Marketplace dispute - please chime in

You can cut it with the insults. I know how a wheel comes out, and that the airbag has to come too having done it on other cars. However on some cars the airbag is then semi-integrated into the molding of the horn button, which is why I could see a grey area since not everyone knows the intricacies of every specific model. Not everyone who has a different take on things deserves an insult to boot.

 

Being ignorant for not doing your research is not an insult. What's the flip side? Not buying a "bare" steering wheel because you weren't aware the airbag is to be salvaged and you can't find a "complete" steering wheel on the marketplace or anywhere else if you're looking to upgrade.

 

If your post for sale did not state that the steering wheel would be stripped to the bone, I believe that the buyer is entitled to some form of compensation, whether it be a refund for the item or an amount in cash. From what I've experienced (mostly Ebay and other online sellers of used merchandise), the listing almost always states exactly what you get. A listing would state for example: "head unit only" or "wheels only, does not include tires" or "wires not included" or any other variation to let the potential buyer know exactly what they are looking at when deciding to make a purchase so that there is as little confusion as possible. Not only is this beneficial to the buyer, it lessens the possibility of liability for false advertisement on the seller's end.

 

Ladies and gentleman, as my good friend Jim would say, "we have a noob."

 

A noob or an unreasonable buyer depending on how the OP approached the situation. If the OP kindly explained (and included a link to the DIY thread) that the airbag must be salvaged in order to remove the old one and the buyer isn't learning from that (despite the OP's mistake) then he's being unreasonable.

I've learned (especially from my time as president of HOA at my former place) that you can't reason with unreasonable people.

Again, the steering wheel is not an all-in-one unit complete with airbag that can be transferred as whole (as the buyer wanted). Given that no such thing exists for the Prius, the correct thing to do would be to use ebay/paypal's approach in the event of a dispute. The buyer pays for his own shipping back to the seller and the seller refunds everything including the original shipping. $16 is a small price to pay for the OP's mistake.

 

No excuses. What the seller should have posted as "for sale" :

 

You'd get in trouble like the OP if you tried to sell that too, because that's a photo of the JDM piano black steering wheel, not the OEM leather steering wheel

Speaking of which, the OEM leather steering wheel has a MSRP of $756.81. The right and left switch panel trims are like $200 EACH. The air bag unit (along with integrated center cover) is who knows how much? Just putting things in perspective as the buyer thought he was getting it all for $165.

This is a PriusChat marketplace where members tend to know who we are, research well, and buy things from each other without paying too much in fees, yet sellers still need to protect themselves from ignorant buyers with unreasonable expectations who think it's a garage sale or a junk yard.

 

Sarir97 is a stand up seller in my opinion. Purchased tail lights for a cheap price, packaged expertly and described accurately. Great communication through out. I highly rate this member.


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I did a full read including the linked page.
I think that offering a refund in this case is appropriate, and since the shipping price was quoted in the sale price, I'd probably offer it in the refund as well.
I personally think that the buyer is being a jerk if you offered a refund and he opened a PP dispute anyway.
I'm not familiar with the dispute/arbitration with PP, but the evil Chief inside me would rescind the refund offer and let the dispute process go where it will.
Of course the Christian thing to do would be to still offer a refund and hope that the buyer settles for what seems fair to me.

Next time you sell something you will have learned a few lessons.

Good Luck!!!

 

The fact remains if he was selling the skeleton alone, he had to have disassembled the wheel, and should have photographed the skeleton for the purpose of selling it. Caveat emptor and case closed.

 

It's too bad this misunderstanding developed.

Since the original thread and original ad has been deleted I can't really judge who is more at fault here, buyer or seller. I'd of liked to of read the original description.

I think there is some mutual responsibility to be taken by both parties. The Seller if using an all encompassing picture, needs to be sure to be illuminating EXACTLY what is being sold. For $165 I wouldn't be expecting the entire Steering Wheel assembly including air-bag but I suppose a buyer COULD make that mistaken conclusion if the description was limited to "Steering Wheel" and only that picture was used. Just a few circles on the picture, or a paragraph describing exactly what was being offered would of headed off this problem.

In any case, I'd hope nobody's reputation is damaged here. Reading both threads I don't sense there was any purposeful fraud or misrepresentation involved. Just perhaps a limited description and a misunderstanding. I'd hope the buyer and seller can reach a compromise in resolution.

Such are the dangers and potential pitfalls of casual personal internet commerce.

 

There is a silver lining; you have learned a valuable lesson.

 

On the other hand, many of us following this thread have lost the will to live...

 

Buyers remorse?

 

Perhaps he wanted the wheel, but figured he could get it for effectively free (and earn some money) by selling the airbag. Or maybe he just really wanted to sell the airbag, and was hoping you were clueless enough to throw it in. If that turned out not to be the case, he could just claim that you false-advertised and get all his money back. Not a bad gamble given how much replacement airbags can sell for.

This is all assuming he didn't need the airbag himself.

 

How exactly did you approach the buyer to resolve this? Did you take the time to educate him in what's needed on swapping it out and included a link to the DIY thread, and do that in a respectful manner (so as not to drive him away)? If so, I'd have to agree with DtEW that it's probably some mischievous intent on the buyer's part.

 

So when buying a steering wheel , I shouldn't expect the car to be attached .?

 

Really depends on the photo and fine print.