Buyer claims new Radar Detector connector "caught on fire"; filed return request

[boston_music_collectables_etc]

 A few days ago I sold a: Hard-wire power adaptor for a Valentine One radar detector. (This is a little electrical gizmo so that instead of plugging a radar detector into the cig. lighter outlet, your detector is always wired in to the car elec. system. This one was new in the package from the Valentine One company, as I got it with my Valentine One detector).

The buyer received the item on 2/5 at 3:29 pm. On 2/7 at 6:30 pm I got this message:

"Hello, I purchased this wire to install my radar detector and after professional installation it short circuited and caused an electrical fire damaging my radar detector. Had I not been alert my car could have caught on fire. I am extremely unhappy about this product. Please rectify this situation."

It's amazing that he got "professional installation" that quickly; altho possible I guess. And that the "electrical fire" damaged the radar detector--the power adaptor would have gone under the dash, & the detector on top of the dashboard, or on the windshield.

Does anyone else find this all preposterous? If it even happened, it could have been the fault of the installer. I was thinking of asking him to supply photos of the "fire-damaged" power adaptor, but he could just send a pic of some electrical gizmo that cought on fire. And maybe a statement from the "professional installer".

Is there any point of fighting this? Should I just refund--probably what he's hoping? Pay for the return of--whatever he sends back? It was $30 with shipping.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273040909676?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649

[tellmemama]

I call lunchmeat.  Frankly I don't see someone who owns a car "valued at $180,000" installing an aftermarket radar detector, much less using a cheap wire to hook it up (no offense).  He's certainly aggressive and it does have the ring of feedback extortion but it all depends on what he means by you doing the right thing?  I'm not clear on whether he wants you to approve the return or just issue a refund and he keeps the near death experience causing doohickey.   Knowing that will make a difference to the posters here and customer service.

The lengths some buyers will go to when they want to return a "no returns" item...

[southern*sweet*tea]

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wrote:

Apparently the "Send the buyer a message" worked. And my asking for a PDF of the "installer's" receipt, pics of the "fire damage", etc. just enraged the buyer further. (I didn't use those quotation marks in the message). And I got this message from him:

"GOOD MORNING,MY INSTALLER SHOP NAME IS HIGH LINE STYLING IN PEMBROKE PINES FL,AFTER ABOUT TEN MIN OF DRIVING THE RADAR WIRES STARTED TO HEAT UP AND THEN THE RADAR STARTED TO SMOKE I PULLED OVER AND RIPPED OUT THE WIRES BEFORE IT STARTED A FIRE IN MY NISMO GTR,IF U WANT ME TO SUPPLY U WITH YOUR ITEMS IAM GLAD TO DO THAT BUT I WILL WRITE A VERY BAD REVIEW ABOUT YOR SERVICE AND THE PRODUCT THAT U SOLD ME,THING MALFUNCTION ALL THE TIME IT ALMOST COST ME MY CAR WHICH IS VALUED AT 180,000 DOLLARS I DONT HAVE A 25 DOLLAR PRROBLEM,DO THE RIGHT THING LETS NOT GO THAT THE ROAD IT WILL BE A BAD DAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME."

So, all the people here advising me to just accept return of the item--he actually threatened to give me a Neg. if I accepted a return. I refunded, & sent him kind of a groveling apology message.

Anyone who wants to criticize how I handled it, feel free. But I was not about to get into a battle with this lunatic over $30. So far, no Neg. from him, but it's only been a day since the refund.

I suspect this guy does this kind of thing all the time. I've noticed other sellers here talking about more & more scammers (buyers) on ebay. BTW, does anyone think the buyer's message constituted Feedback Extortion?

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Buyers do this because sellers CAVE IN, too worried about getting a neg. Negatives DO NOT affect your seller account in any way, shape or form anymore. Ebay finally realized that feedback is highly subjective and can at times be retaliatory.  You should have stood your ground and had the buyer return for refund if they wanted a refund. Instead you caved. Thanks for throwing fuel on an already raging fire.  (and don't be surprised if he negs you anyway)

[tellmemama]

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wrote:

Apparently the "Send the buyer a message" worked. And my asking for a PDF of the "installer's" receipt, pics of the "fire damage", etc. just enraged the buyer further. (I didn't use those quotation marks in the message). And I got this message from him:

"GOOD MORNING,MY INSTALLER SHOP NAME IS HIGH LINE STYLING IN PEMBROKE PINES FL,AFTER ABOUT TEN MIN OF DRIVING THE RADAR WIRES STARTED TO HEAT UP AND THEN THE RADAR STARTED TO SMOKE I PULLED OVER AND RIPPED OUT THE WIRES BEFORE IT STARTED A FIRE IN MY NISMO GTR,IF U WANT ME TO SUPPLY U WITH YOUR ITEMS IAM GLAD TO DO THAT BUT I WILL WRITE A VERY BAD REVIEW ABOUT YOR SERVICE AND THE PRODUCT THAT U SOLD ME,THING MALFUNCTION ALL THE TIME IT ALMOST COST ME MY CAR WHICH IS VALUED AT 180,000 DOLLARS I DONT HAVE A 25 DOLLAR PRROBLEM,DO THE RIGHT THING LETS NOT GO THAT THE ROAD IT WILL BE A BAD DAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME."

So, all the people here advising me to just accept return of the item--he actually threatened to give me a Neg. if I accepted a return. I refunded, & sent him kind of a groveling apology message.

Anyone who wants to criticize how I handled it, feel free. But I was not about to get into a battle with this lunatic over $30. So far, no Neg. from him, but it's only been a day since the refund.

I suspect this guy does this kind of thing all the time. I've noticed other sellers here talking about more & more scammers (buyers) on ebay. BTW, does anyone think the buyer's message constituted Feedback Extortion?

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I just caught the part I highlighted.  So he bullied you into a refund without a return?  Now he's got another successful notch on his freebie belt.  The only way to stop buyers like this is to quit rolling over and refunding when they start screaming loud enough.  It's the same as a parent who doesn't know how to handle their spoiled brat's temper tantrum.  And soon the kid realizes exactly what behavior works to get the reward.  So the kid will always get the toy/candy/whatever and this lousy buyer is on to the next seller...

Thanks for that.

[chrysylys]

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@boston_music_collectables_etc wrote:

 I refunded, & sent him kind of a groveling apology message.

BTW, does anyone think the buyer's message constituted Feedback Extortion?

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Does it matter now that you've kowtowed to him and given him what he wanted?

[allisomas_5]

If his car is worth $180k why is he buying parts on the cheap from eBay?

[sam9876]

So he can buy gas.

[*eponymous*]

"caught on fire"

How fast was he going?

[itsjustasprain]

And I got this message from him:

"GOOD MORNING,MY INSTALLER SHOP NAME IS

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So now you have the contact info - which is a quick google and i verified it - go ahead and phone them up and see what they know about the buyer and his claim.

You should have kept the messaging short & sweet: sorry that he had problems & please return it for a refund. Repeat until he either returns it or goes away.

His story sounds ridiculous. The power supply probably drops 12 v down to 5 v. If it shorted out then it wouldnt pass any voltage through at all and it would have blown the fuse for the circuit that it was connected to. I doubt that a full 12 v pass through - even if that happened - would provide enough amperage to heat the whole length of cable although it would probably fry the detector if it really happened. Interesting that he does not seem to be wanting a new detector from you? He seems to be able to demand everything else from you and yet no replacement detector? Did he forget to ask you for that?

[richardwillardcollection]

I find it strange that you would be lisble or in any way responsible for a used electrical part. These type of things should be sold as "non working for parts only" and used, use at your own risk. With no returns.

[itsjustasprain]

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I find it strange that you would be lisble or in any way responsible for a used electrical part. These type of things should be sold as "non working for parts only" and used, use at your own risk. With no returns.

He isnt liable. Buyers story is ridiculous. The use at your own risk  is implied. Buyer could file in small claims court for any dumb reason of course - but it would take him a lot of time & expense to win back $30 & maybe court costs or something but its more likely that the judge would tell him to pound sand.

Anyway - he has his free power adapter now so i doubt that anyone will hear from him again on this case.

[sockmonkeydave]

@boston_music_collectables_etc

I have a story about a 1968 Volks Bug, and a fire.

Oh heck, that was the second car I put in a lake.

You gotta know how to do this ellictrical stuff, ouch... Dude them wires are hot...