Policy for buying and selling on this forum

[PJS]

Guys,

Need some advice. I recently sold a bow on this forum and the transaction was flawless. They buyer and I negotiated a price and a deal struck. I lived up to my part of the deal and sent the bow registered and insured with Australia Post. The parcel was picked up late on Thursday afternoon from the buyers local post office. Now here comes the part where I am seeking some guidance and instruction. At 615pm on Sunday night the buyer rang me and told me the bow is flawed. He has used the bow and it apparently has stress fractures in the limbs and the bottom limb (its a take down Predator recurve) is warped. I last utilised this bow approx two weeks prior to the sale and only decided to sell it because of an injury which prevents me shooting it. Whilst I am more interested in shooting bows than studying them, I am positive I would have seen a warped limb. I can also vouch the bow has never been mistreated or neglected in anyway. As for stress fractures I can honestly say I have never looked and probably would not have noticed them unless they were pointed out or of course they are major.
The buyer is asking for his money back and even wanted me to pay for the return postage. I said I would give him a refund but not cover the return postage. I have been thinking however, how do I know he has not damaged the bow himself and what are my obligations in this regard. I am prepared to give a refund but I am just a little mystified why it has taken three days to let me know the bow has problems. I have sold two other bows on this forum and never had this before which is why I am seeking some advice. Thanks.

[ron300wm]

Have you got sum pics of the bow we can study .?

[PJS]

No not close up pics. Only hunting pics and the like which would show nothing. The buyer said he will send me down some pictures via email so I will post them when I get them. My problem is how do I know he has not dried fired it or heaven knows what else in the three days he has had to use it. In his defence however, he does not sound like a ratbag and seems quite genuine on the phone but gee if the bow had these problems I would have thought you would pick it up very quickly and why did I not pick it up. I do remember both limbs did not sit exactly flush with the riser and this was when I first purchased it.....there was a very slight overhang but it shot well so I didn't give it any thought. Truth be known I succesfully hunted with it and shot my highest ABA 3D score off the red markers with it.

[PJS]

I have had time to think about and to keep the peace and do the right thing I will indeed refund the money. Buying and selling all depends upon trust and I do not want to get anybody off side because of it. I have also found out Predator have a two year warranty on their bows and as I only purchased this bow 19 months ago, I am sure they will provide me with a new set of limbs if in fact there are stress fractures in the originals (well at least I hope so). Might even be able to get a lighter pair so I can shoot the damn thing again. Its a pity shoulders dont come with a life time warranty.

[ron300wm]

Sounds like a good plan good luck

[Outbackdad]

Sorry to hear the sale did not go as planned.

Ozbow runs Trade Blanket as a free service to its members, and sales are between members and are done at your own risk. We hope all transactions go well but as we all know not everything works that way and hope everything can be worked out.

Eddie

[Ian Turner]

Hi,
This and other scenarios have often plagued my mind when buying and selling on this and other forums.
I always register and insure anything i send however for those that dont and the item goes astray then the question arises as to who bears the loss?
In my opinion the seller is responsible for the item untill it reaches the address at which the buyer has asked for it to be sent to.
The buyer has done his part by ensuring the seller gets the funds.
If the seller does not want to insure and register the item in question then it should be understood that they bear the loss.
Does anyone have a differing viewpoint?
Cheers
Ian

[bigbob]

Ian what you have stated is policy under most online sales sites The seller is expected to insure their item, and if not and it goes astray they are responsible for restitution to the buyer.

[PJS]

Registering and insuring the parcel is not the issue here. I did all of those things and would not send a bow any other way. Unfortunately my trust of people is not real high after being burned some years back. When the bow is in the buyers hands you have no control or in fact have no concept of what they in fact do with that bow which is my question. Especially over a three day period and as my buyer said he has shot the bow. He is posting some pics down of the stress fractures and I will post these for opinions when I receive them. Thanks.

[bigbob]

I know what you are referring to, pjs It is indeed hard to analyse whether the buyer is being completely forthright concerning self inflicted damage or if there was a problem that you were unaware of. Perhaps the photos might give us some insight into what eventuated, but again maybe not.It can be that hard.

[greybeard]

Registering and insuring the parcel is not the issue here..........

Do you believe that the bow was sufficiently packaged to avoid damage in transit?

Daryl.

[PJS]

Daryl that is also a big issue. The bow was in a soft case lined with foam and each piece ie. riser and limbs have their own cut out section. I then boxed the case in cardboard. I could do no better and in fact it was more secure than some of the bows I have myself purchased from dealers and sent in the mail however, I work as a parcel contractor for Aussie post and I see firsthand how parcels arrive and are dealt with. So yes perhaps something heavy has been tossed on top of the bow but this would have at least damaged the cardboard. Anyway, we will see when the bow arrives back.

[stickshooter]

It is an unfortunate situation,I sell trad gear through my online archery shop & do come across it every now & again,ask that the bow to be sent back in the packaging it was sent in then you will see if there has been any transit damage.But the reality is unless you can see problems from mishandling of the bow by the user E.G.scrape marks on the limbs or stringer marks from having the stringer wrapped around the limbs when stringing,it is easier all round to give the refund.
Predator Bows as you say will warranty the limbs for 2 years "against manufacturing defects"
Good luck it's always disappointing for all involved.

[matt61]

Maybe take plenty of photos before posting a bow from now on guys.
Is easy to bend a recurves limbs during the stringing process
if not done right.
Matt

[Kendaric]

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[PJS]

Thank you for all the replies. As you can see selling and buying can be a trap when done online but in this case the fault is entirely mine. The bow in question is faultywith both limbs being out of alignment. This is a manufacturing fault and I failed to pick it up which kind of makes me feel really stupid. I did wonder why it shot off to the right but I just compensated for that. I did use the bow a bit and actually scored goats and rabbits with it (how I have no idea). Because of this misalignment the limbs pads were starting to develop stress fractures which again I did not pick up. Fortunately the buyer ( a very understanding and easy guy to get along with) and I have come to an arrangement and the bow has been sent back to the dealer as it is still under warranty. Once again thank you all for your input on this matter.