Comeback on a machine sold 15 months ago?!

[Gander]

There I was, merrily wandering home from the pub after a nice last days shooting of the season and I get a phone call......

"Hi, I bought a John Deere 545 baler off (so and so machinery dealer), just wondering how you got on with it?"

What the flip?! I sold a good baler to a dealer 15 months ago in good faith (along with a mower and wrapper). Being a one man band (and in need of some cash) I had decided I'd be better off using a contractor.

The baler worked fine when it left here (as did the wrapper and mower), I had only used it for a couple years to bale dry silage/haylage, hay and straw. It made a lovely bale, but as with all 545's it needed some gentle driving and a bit of patience now and then, but overall I was pretty impressed with it. The last job I did with it was to bale 10ac of Wheat straw one evening in August 2013, I pulled into the field about 7pm, baled 101 bales and only needed to get out once! (because I noticed a bale with stripped net on one half and so wanted to check the rollers were clear).

I had bought a manual for it, tidied it up a bit and generally looked after it while I had it- replacing nearly 3 belts and numerous pick up tines etc. The chap that phoned at 8pm on a Friday night in JANUARY said he had had a nightmare with it. The JD dealer was called out to it numerous times and gave up on it saying it was 'cursed' (his words), apparently there were "sensors missing and the belts were totally shot...it would only net wrap one in 3 bales if we were lucky and no two bales were the same size".

How would you react to this? Firstly, why is he ringing me now and secondly why is the dealer giving my number out rather than coming to me (even at this late stage)? I kept calm and asked a few Q's about the machine he had bought as it sounded very unlike the machine I sold to the dealer (the dealer did have a number of these balers around too). There were a few distinguishing marks that I could identify my old baler by easily, said buyer has asked me to email pics to him.

Im a bit flummoxed to be honest (and not too worried really), but I don't want to fall out with the machinery dealer as he is local and I may well want to buy from him or sell him some kit in the future. At the same time, this poor chap has bought an old used JD baler and had lots of trouble. What would you do?

 

[TheRanger]

Extremely poor of the dealer to give out your number. Would avoid ever using him again if that ever happened to me.

 

[Charles]

Sounds dodgy as hell to me

 

[Ley253]

data protection????????

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Dealer buys it - takes a few quid out of it - sells it on & 15 months later :- his problem .

 

[Cooper3075]

Contact the dealer and find out what's going on! I would have said its not your problem anyway as you sold it the dealer not the guy who has it now that's if it is your old one.
If it was me I'd be rather annoyed with the dealer and not afraid to show it if they are worth dealing with they will make sure they don't upset you and lose your trade

 

[smcapstick]

It's none of your concern. Pass him back to the dealer and think nothing more of it.

 

[Andrew1983]

Has the dealer actually given out your number or has he got it by other means? I once had a chap phone to ask about the history of a machine we traded in, dealer gave out my number but probably regretted it as the chaps main interest was what the dealer had paid us for the machine.

 

[Gander]

Has the dealer actually given out your number or has he got it by other means? I once had a chap phone to ask about the history of a machine we traded in, dealer gave out my number but probably regretted it as the chaps main interest was what the dealer had paid us for the machine.

Thanks for the replies...pretty much my thoughts too.

That's a good question Andrew1983. Think I'll give the dealer a ring in the morning to find out, and fill him in if he didn't pass my number on.

 

[snowhite]

all second hand stuff you sold had no warranty , if the dealer gave one that is up to him , when new the warranty was one year , so for you that was a few day work as most stuff does not brake down in storage , someone is chanching their arm and they have not a foot to stand on ,

 

[Blod]

It could have had a lot of abuse or baled a lot of bales in those 15 months. Presumably you had no control over it once it left your yard so really I can't see why you feel responsible. To say "not your problem" seems a little harsh but it really isn't.

 

[nick...]

Id be furious.why has it taken 15 months to complain.you sold it to a dealer and its their problem not yours.id stick a round of f**ks into the dealer and forget about it.did those Queer Folk buy it and remove bits before selling it on
Nick...

 

[Andy26]

I think you should call the dealer this morning, explain how you were disrupted last night by HIS customer, and ask as to how firstly he knew you were a previous owner and secondly how he came across your mobile number?

@Gander I wouldn't waste your time emailing photos, it's then like you're on trial and having to prove your innocence.

Makes no odds whether its is your old baler or not, its nothing to do with you.

And as for choosing 8pm on a Friday night in the middle of winter to unrightly bother you, shows a poor lack of judgement and respect. Possibly the two reasons the disgruntled new owner is having problems in the first place.

 

[rob1]

Was he complaining or asking how to get the best out of it, if the former then tell him to do one, if the second then why not have a chat to help out

 

[7610 super q]

As said, not your problem.Sounds like the dealer is washing his hands of it as well. Unfortunately, as with all second hand stuff, the buck stops with the new owner.Let the buyer beware.

 

[Gander]

Was he complaining or asking how to get the best out of it, if the former then tell him to do one, if the second then why not have a chat to help out

I've got no problem helping him get the best out of it, but the tone of the phone call gave me the impression he had given up on it and so was not really after that.

@Andy26, I think I said last night (before posting on here) that I would email some pics as it really didn't sound like the baler I sold. If he is just after some advice on running it then I see no problem with doing this as I'd like to help him, but we need to make sure we're talking about the same machine!

Think I'll drop him an email in a minute with a couple pics of the distinguishing marks, ask him how he got my number and let him know that its really not my problem but that I'll give him any tips I can on running the one I had. Then I'll ring the dealer.

 

[Wombat]

I would be fuming if someone gave my number out without asking me period. Especially if it was about something I had sold to them in good faith

 

[RobFZS]

for all you know, the dealer could have hired it out to a clown before selling it and thus ruining it, then this guy has bought it, guy bought it is not called walter is he?

 

[roscoe erf]

caveat emptor

 

[roscoe erf]

for all you know, the dealer could have hired it out to a clown before selling it and thus ruining it, then this guy has bought it, guy bought it is not called walter is he?