Broken item purchased at the Creek, what to do?

[Jim Matthews]

In August I purchased a complete Columbian "parrot" vise from Andy Maldoror of Savannah, GA here at the creek.


I agreed to his asking price of $125 for the complete vise, with shipping.
It finally arrived, September 21st as my birthday present - to me.

It was well packed in newsprint, but the base was broken (http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp225/Anji12305/Broken%20base/).
It was not insured.

Repeated requests for compensation or a replacement base (which the seller claims to have) have been fruitless.
It's nearly Halloween, I don't think the seller is going to come through at this point.

This bears mentioning as it is the ONLY unsatisfactory trade or purchase I have made at the Creek.

Any suggestions on how to fix or replace this cast iron base?
I need the vise for a couple tricky holds that I can't manage on my bench.

jim
wpt, ma

[Paul McGaha]

Hi Jim,

I would think it is the responsibility of the seller (Creeker Andy Maldoror) to make this right, and it should have been done immedieatly.

In the case that he wont come through, and unfortunatley it dosent sound like he's going to, I suppose if I were you I would take steps to fix it or replace it myself.

Sorry I have no idea how to repair the vise.

I have either bought or sold items from creekers maybe 10 times. Always a pleasure. Never an issue. The only thing I regret is I didnt take the time to clean the glue off the bar clamps that I sold to you. I really should have.

PHM

[Stephen Cherry]

In August I purchased a complete Columbian "parrot" vise from Andy Maldoror of Savannah, GA here at the creek.


I agreed to his asking price of $125 for the complete vise, with shipping.
It finally arrived, September 21st as my birthday present - to me.

It was well packed in newsprint, but the base was broken (http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp225/Anji12305/Broken base/).
It was not insured.



Well packed in what!! Newspaper is not going to do it, and the world is so full of used pieces of styrofoam packing. Anyone who has bought anything in the last 30 years knows that it needs to be wrapped up with styrofoam. And why would it take until the 21st of September?

And he has another base? Come on.

[johnny means]

Honestly, there is nothing you can do. If the seller doesn't want to make it right, you have no practical course of action. Unfortunately, buying things in this type of forum sacrifices guarantees for savings.

[phil harold]

Wood you be able to convert use this base for your Colombian?
http://www.toolking.com/shop-fox-d3125-parrot-vise/

[Jerry Bruette]

I don't think I'd bother with fixing the broken base. I'd make a new one.

If the post on the base is of nominal dimension for a few dollars you could buy a piece of round stock or pipe and have it welded to a square or triangular piece of half inch plate and have a base that will never break.

Jerry

[Randy Dutkiewicz]

Jim,

Just throwing this out there, since I really know nothing about metal (repairing), but what about getting someone to weld it back together? I'm just thinking that since it's a "base" it may hold very well with a new weld??? Just my .02 cents.
Randy

[Jordan Lane]

machine shop can braze that back together...l

[Greg Peterson]

You might check with a machine shop to see what they would charge to mill one for you. Or check with your local community college to see if they have a machine shop and if they could make one for you. Or maybe someone here on the creek can mill one for you.

[Mike Heidrick]

Have a highschool near by with a Workforce/Trades curriculum? Many times they have welding students that would like a CI challenge on a small part. Would be worth a phone call. That or a trip to a machine shop. Also any long time farmers or their hands might be able to help you. Just some ideas.

[scott spencer]

Jim - What method of payment did you use? I'm wondering if you have any buyer's protection through something like PayPal.

[Harry Hagan]

I learned enough in my Introduction to Welding class last winter to know that you’d better have a professional welder do the repair. Welding cast iron requires additional welding skills to avoid ruining the piece.

[Aaron Berk]

A courteous knock on the door from a fellow creeker might help :)
I'm also in Savannah, as are another dozen members.

Honorable men are getting harder and harder to find these days, sometimes they just need reminded that people do notice when they act in a less than honorable way.

[Jim Matthews]

The clamps are awesome, thank you very much.
They're cleaner than the others I have in my stash - and have performed admirably.

I pay by check, as I don't see any sense in giving PayPal more money.


I suppose a Shop fox base would fit, if the pipe OD is 1 1/2 inches.

The local welder won't work with cast iron, it's a pain to handle.
He will gladly fabricate a replacement at his minimum bench charge of $65 for an hour, plus materials.



I wouldn't treat a fellow enthusiast this way, nor would the vast majority of y'all. While I don't think swamp justice is called for it is worthwhile to let other Creekers know when a deal like this falls through.



jim
wpt, ma

[johnny means]

I pay by check, as I don't see any sense in giving PayPal more money.





I've had Paypal reach into my bank account and take 15K back for a customer who filed a complaint. In the end it turned out to be unsubstantiated nonsense, but Paypal was very willing and able to protect the customer. I definitely see the sense in that.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Normally I will stay away from threads like this but I think there are a couple things being overlooked.

1. People should discuss at the point of sale......will the item be insured....and whether this would be included in or added to shipping costs. A few years ago, the idiot turners here gifted me with a lathe. A couple years later I passed it on to another turner. I insured it when I shipped it. It was a good thing as the shipper destroyed it.....and once I produced receipts they reimbursed me for the cost and the new turner got a brand new lathe.

2. Packaging of items. The lathe I talked about in the previous paragraph....It was screwed to wood and then placed inside a double walled cardboard box, lined with plywood screwed together. It still got destroyed. Recently I shipped the collaboration box to anther Creeker and a tool rest to another Creeker. I invite either one to testify to my shipping crates. It adds cost to shipping but can save a tool or item but even good packaging is no guarrantee as in the case of the mini-lathe I described.

[David Kumm]

When buying used stuff happens. Best to learn and move on. I've learned to spend as much time discussing the packaging as the machine. I even ask if the seller has packaged and shipped a lot of things, whether he is doing it himself or going to the UPS store etc. I ask the freight company for different quotes depending on how packaged. The price goes down with more protection around the unit. I've also learned that the better the deal, the more likely the seller is inexperienced in not only how to price stuff but how to handle it. Dave

[Bob Reda]

Fedex and ups automactically insure up to $100 The post office doesn't. So if it came by either of the carriers that do insure someone got $100.

Bob

[brian wight]

Why not just try JB welding it and see if it holds up? It certainly won't be as strong as a solid cast piece, but you might not need it to be that strong.

[phil harold]

If you do decide to weld the cast iron the trick is to get the casting up to 400+ degrees before welding
Put the part in your oven heat to 450 or more for an hour, quickly weld it, and return to the oven let it slowly cool down
I have had good luck with this method, when fixing farm implement parts.

[Bruce Wrenn]

First, I don't think seller's name should have been listed in post, Moderators should have removed it IMMEDIATELY! If goods left seller in good shape, and arrived broken, then this isn't seller's fault. As for newspaper packing, it depends upon how much and how it was placed. Was outside package broken upon arrival? When was package actually shipped? Has it been in transit since back in August? If so, then your beef is with transit hauler.

[Matt Meiser]

Well, it would be if insurance was purchased but it wasn't apparently. Not sure of the agreement with the seller but unless it was explicitly declined I'd think it's reasonable to expect it or self-insurance on the shipper's part.

Jim, it looks like there is just a round post, sticking up from the base. Any reason that the base has to have three legs? Could it be a square plate? What is the OD of the post?

[Jim Foster]

You should be able to braze it if it's cast iron.

[Kevin Presutti]

Find someone that welds Cast Iron, it's not that big of a deal. I have welded cast iron many, many times with almost no issues at all. A vise base is a walk in the park if the knows how to weld. Try the insurance route first but doubtful you'll get anywhere since so much time has passed. Look in the yellow pages for a welder and if he has an ad then see how many things he is capable of doing. Mig welding two pieces of plate do not many you a welder. You need more than a 1 Trick Pony. Be sure to have him heat both pieces before he welds them, to at least 400 degrees, if he has temperature sticks to see if it is warm enough (just turning red) he knows what he is doing, he should also use nickel (high content) rod. The base will break somewhere else before the weld will. :)

Good Luck!

[Bob Wingard]

I was going to mention the insurance minimum with UPS/FEDEX but the claim and it's subsequent settlement must be made by/to the one who shipped the item. If the seller is the least bit underhanded (and I'm not implying that such is the case) he could claim the damages ... have the carrier inspect the item at the recipient's home ... and then pocket the $100.

I'm not real big on disclosure of the seller, but, now that it HAS happened, we haven't heard from him on this matter, have we ???

[keith micinski]

Even if a real name was used I would have no problem with that. There were two parties involved in the transaction and one of them is stating they were wronged. The other person has the right to respond with his side of the story accordingly. There was nothing malicious about the OP post he was just giving all of the facts, plus I would want to know if someone here is involved in a bad transaction so I could stay away from dealing with them. Also, I am baffled how anyone could say a seller is not responsible for an item that was paid for in full, in a timely fashion showing up broken and unusable. Incredulous is my reaction to that response I guess.

[Mike Heidrick]

He has a name he wrote on the check and an address where he sent it correct?

[Stephen Cherry]

He has a name he wrote on the check and an address where he sent it correct?

Maybe, and this is just an idea, the name has some signicance so that a check to an alias could be cashed.

http://www.manta.com/g/mms9scp/andrew-johnson

It seems to me that if you are buying something from someone who represents themself with a name, it would be reasonalbe to expect that the name that you are given is a real name in case there is a problem with the sale. I don't know what you would call selling something on the internet using a name that may be fake.

[Jim Shockey]

It was said that the seller has a new base so I would think that it was sold with the base already broken. I'm glade the sellers name was given so maybe he does not stick it to someone else. Jim

[John Keeton]

Folks, the OP stated what he felt to be the salient facts regarding this transaction, and the seller certainly has the ability to respond with any pertinent information. Please do not speculate anything beyond what has been provided by the seller. Insinuating anything further regarding the identity of the seller, or to cast dispersions beyond the OP's original statements is not warranted and should not be done.

There have been some good suggestions about how to repair the piece, and it would seem this thread has served the purpose of the OP - to identify the potential problems with the transaction, and to seek information regarding repairs. Unless the seller desires to post, or someone has other helpful information on repairing the piece, I do not see the need for further posting.

Thanks!

[Jim Matthews]

FYI - I ran this by the moderators, first.

Is it bad form to call someone out like this? Perhaps.
Is it less than honest to sell something as complete? Maybe.

Is it careless to send something without insurance to pocket the $1.25? Definitely.

Should anyone buy from Andy Maldoror off the creek? At the buyer's discretion.

[brian c miller]

FYI - I ran this by the moderators, first.

Is it bad form to call someone out like this? Perhaps.
Is it less than honest to sell something as complete? Maybe.

Is it careless to send something without insurance to pocket the $1.25? Definitely.

Should anyone buy from Andy Maldoror off the creek? At the buyer's discretion.


I normally wouldn't get into this but you clearly stated that you had agreed to the terms. You didn't request insurance or sepc out the packing for what I can read in the 1st post. You said it was well packaged.

If it left the seller in good shape it's the carrier fault, file a claim and move on...

[Dave Bonde]

Jim, I can weld that for you, people here at the Creek have been very generous and helpful to me, maybe I can help a fellow creeker in return. If I can help send me a PM. Dave

[Paul McGaha]

To me, and this is just my $.02, both the buyer and the seller have responsibilites in a used tool transaction on a forum like this.

It's the buyers resposibilty to get payment to the seller and the sellers responsibility to get the item packed and shipped at the agreed upon ship date.

I have made about 10 transactions with creekers to date and no problems at all on either end. When buying things from others I think every single creeker I've bought something from cared that I was happy with the product and that it got to me in ok condition. Same for me on the couple of occasions when I've sold something.

I'm really not trying to tell others what they should do, but I do think there are responsbilites on both parties and the above works for me and the creekers I've dealt with.

PHM

[Kevin W Johnson]

I normally wouldn't get into this but you clearly stated that you had agreed to the terms. You didn't request insurance or sepc out the packing for what I can read in the 1st post. You said it was well packaged.

If it left the seller in good shape it's the carrier fault, file a claim and move on...

Well packed in newsprint, doesn't mean it was sufficiently packed to protect from damage. Heavier items require better packaging.

To the OP: Personally, a piece of 3/8" plate steel, the proper size piece of steel tubing, and a little cutting, drilling, and welding will produce a base that far exceeds the original in terms of strength.

[Jerome Hanby]

FWIW, I've purchased a few things from 'creekers and the common thing that struck me is that all the items were excessively well packed. Could probably have survived being dropped off the truck on the Interstate! Must be some application of the golden rule, ship from as you would be shipped to...

[Joe Angrisani]

Well packed in newsprint, doesn't mean it was sufficiently packed to protect from damage. Heavier items require better packaging.....

If this is the case, insurance is moot. Any claim (UPS, USPS, FedEx) would be denied when the packing was examined.