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Crooked eBay Seller

tylerite3124

Platinum Level Sponsor
The listing below is for a gas tank that I actually purchased but had to return to the Seller because he lied about the condition of the tank. He describes the tank with "has no leaks!" the tank is full of pinholes and leaks like a sieve. The tank shop I took it to for cleaning & sealing described it as scrap. He has refused to refund my money even though he has received the tank back from me and has already relisted it on eBay. I have had to open a case with PayPal to try and get my money back.

There should be a section on the FORUM for members to report sellers who are not honest. My experience has been that 98% of Sunbeam sellers are great to deal with. But we should have a special place to report sellers who are not on the up and up.

Rick

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sunbeam-Al...AOSwm2pdtyV2:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!75071!US!-1
 

Tom H

Platinum Level Sponsor
Rick,

I see the photos in the listing. Is that not a 3 inch rust out hole on the end where the filler tube is? Have you contacted e-bay about this issue?
 

puff4

Platinum Level Sponsor
Rick,

I see the photos in the listing. Is that not a 3 inch rust out hole on the end where the filler tube is? Have you contacted e-bay about this issue?

Tom, I think that’s just a bit of oil or remaining paint?
 

tylerite3124

Platinum Level Sponsor
Rick,

I see the photos in the listing. Is that not a 3 inch rust out hole on the end where the filler tube is? Have you contacted e-bay about this issue?

Hi Tom. ebay only gets involved if you discover a problem within 30 days. Unfortunately, I was past the 30 day mark when the tank was diagnosed as trash. I still have a case open with PayPal who will look at the issues and perhaps make a decision in my favor.

Rick
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
Rick are the photos hes using the ones after you had inspected or the ones from the original listing?
 

Series6

Past President
Gold Level Sponsor
I disagree. I filed a complaint with eBay a few years back and they not only did nothing, but 6 months later they cleared the negative rating I posted on the seller but left his negative on me.

The seller was a regular.
 

Bill Blue

Platinum Level Sponsor
I agree that advertising a tank with pin holes as "no leaks" is cause for complaint and reimbursement. I don't understand why a professional shop would declare such a tank "junk". A good sealer will take care of pin holes, no problem.

Bill
 

65beam

Donation Time
I had a similar problem with the tank that came with the Harrington when it left Ian's. The tank had been dipped and sealed by the dipper in Cincinnati but after going unused for a few years Doug decided to dip it again. It had developed many pin holes. Doug cut out sections of the tank and welded in new metal including repairs of the flange where the two sections are joined. Tested and then resealed by the same shop in Cinci. No leaks! Moral of the story is that "Anything can be fixed".
 

tylerite3124

Platinum Level Sponsor
I agree that advertising a tank with pin holes as "no leaks" is cause for complaint and reimbursement. I don't understand why a professional shop would declare such a tank "junk". A good sealer will take care of pin holes, no problem.

Bill

Hi Bill.

The shop I use has 5 stars and 25 years of cleaning, repairing and sealing gas tanks of every make and model. Many car restoration shops use his facility. The baffle inside the tank makes it harder, but not impossible, to know if the entire inside of the tank has been properly sealed. Also, the stage of the rust inside the tank, once removed, would make the bottom of the tank paper thin and vulnerable to puncture from stones, rocks or road debris. He said they could repair it, but the process would be cost prohibitive. Regardless, my whole point in the original post was to warn SAOCA members to be careful when dealing with this eBay seller. He is not reputable. He described the tank as having no leaks. He lied. He has refused to refund my money. Enough said.

Rick
 

tony perrett

Gold Level Sponsor
It seems that in any dispute with eBay they invariably take the side of the seller because that is where their profit lies.
 

65beam

Donation Time
Hi Bill.

The shop I use has 5 stars and 25 years of cleaning, repairing and sealing gas tanks of every make and model. Many car restoration shops use his facility. The baffle inside the tank makes it harder, but not impossible, to know if the entire inside of the tank has been properly sealed. Also, the stage of the rust inside the tank, once removed, would make the bottom of the tank paper thin and vulnerable to puncture from stones, rocks or road debris. He said they could repair it, but the process would be cost prohibitive. Regardless, my whole point in the original post was to warn SAOCA members to be careful when dealing with this eBay seller. He is not reputable. He described the tank as having no leaks. He lied. He has refused to refund my money. Enough said.

Rick
What was the cost estimate from this shop for repair of the tank? My reason for asking is that the dipping/cleaning and coating cost was $75.00 with roughly another $200.00 for repairs. I did pick it up at the shop in Cincinnati and took back to Dayton for repairs and then back to Cincinnati for coating but coating was included in dipping cost.
 

jumpinjan

Bronze Level Sponsor
It had developed many pin holes. Doug cut out sections of the tank and welded in new metal including repairs of the flange where the two sections are joined.
The early fuel tanks suffer from water being trapped in the mounting ring & tank walls. My series I tank had the pinholes too and a local radiator shop soldered a brass strip around the waist of the tank right about the mounting flange
Jan
(It might be a good idea to provide some small drain holes to let any water drain out)
 

tylerite3124

Platinum Level Sponsor
What was the cost estimate from this shop for repair of the tank? My reason for asking is that the dipping/cleaning and coating cost was $75.00 with roughly another $200.00 for repairs. I did pick it up at the shop in Cincinnati and took back to Dayton for repairs and then back to Cincinnati for coating but coating was included in dipping cost.

The dipping/cleaning process was $90 and the sealing process was another $75 using the recommended amount of high quality sealer for a 12 gallon tank. The quote for repairing all the pinholes using silver solder was $250. All this was conditional on the fact that there was enough steel skin left on the bottom of the tank to facilitate the repairs, for a total of $415. If the bottom skin was too thin to make the solder repairs feasible, then cutting, shaping and welding a new bottom onto the tank would cost more. So, considering the original cost of the tank plus repairs it would have come to a minimum of almost $600 to do this tank. I have purchased complete early Alpines for less.

Rick
 

65beam

Donation Time
The dipping/cleaning process was $90 and the sealing process was another $75 using the recommended amount of high quality sealer for a 12 gallon tank. The quote for repairing all the pinholes using silver solder was $250. All this was conditional on the fact that there was enough steel skin left on the bottom of the tank to facilitate the repairs, for a total of $415. If the bottom skin was too thin to make the solder repairs feasible, then cutting, shaping and welding a new bottom onto the tank would cost more. So, considering the original cost of the tank plus repairs it would have come to a minimum of almost $600 to do this tank. I have purchased complete early Alpines for less.

Rick
You're right about that being a lot of cash for the repair of a gas tank but the prevalent problem now is the cost of getting work done for a reasonable cost. The labor cost at the dealer that does service work and other repairs on our other cars is $90.00 per hour. I have a van with the typical conversion of the late 70's / early 80's that I've owned for 30 years. It's in the body shop for a complete repaint with no rust or body damage to deal with. The shop told me the midnight blue metallic paint may cost over $700.00 per gal. .Jean and I travel around the east coast to several shows during the year and I talk to many and it's hard to grasp the amount of cash spent to restore a car. The problem is that it's not going to get any better and it's getting harder for the average person to own and upgrade their car. I know of several shops here in Ohio that will tell you that if you have to ask how much then you can't afford them. Where will it end? When I can I'll dig out some old Rootes price sheets to see what the tank cost new.
 

alpine_64

Donation Time
The advantage of the series I/II is they have a drop tank.... Its an easy ( and safer) option on the early cars to pit in a fuel cell.

On my SII i have a custom stainless steel tank to original size. In the SI race car a fuel cell
 

DanR

Diamond Level Sponsor
Joel, As usual, a neat looking set up! What is the year and model Mustang? Any more PICs ?
 

Warren

Bronze Level Sponsor
Wow this has become more interesting than a crooked seller on ePay I hope that they didn't ding you for sales tax as done in 28 other states. Something wrong about charging sales tax on a used or in this case crappy item. I paid sales tax on a used part bought on eBay UK.
I like the Mustang Falcon tank idea but as long as you go to that trouble put the filler neck in a non Pinto like location. But those tanks are inexpensive as I put one in the 64 Falcon conv.in the driveway like 135.00 shipped with fuel sender.
 
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