Selling your ski then new owners having problems...

[CReynoldsMIZ]

Well guys, wondering how some of you guys have delt with this situation. Recently sold my 97XP with single trailer which was running perfect all summer for me. It was the one I did a mini restore of this winter. New starter, full maintainence and full cleaning of. Sold it about 2 or 3 weeks ago, actually kinda regretted it afterwards. Get a call yesterday from the guys, says "rode it 20 minutes and it seized up" oh and also the bearings on the trailer were shot and lost a wheel down the road. He Said he was goin 40 mph down the lake and it just died. Obviously he was pissed, said dealer said new engine was 3k and it seized bc the oil pump failed. I was like BS I rode it all summer and the oiling systems just don't fail. Anyways I the guy who bought it seemed new to skis and I knew it was a great ski. I told him some stuff to look for (pump) so he pulled it and it turned fine. I told him to pull the head and check the pistons. He said they looked fine, sent me a pic also looked nice and carbony on both of them. He said he tapped one with a rubber mallet and it freed up and he could spin the engine easily now. So I know the engine is fine, always did as it ran great all summer. I think it may have had something to do with the shitty never start battery in it, as he said now it will turn over with plugs out but not in.

Before he said he wanted his money back before he started working on it. I knew I couldn't do that, I mean I can't give a warranty on a 16 year old ski. Obviously he inspected it fully and I told him all about it, so I mean I shouldn't feel bad bc it was/ still should be a great running ski. What have you guys done in the past when things don't go great for a new owner of your old ski that you sold. I didn't sell him a problem ski, it is super clean and well maintained. I wanted to stay out of it, bc you never know what ppl will do when thy are angry, but it was a great running ski and I kinda feel bad things went bad for him. I'm sure it was something simple tho,

 

[LouDoo]

Hi Chris,

Don't beat yourself up over this, it's not your fault. You know with a 16year old ski stuff just happens. You sold it in good faith and the current owner bought it in good faith. Maybe he forgot to put oil in it, maybe he used the wrong oil, hard to say, personally I doubt that the oil pump just failed.

Lou

 

[CReynoldsMIZ]

Yeah, I'm not really. It was his first ride out on it he said. It was full of xps 2 when I sold it to him, so I doubt it was the lack of lubricant and I told him what oil only to use. Said plugs were tan as well, I think it is simple, I've had it happen to me when buying my first GSX. I never checked compression, didn't know about fuel lines or which oil to use and just ran it without doing anything to it the first day and blew a top end. Sucks that this happened to him bc it had everything working perfect and it was done right. I hope it is something easy, and i think he should be able to get it fixed easily

 

[LouDoo]

I find it a little hard to believe that if you sold it to him 2-3weeks ago it was his first ride. I know when I buy a new toy I can't wait to ride it. I just bought a new to me boat, I had it in the water two days later.

Lou

 

[CReynoldsMIZ]

Good point, I think it was about 2 weeks ago when I sold it, or maybe 3. He said he was so excited to take it out that weekend...

 

[Coastiejoe]

I also would be shocked if it was his first ride,,,

Leaving the potential that he used the wrong oil or no oil at some point.

How far does he live from you. Might be worth going to take a look at it.

The oil. Could be an entirely different color. Who knows???

 

[griz400]

yesterday i tuned up this guys hemi truck, did an oil change, replaced 2 u joints and did a front brake job .....
he came in today and said, listen to this, (his belt squeaking), it never did that before he said, i told him thats funny, same thing the farmer said when his cow died ... never did that before ...

 

[RFoster130]

Its an older used ski with no warranty. I dont give any credit to anything a buyer says. If i bought something and did something stupid to kill it, id prolly say it was my first trip out too. For all you know, he has had it out every day riding the piss out of it and beating it hard all day. Its too easy for people to beat up on stuff. A lot of people also dont take the time to learn stuff BEFORE they take out a ski for the first time. Heck, look how many people we get on here who are here because the ski/boat they JUST bought is broke down. A lot of time it is operator error. I give a driveway warranty only....once it leaves mine....you are on your own. And as a buyer, that is the risk i know i am taking buying used toys.

 

[richardpr]

Not saying you sold a bad ski nor implying, but people sell used things for a reason. Thats what my grandfather always says lol. Buying something used is buying someone else's problems

 

[Dr Honda]

As the guys above said... the ski ran, and you know in your mind... it was a good ski. But, it's 16 years old, and anything can happen.


I've never had this issue with a ski... but I remember when I was a kid, I sold a moped to a neighbor kid... and he put straight gas in it, and blew the engine. His dad was mad, and wanted me to take it back. (I was 15 at the time) I told him that he had to mix the gas, and sorry, it's not my fault. His dad was a mechanic, so he should have known about 2-strokes.

Also as above... you have no idea what he did the the last 3 weeks. He could have ran it, and filled the engine full of water, after he picked it up... and it sat for the last 3 weeks. Or flipped it, and got water into the oil tank.

 

[CReynoldsMIZ]

Yeah, I guess just knowing that I was a newb once, I feel kinda bad for the guy. Any ski that I have sold has ran good with no problems when I sell them...so that way I don't have to be put in a predicament like this. I mean I don't know what he did to it or how he rode it, so it's his loss I guess.

 

[Ruskeyjdm]

I had the same situation with a running motor I pulled from my car. Guy bought it and called me 3 weeks later saying the motor was seized.

All I could tell him was that it ran fine in my car and I don't know what he did wrong in between.

He threatened to beat me up since I lived a few miles away lol.

You want to feel bad for those people but if you worry about all the other people out there, you won't have time for yourself.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

[racerxxx]

Good point, I think it was about 2 weeks ago when I sold it, or maybe 3. He said he was so excited to take it out that weekend...

You sold it on 8-20-2013. I just checked my phone when you texted me @ 11:23PM EST. So, 2 weeks and 1 day--not including the day of the sale LOL

 

[KK40384]

I had a 2003 GTX DI I sold to a guy back in 08. I had nothing but issues with the DI but got it running and sold it for a loss. His first time out, an exhaust clamp comes loose and water rushes in and he sinks the damn thing. I mean nose up to the sky sinks it. He sent me a pic and I felt bad for the guy but that had nothing to do with anything I did to the ski. He said after that it never ran right again so he sold it a month later.

 

[racerxxx]

When your buying something used you need to know you need to put you big boy pants on, cause if it shits the bed it's gonna be on your hands now.

 

[chucked]

Imo, if you buy something used with no warranty and the motor blows the first time you crank it you're on your own. Sounds like he should have bought a new one

 

[Dr Honda]

I just thought of something....


This summer, we had a report of a NOOB filling the oil tank with gas. AND.... countless stories for noobs running on the hose, and filling the engine.

But as I said above... who knows what the real story is.

 

[Spimothy Leary]

I had a noob fill the oil tank with gas, was kind of funny actually fortunately he figure it out before riding

IMO, as a seller, no worries, bad things happen when you buy old stuff, my bill of sales always have the words, "as is" in them, assuming that we even do a bill of sale, I sold a ski Tuesday night with little or no paperwork, we just shoved it in the back of his truck. No compression test, nothing. If it doesn't run or sinks, or seizes or whatever, i'm sorry but it became his problem the minute he drove out of my driveway. I'll feel bad but only for a few minutes, since I know that it ran the day before.

bottom line, a buyer with bad luck gets my sympathy, but Zero Refunds.

 

[Water Horse IV]

CReynoldsMIZ:

This is coming from someone who purchased a Sea Doo that ran perfect for 30 minutes on test drive.... My first launch was a failure after about twenty minutes when my 1996 GTI Sea Doo starting bogging down. Yes I was disappointed, Yes I thought "that damn lady", Yes I thought she'd sold me a lemon and Yes I had an evil thought or two.

With this being said I quickly got over my knee jerk reaction and back to reality. I knew in advance that I was purchasing an older Sea Doo. The alternative was buying a new one that of which was not possible with high school tuition. And, I counted my blessings I didn't buy one for 5 or 6,000 had the same thing happened. THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT. IT'S NICE YOU HAVE A CONSCIENCE THOUGH.

 

[CReynoldsMIZ]

Thanks guys, well in good news, the guy texted me back and said he got it running, he said he put in a new battery and solenoid and it started running again. Weird because the battery was new 4 months ago and even though it was a never start it still worked great, and the solenoid was a new OEM one from last year tht I took out of my GSX. Oh well hopefully for him it keeps going good!

 

[Lboogie]

In many states, the law involving sales between two private parties is based on the principle of caveat emptor, or buyer beware. In other words, in these types of sales the item is generally purchased "as is" with no type of warranty. There are usually exceptions based on fraud, misrepresentation or latent defects (defects the seller is aware of but would be difficult or impossible for the buyer to discover). I only practice in NY so I can't say for certain in your state. It sounds like you were honest and forthright with this guy.

I'm a noob and still knew enough to take my ski on a water test drive before I bought it. Did this guy test drive it before he bought it? Even if he didn't you went above and beyond any moral or legal obligation you owed to they buyer. I've sold a couple cars privately before and made it clear to the buyers that they were buying the cars as is. That being said I did make myself available for questions after the sale.

Sleep easy at night my friend. You did nothing wrong. :thumbsup: