Advice on tractor sale gone wrong...

Just looking for some advice on a problem. I bought a tractor in a private sale, from someone who also sells on Ebay and in the picture ads on YTMag, and have a lingering issue. I drove 250 miles one way, in 0 degree weather, to pick this tractor up a week or so before Thanksgiving, and the loader that sold with it. The seller told me that ...the loader just needs to be remounted, it came off this tractor... Well I got the tractor up on the gooseneck and then he starting hauling the loader pieces over with his Bobcat while I chained the tractor down. Well he never loaded any of the main uprights, he brackets where the arms of the loader and the lift arm cylinders attach. These are large pieces so hard to not notice it but after I mentioned it and explained what was missing he agreed they were not there and started looking (in the dark) around his shop, barn, used tractor lot outside, etc.. His dad even came out to help. Well I paid him (in full, my mistake I realize now) with the promise that he would find them and let me know as I had 250 miles home to drive yet that night. Well he has given me many excuses, promises to find, etc... and now has just stopped replying whatsoever. He and his father were very nice but his lack of customer service and basically not being willing to either find the correct, or replacement parts, or issue a partial refund so I can buy or have them fabricated, has me asking "what would you guys do next"?

don't automatically think that everybody is a skunk, there are plenty of skunks out there but I recommend paying him a visit and giving him a chance to make it right with you

if nothing else, you will remember to hold back part of the payment until everything is as promised

I guess by now you know the rule. NEVER pay for an incomplete product. When you get htere if it aint what he said, then dont buy it. I would have unloaded it then and there, tore the check up, ane gave him a piece of my mind. Now you are stuck because you "accepted delivery of product FOB his place" as was where was.
Best you could do now is to drive down there with about 3 or 4 rough looking buddies and tell him you ARE leaving with the parts or payment for them being missing, his choice. Might work, might not. It has worked for me. One thing for sure, dont buy nothing else from this bum, and POST his name here so we can also avoid him like the plague.
Tom

bend over and take it like a man. you screwed up by paying him and leaving without all you were promised.

Hi,knowing your side of the story only.I assume he sells things on this website you have the opportunity to let him know that you can send out a few notices that he is corrupt.I think if you have a legal letter written (make it look real anyway) it usualy sets things in motion in your favor. Good luck

Nonsense! Screw him back!

Once bit, twice shy

I am sorry to hear about the situation you are in. You did not mention what state this happened in. Is it by chance in Michigan, north of Detroit a bit? There is a guy that sells here and on Ebay, that I would fully expect something like this from. Actually there are 2 different guys over there that would pull this but one I don't know if he sells on this site or just ebay. Is my hunch correct?

(quoted from post at 01:46:49 12/23/08) I am sorry to hear about the situation you are in. You did not mention what state this happened in. Is it by chance in Michigan, north of Detroit a bit? There is a guy that sells here and on Ebay, that I would fully expect something like this from. Actually there are 2 different guys over there that would pull this but one I don't know if he sells on this site or just ebay. Is my hunch correct?

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Nope, he is in southern Minnesota. I knew there was a fairly dishonest fellow in Janesville MN, or so others have posted, but this guy was an hour NW of there.

Hummmm. I'm about an hour NW of Bob Burns. I'm not a dealer tho, and haven't sold anything!

Think at this point you have to chaulk it up to experience. You can visit him, but what good will it do, you have a 5 hour round trip involved? You can go through the legal system, but it will cost you more in time & effort thay the judgement you get - and in the end you get a judgement, you do not get a _check_ from the simple courts, so you'll still nedd to collect. You can drag them through the mud on sites like this, but sometimes there is more tot he story, or retaliation happens on that too.

So, what can a person do? Learn & go on is about it.

--->Paul

Give him a last chance, then start posting his name her along with the whole story. If he dont make it right, then I would make d*** sure it wound up costing him more that it cost me. Too many people go out get into a bad deal, get screwed, cry about it, and then do nothing. These slim balls calculate that most folks will just let it slide, and their way of doing business gets to be habit forming. Tell us either way how you resolved it. Tom

Do you have it in an email or other writing that the loader just needs to be remounted? This implies that it is complete. Anyone with you to witness the promise of him finding the pieces?

Keep on him and maybe start threatening small claims.

Didn't work all that well for OJ.

What does your reicept say? Does it say tractor and complete loader assy? Did he take it off? or did he buy a basket case thinking it was all there?

The only reason I can think somone took it off was to do motor or some driveline work. Other than that it should have been with it.

If he has ANY integrity he will come up with the parts or at least refund you for the loader portion of the purchse if you agree to bring the rest of the loader back.

Please keep us posted.
Dan Turke

Just curious who were you implying is dishonest in the Northern Metro Detroit area? ME? Rosseel's, Scmidt Farms, Van Paemmels, or Tosch'S. That is the only 5 in 100 miles north of Detroit. And I know each one of these guys personally, and they would NEVER do anything dishonest. Please check your facts before you discredit any of us.

I have my facts quite checked out personally. I find it funny that you would respond to my post, I purposely didn't mention any names or towns, guess I didn't need to.

I dont think so...297 customes are a happy each year. I sold a WD Allis Chalmers to a guy up in Jeddo, he came out looked at it hydraulics didnt work. We both determined it was out of hydraulic oil. He got it home and found that the pump inners are missing....End result, a rebuilt a re-built pump will be here on Friday for him to pick-up...no cost to the customer.


And yes if you are accusing me of being dishonest tell me when and where!

And yes you didnt have to name names...you basicly accused every dealer in the northern Metro detroit area. And every one of these guys are my friends.

Give me names of unhappy customers so any of us can call them and see what we can do to help them.

Whatinthell is going on here?

Sounds like a old fashion duel challenge. May the best man win !! Tickets, anybody need Tickets !!! Front row seats available. CALM DOWN !!!! Settle this and both be fair and straight with each other.

(quoted from post at 04:45:46 12/23/08) Do you have it in an email or other writing that the loader just needs to be remounted? This implies that it is complete. Anyone with you to witness the promise of him finding the pieces?

Keep on him and maybe start threatening small claims.

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It was advertised as "loader just needs to be remounted". His father was there helping find the pieces - which weren't found - but his father even offered to drive them to my friend's farm about 45 minutes away once they were found and my friend - whom I see once a week or so - would bring them the rest of the way to me.

Thanks for your adivce, and everyone else's on the board. I mailed a packet with all of the correspondence back and forth, a copy of the original ad, and a polite letter asking him to either find the parts, provide replacement parts or ones close that I could modify to fit at my expense, or provide a partial refund. Once he signed for that letter he offered me a $300 refund and not wanting to beat anyone up over this told him to send me $200 and we would call it good. I have deposited the check and am hoping to work with him again. I don't think he was scamming me, just real busy trying to keep a one-man shop going and let customer service slide this time. I hope to get better service next time - and I won't prepay in advance for ANYTHING