tcase from him and thought, ohh he resolved it, its all good. hes got great feedback, no worries. *sighs* I really hate having to go through this. BUYERS BEWARE!!!

 

Quote:
I finally receive the tcase and it basically FELL out of the box on my porch when I attempted to pick it up... you could tell it had fell/dragged on the ground the tcase had clearly gone through the edges and worn through the poorly "wrapped" box. I understand not having the proper shipping materials, but dang, this was shady...



I packed the transfer case in a box wrapped with bubble wrap around it more then secure. I know I can be slow on shipping sometimes and it doesn't help that the UPS man doesn't check his notices of when he needs to pick up items I have to ship. If you had a problem with how it was packaged when you received it you should have said something...

You didn't.

Quote:
so i pull the drain plug, and the plug is full of metal shavings... at this point im getting worried.



You should have mentioned something to me then cause when I drained it there was no metal shavings.

You didn't.(Which this is the first of me hearing and you never mentioned in any other previous PM's either)

Quote:
so I drive to wal-mart (5 miles) down the road, and im pulling into a parking spot and i get a fast clunk clunk clunk... Now I now that wasnt suspension.. at this point Im quite mad. All this money and time is now wasted. I drive it home, drive it around my neighborhood and its getting worse. a few days of hoping for the noise to go away didnt help, it continued.



If there was a problem with it you should have stopped driving it imedietly and notified me. Instead you continue to drive around your neighborhood and then for a COUPLE MORE DAYS!?!? So now you have a Xcase that I pulled out of a good running car with no problems that started to make a "noise" and continued to drive it "for days" instead of stopping then and checking everything to try to figure out what's wrong.

Quote:
So I pm digit let him know whats goin on and he asked if my transmission could be the cause... I said no, wasnt doing this before your transfer case (mine had previously just seized) I had heard the cluck once or twice in the original tcase then it locked on me.



Your PM you told me your previous Xcase had been clunking "for a while" until it locked up and that's what had you worried about this one making a clunking noise. So your previous Xcase made the noise, you continue to drive it and destroyed that Xcase. I think I see a pattern here.

So your first Xcase started making noises, you kept driving it till it locked up, bought a new one, installed drove, it started making noises and you kept driving it hoping they would go away "for a couple of days"(who knows how long that is) and now you want a refund. You have yet to tell me anything about the transmission(other then no "known" problems).

Quote:
I even took the tcase to a 4g63 specialty shop and they inspected it and said it was no good.



Well of course it's not, you kept driving it for god knows how long after it made any kind of noise just "hoping it would go away" and in the process did who knows what of irreconcilable damage.

Yes I'm human and yes it's a used part. As I stated it came off a good running car with no problems. Now who knows what might have happened to cause the Xcase to start clunking after you installed it that might have happened while in my possession or who knows if you installed it wrong, if theres something wrong with your transmission, etc.

It is a given when buying a used Item that there is no warranty, "as-is". As you have seen I am quite a reasonable person who is more then willing to work on customers even with used parts(which most shops will not and usually don't even sell used parts for this reason alone).

Yes I sold you a used product I stated was in good condition and came off a running car with no problems. You installed the product and after driving it started having a clunking noise(which you had with your previous xcase before locking up for whatever reason which you never stated you found out why). At that point and time you should have notified me about the noise and should have stopped driving the car and tried to see what was the cause of the noise. If you would have done this and found out that there was in fact a problem with the Xcase I would have more then worked with you on a full refund. You did not and continued to drive the car "hoping the noise would go away" and then come at me DEMANDING a refund.

I am sorry but I will not be offering you a refund.

 

[Terry Posten]

This is in no way defending Digit or siding with either side BUT:

You can't run Pennzoil Synchromesh in the t-case. That is NOT the correct viscosity. You need to run a 90 weight gear oil like the rear diff.

Sorry for your luck.

 

[thecman02]

Alright I don't like posting bad things about guys that help contribute to our great community, but Ian has been dragging his feet on an order I placed three months ago. After my fiasco earlier not getting intercooler pipes from someone else Ian promised me that things would be different with him. He gave me a reasonable time-line on how long it would take to do things. He said a week for the aluminum pipe stock that he didn't carry and then a few days to weld up the j-pipe, intake elbow and pipes. I was going to do anodizing too but he said the anodizing place was having problems with the tanks and everything. So then I say no big deal just ship it out without the anodizing. Since I didn't get the anodizing he was going to ship it to me to make up the difference on the money i sent. No big deal except his assistant lost the pipes. Then his computer took a dump and he got behind on everything he had going on. Then he said he'd look for the missing pipes. Couldn't find them so he was going to order up more stuff to make the intercooler pipes.

This all has taken place over the course of three months. He has taken advantage of my patience. I've given him more then enough time, but the more time I give him he just ends up spending it on other customers and putting himself way in over his head with work from what I can tell because his excuses are that he is really busy with other projects, but that isn't something he should be saying to a customer. It is bullshit and I've lost all patience. I really hope that putting this out in public will get his ass going on my pipes.

 

I just got the rest of the materials from my supplier that I had to order after the anodizer lost some piping(not my assistant) as I mentioned in our previous PM's. I'm sorry that your kits have taken so long and I have been in contact with you throughout the whole ordeal. Moving shops didn't help along with my PC crashing to be able to contact you during that weekend and I have been swamped with chassis work lately which has delayed other peoples stuff which it shouldn't and I have apologized to you and those people. I'm not dragging my feet I can only go as fast as I can when I have to wait on new materials(usually 2 weeks since stuff like this is made to order) and an anodizer who can't even do their job which I offered to make up for. I will be remaking the lost piping this weekend and have them shipped out next week along with a bunch of other stuff I haven't shipped other customers also(which I'm sorry for).

 

[Vman911]

Paid for a 92 white rear bumper cover on 8-28-08. 1 week went by, nothing.
Contacted him. He said he kept missing ups man. 2nd week went by no bumper. Contacted him again. The excuse was ups said he needed to repack it. After that converstation he is no longer accepting PM's..3rd week just ended and put a claim up on paypal. Waiting to hear from him... I want my money back IAN.

 

[Vman911]

got that bumper today. only took a month to get it. I'll never do business again with him.

edit: disparaging remarks removed - facts only please

 

If there are any other problems with anything anyone has purchased from me post it up here or email me and I will do my best to resolve the issues promptly.