Well I never thought I'd be asking for help about ebay. I buy and sell lots on there, (my rating is 378). I've had a few things that didn't work out but can usually sort things out. I'm stumped this time though, any advice would be welcome.

I bought a cylinder head for my car on ebay, it was listed as brand new and I got it for a bargain £127. It arrived 4 days later but was cracked! There was a crack on the top, front right corner where the thermostat housing bolts on - right over the bolt hole. I requested contact details from ebay and called the seller straight away. He said it was perfect when it left him :rolleyes: It was well packed, wrapped in bubble wrap and cardboard which was undamaged. The seller refused to even take it up with the courier company, which makes me think it was damaged before it left.

Anyway, he was offering no help or come back whatsoever so I pursued the matter through paypal. Now I've put a claim into paypal before, it was upheld but they were unable to recover any money from the seller who had done a bunk, so I know that the paypal buyer protection isn't worth the paper it's written on. Anyway, I put a claim in, and eventually recieved an email saying I am eligible for a refund, IF they can recover the funds but I have to send the head back. I wasn't keen to do that, as I needed it, it will cost around £250 to buy another, where the crack is it's possible to cold weld it and it should hold. If I sent it back I just know I'll have lost the money completely.

I was pleased therefore to get an email from the seller saying that if I retracted my negative feedback on ebay he would refund me half the purchase price and I can keep the head and try it. I retracted my feedback, got the head fixed and it's in the car and so far is working. BUT I haven't had a refund :(  The guy is obviously a complete chancer! I've notified paypal but suspect they won't do anything as I'm not returning the item.

Any ideas? At the end if the day I don't mind not getting a refund if the head works, but it is quite a big if - you shouldn't use a head that has any sort of defect, and certainly not a major one like this. It may last 5 miles or 50,000 miles and of course there is the possibility of damage done elsewhere in the engine should it leak and overheat. I'm just annoyed at having retracted my negative feedback and being made a fool off :rolleyes:

Apparently no chance, it wont even work!
Is this something you chase through the small claims court? As it is not fair at all.
Karen :rolleyes:

I don't reckon there's much you can do about the ebay thing except maybe put it down to experience ! :rolleyes:

BUT... from what you say about the location of the crack in the cylinder head, being on the top it will be well away from the cylinder head gasket where all the high compression pressures are and therefore hopefully you should (assuming the head is otherwise ok) have no cylinder head gasket issues ! :)

Of course being over the bolt hole on the thermostat housing may cause it's own problems in getting a proper seal for the thermostat gasket but if it's properly cold welded and the mating surfaces properly machined and prepared I reckon that ( as you seem to be saying ) it will be alright ! :)

Sooo ........ despite all the problems you have come up against you may  still have walked away with a bargain !