JDM ebay seller owes me a favor... WHAT SHOULD I GET?!?!?!?!

[harrymaneuvers]

So I purchased my JDM projectors two weeks ago... they arrived from Japan in 5 days!!!!!!! I got them for an incredible price. I paid $95 shipped ($16 + $79 shipping) from one of the MAIN sellers of the JDM projectors on Ebay.

So my issue is... the drivers side corner has a pressure crack in it that looks similar to a braided rope. It is about 4 inches long and noticable from up close as well as from about 15-20 feet away I reviewed the pictures from my listing and sure enough... it wasnt there. And there were very clear and close pictures in the listing of the exact location of the crack.

Anyways, I emailed the seller and he is open to a resolution. He first suggested that i pay for shipping again ($80-$90) and he will send me a "perfect" set for my troubles.

My thing is that I really dont want to spend nearly double my original good buy price just to have the set of lights that I originally paid for.

I am thinking of trying to have him include a set of JDM fog lights in the same box and paying him cost for those (i figured if he sold me a set of headlights for $16... he wouldnt mind selling me a set of fogs for around the same price).

Should I request something special... this guy probably has access to TONS of hard to find JDM parts and now he owes me a favor. Or just ask him to fill my headlight box with small jdm stuff?



Suggestions please!!!

[Reuben]

Having been a seller myself, it's pretty much all down to him, he should either send you another LIGHT for free (as only one is broken right?), or refund you partially or in full. As at the end of the day, he didn't package them well enough, and they broke, his fault. It's happened to me, i refunded, and went after the shipping company, but trying to get money out of them is like trying to get blood out of a stone. Again, it's the sellers job to go after the shipping company for a refund if he wants one, not the buyers job... You quickly learn to box your shit reeeaaaal good.

I say you have a good deal there, like i said, he either needs to send another set, or refund. It's not hard to add a set of fogs on top of that with cheap shipping. But don't expect to not pay for said fogs and their shipping, that wasn't a part of the original deal!

Also, don't be too mean to the guys, and sometimes you may get a cracker of a deal which they won't be able to repeat. I once picked up a set of projectors for $27 all up, other times i picked them up for $100-150.

[harrymaneuvers]

It wasnt a shipping issue... they came COMPLETELY wrapped in about 7 inches of bubble wrap with blocks of styrofoam under the mounting tabs to make sure they didnt break.

The damage was clearly done while the lights were on the JDM car. The damage looks similar to if you were backing out of a tight parking lot space and turned your wheel too hard and rubbed your headlight against the bumper of the car next to you... It is a 5 inch rub/scuff with the braided crack underneath

Bottom line is that his listing said "You will receive the exact same actual item as you see in the pictures. Sold AS-IS. Your satisfaction is my number one priority."

And as soon as I sent him pictures of the lights he sent me... he recognized that they were not the same lights that were pictured in my listing.

His communication is great and he seems willing to do whatever it takes to make a satisfied customer. I will try to go the route of getting some JDM fogs too for a little extra cost... but worst case scenario... I will have an extra set of JDM projectors for sale.

Thanks for the input.

[impreza_GC8]

Shouldn't have to pay for shipping since you got lights that werent in the listing. If he wants to sell you projector fogs for a good deal thats fine, but I wouldn't push it. Ask him to pay for shipping both ways, thats a good enough deal to get the part you wanted anyway.

[harrymaneuvers]

If he sold me the lights for $16 + $79 for shipping... I doubt he is going to want to pay for me to ship back the lights I have now... I think I will try to just have him split shipping for me on the next set.

My response to him was " so I have to pay shipping twice in order to get the lights that were pictured in my listing?"

We will see what he has to say.

I figured this would be the chance for someone who wanted a hard to find JDM part to chime in and ask me to see if he could get it... then buy it off of me for a good deal (seeing as how i will get it for an even better deal)

[impreza_GC8]

You don't think shipping is ACTUALLY $79 for a set of lights do you? All the ebay sellers jack up their shipping prices these days.

[harrymaneuvers]

How much is it from Japan to the US??? Even if it is about $40... I would still be getting a good deal wouldnt I?

I have never tried to ship something back to Japan so I dont know if it would be worth it for him or not.

[Reason]

Did he say they were perfect? You have to understand that they are used...

[harrymaneuvers]

Yea I get that... But when you specifically say that I will get the lights that you pictured in the listing (ebay listing number 190399437714), and there are 12 good sized photos showing the lights from every angle, and they clearly arent the lights I recieved, then I am at the least going to contact him and see why the mistake was made. He has admitted to making the mistake and that the lights I received are not the lights pictured.

The fact that he has a great rating and sells primarily JDM parts just means that chances are this was a simple mistake... which it was.

He is the one who offered to make this right after I notified him of the mistake... I am just looking to use this opportunity to get something cool and/or rare, of if nothing else, a set of headlights like the ones I paid for.

[ouch1011]

I think the only thing you can reasonably expect is a free replacement light that is the same or better condition as the one that was pictured, since the auction pretty clearly said that the pictures provided were of the actual lights you were to receive, and they are clearly not. Either that or a refund if the guy can't get you a good replacement light. Anything else is up to the seller.

[TGX4776]

I don't think he is asking for something rare for free but discounted a bit.

[Reuben]

You don't think shipping is ACTUALLY $79 for a set of lights do you? All the ebay sellers jack up their shipping prices these days.

Shipping a set of lights from NZ certianly costs ALLOT more than $79 USD. It usually cost me around $120-150 for shipping. the lights i sold for about $100USD. So they quickly wind up being $250 odd USD, and i was getting bugger all profit on that. I understand shippping from japan is allot cheaper though, but still, $80 shipping is bloody good.

[lord flashheart]

i love that he asked about suggestions and everybody just talks about shipping. lol.

BTW the shop i work at has a $300 headlight polish kit from 3M. unlike other headlight polish kits
u actually sand the scraches out with fine sandpaper and then polish it. so the polish actually
stays. we only charge like $30 per headlight. i would find a shop around town that has the 3M kit and
isnt to expensive.

also if i was in your position i would see if he will give u a deal on the fog lights and didnt the JDM outbacks
have momo steering wheels?

[harrymaneuvers]

NOW THATS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT!!!

Great suggestion on the steering wheel!!!

BTW running a headlight restoration on these (no matter how good) Will only take out the surface scratches... these clearly go all the way through the plastic... the restorer might even make them more visible.

I will try to put up a photo by the end of the day.

Any other ideas for something cool to have this guy look for???

[lord flashheart]

u might not want this but u could see if he can get the OEM I/C spray button. they are somewhat uncommon. for if u ever do a turbo swap. if not im sure u could sell it to some one who wants the OEM one.

[subie/legacy]

I could be way off, but couldn't you just bake the jdm headlight, and US headlight, and swap the plastic covers?
or is there a huge difference?

[StatGSR]

^ not only is there likely a difference, but his car is a 99 which means it has 2 piece headlights.....

[TGX4776]

the JDM's don't have fresnels in front of the projector. i don't know if there is a way to grind down the fresnels on the inside of USDM one pieces or not.

[StatGSR]

^ again, 2piece vs 1 piece is the larger concern....

[harrymaneuvers]

Not only that... but there is a clear circle where the projector beam shines through the lens on the JDM lenses. They would look completely different.

Also... what is an i/c spray button and what model is it for?

[TGX4776]

^ again, 2piece vs 1 piece is the larger concern....


It shouldn't be to hard to pick up a one pice somewhere since it will still fit.

[Yamazaki]

Also... what is an i/c spray button and what model is it for?
It's for the Impreza STI. And it's the same as on the US models, so I don't know why somebody would get one from here... It's the switch to spray water on the intercooler.

[harrymaneuvers]

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_ima ... _large.jpg (http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/2/4291/4421/23227210016_large.jpg)

Look at the clear circle that lets the projector pattern shine through.

And that is a lot of work when I am being offered another set...

Hey Yamazaki... Can you tell me how much roughly... it would be to ship a set of headlights from japan to the us?


I would really appreciate it!

[TGX4776]

I know I own both the JDM's and the USDM's that was what my comment about the fresnels was referring to. The fresnels help direct the light and concentrate it directly ahead of you and not as much up and to the sides. the projectors have them built into the assembly so they have the clear circle where there are no fresnels which would mess up the light pattern decreasing the benefits the projectors give you.

I was just wondering if it was possible for myself to modify the USDM lens to work with the JDM's.

[harrymaneuvers]

Got it.

I purchased Reasons JDM shifter surround with the credit card holder and the little flip thingy for sunglasses... does anybody know if the matching JDM center console and console lid are different then the USDM ones that I have in my car now???

[lord flashheart]

Also... what is an i/c spray button and what model is it for?
It's for the Impreza STI. And it's the same as on the US models, so I don't know why somebody would get one from here... It's the switch to spray water on the intercooler.
they make them for the JDM legacys as well.
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/2199060_5_full-1.jpg

[lord flashheart]

sorry this is the one i ment to post...
https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/2199060_3_full-1.jpg

[Yamazaki]

@ flashheart - Dude, that's a sticker on an existing switch. It isn't even cut properly....
I can 100% guarantee that no legacy in Japan has ever had an intercooler water sprayer from the factory.

@ harry - It's about as much as you said. You have to realize the Yen is A LOT stronger right now. It used to be much cheaper to buy/ship stuff from here, but those days seem to be gone now. :smt022

[harrymaneuvers]

Awesome... so by him asking me to cover shipping at about $80 USD... he really isn't profiting anything right???

If so... that makes me feel much better about offering an extra $20-$40 over shipping for some JDM fogs in the same box as the headlights (to tale advantage of the shipping)... or/and maybe some JDM side markers... :) (again if he sold me the headlights for $16 over shipping... why wouldn't he sell me other things for just as good of a deal?)

[Reuben]

also if i was in your position i would see if he will give u a deal on the fog lights and didnt the JDM outbacks, TS-R's, 250T's, Impreza HX20's, SRX's, WRX's, STI's, Legacy GT's, GTB's, GT30's, and RS30's
have momo steering wheels?

Fixed, and yup. We're trippin balls over them here.

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/IMG_5554-1.jpg


they make them for the JDM legacys as well.

That's just a fog light button with I/C Spray taped on. Trust me, they did NOT make ic spray for the legacy's.



@ flashheart - Dude, that's a sticker on an existing switch. It isn't even cut properly....
I can 100% guarantee that no legacy in Japan has ever had an intercooler water sprayer from the factory.

Was gonna ask "what about the S401?" then saw your avatar and cars. LOL.

[lord flashheart]

sorry. my bad. apparently i hit my head a lot more than i thought....

[harrymaneuvers]

So because I have realized that $79 for shipping is fair... I am not looking to make this guy lose money... but at the same time... I wouldn't have bought the lights if I knew I would be paying another $79 shipping fee to get them.

SO... I have come up with two options... what do you guys think???

1. Split shipping and just send me my lights...

2. I cover all the shipping and take advantage of the extra room in the box by having him throw in some JDM fogs (or at the VERY least... some JDM side markers.)

My next question would be... Who wants to buy the set that has the blemish in it??? How much do you guys think I can get for them???

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/4796839570_c1da5500be_b-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/4796819162_c3f1bcf881_b-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/4796818796_af788f42bc_b-1.jpg

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/images/imported/2010/07/4796188119_a17f2ce2b4_b-1.jpg

[StatGSR]

I'd be interested in buying them if everything else is good with them. got any pictures of the wiring situation? all pigtails there? anything missing? feel free to pm me if you have any other pictures and we can go from there.

[harrymaneuvers]

Well... after talking with the Ebay seller for almost a month... trying to find a resolution for this... he decided to simply refund me my entire purchase price WITH shipping...

So I got these lights for free :smt023 ... I guess I can live with the crack in the side now.

FYI... newstars (seller) on ebay did everything in his power to rectify the situation. And has left me confident to be able to purchase from him again. One might make absolute certain that he will be sending the exact item from the images, even though he specifically states that he will.

[TGX4776]

He is no longer a seller on ebay.

[StatGSR]

^ sure he is.... http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/new_stars/

[TGX4776]

ahh but that isn't how he wrote it. there is a seller newstars that is no longer a seller.


ETA: thats where the confusion was. not saying you are wrong.

[subie/legacy]

Free lights=
<---Jealous