Did I get scammed?

Irishspring46

Greasemonkey
Sep 14, 2022
105
33
28
my old window regulators had play in them (the 2 spots where the arms cross). So I bought used ones. They too have the same exact play in the same spots. Is there supposed to be play? Did I get sold worn regulators?
 

69hurstolds

Geezer
Supporting Member
Jan 2, 2006
8,088
17,308
113
They're used. They got removed for a reason. Did you inspect them or anything before you bought them? It's hard to determine whether you got scammed. How were they advertised? Were they advertised as tight and smooth?

New regulators don't have slop in them. They're just loose enough to alow the arms to rotate smoothly. GM's cheezy metal arms and materials plus 10,000,000 cycles over the years will wear them out.

You may be able to tighten them up. Take them to a shop. They may be able to crunch down the pivot pin some more in a press to take some slop out of them. Don't go crazy on them- keep in mind the cheezy materials. If the hole in the rotating arm is wallowed out, though, then you're probably fugged.
 
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Irishspring46

Greasemonkey
Sep 14, 2022
105
33
28
They're used. They got removed for a reason. Did you inspect them or anything before you bought them? It's hard to determine whether you got scammed. How were they advertised? Were they advertised as tight and smooth?

New regulators don't have slop in them. They're just loose enough to alow the arms to rotate smoothly. GM's cheezy metal arms and materials plus 10,000,000 cycles over the years will wear them out.

You may be able to tighten them up. Take them to a shop. They may be able to crunch down the pivot pin some more in a press to take some slop out of them. Don't go crazy on them- keep in mind the cheezy materials. If the hole in the rotating arm is wallowed out, though, then you're probably fugged.
They where advertised as with “normal wear” and that he’s sold “multiple of these with no issues”
 

69hurstolds

Geezer
Supporting Member
Jan 2, 2006
8,088
17,308
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Normal wear is very subjective. Normal wear for 150,000 mile car, or normal wear for a 50,000 mile car? Apparently he's sold one pair with issues. See if he'll take them back. Can't be worse off with what you already got, right?
 
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Irishspring46

Greasemonkey
Sep 14, 2022
105
33
28
Normal wear is very subjective. Normal wear for 150,000 mile car, or normal wear for a 50,000 mile car? Apparently he's sold one pair with issues. See if he'll take them back. Can't be worse off with what you already got, right?
Yeah the only difference between his and mine are the roller wheels on the one he sent me are tighter than mine
 
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Irishspring46

Greasemonkey
Sep 14, 2022
105
33
28
Normal wear is very subjective. Normal wear for 150,000 mile car, or normal wear for a 50,000 mile car? Apparently he's sold one pair with issues. See if he'll take them back. Can't be worse off with what you already got, right?
It sucks because there’s none near me for sale locally and I have to buy them online used
 
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78Delta88

Royal Smart Person
Supporting Member
May 23, 2022
1,247
1
1,024
113
SW Arizona
Restoring the F Body Firebird/Trans Am and ran into same thing. Most times, items I purchased off of eBay were no better or worse than what I was restoring. After that I just stopped buying eBay items.
 
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ck80

Moderator
Moderator
Supporting Member
Feb 18, 2014
5,742
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Really, you're going to get into a he said she said.

He's going to say window worked fine to me when I cut things apart.

You're going to say it's not the improvement I expected, these are still worn out.

He's going to say how do I know you aren't sending me back the old ones you pulled from your doors and keeping my better ones? (Valid criticism in some cases unfortunately, leaving some sellers skeptical in all.)

Maybe you're lucky and he marks his parts and can tell you're sending *his* back, but, still I wouldnt expect a refund on return shipping. If he's nice he'll cover the shipping when he mailed them to you, but, I also wouldn't count on that.

I guess only you can answer how much better they are for the price you paid, but, remember, the very last gbody rolled off the line nearly 36 years ago.

Few guarantees with used parts in old cars, especially like these you're talking about. Someone who seldom rolled their windows down could have 150k mile parts almost as tight as the day they were made. And a ham fisted musclebound idiot who really cranked hard, full powered till it hit the stops up and down, always rolling em open every day they drove it multiple times, that guy could wear out a 40k mile car and snap crank handles regularly in the process.

All reasons why I prefer to sell in person, mostly at swap meets, and buy the same way unless it's a vendor. And even then, I don't usually buy used from vendors.

This site, and, when people just can't find something at all are my primary exception to the whole online selling thing, and, even then, I'm not usually much for the electronic payments world for a variety of reasons (including fighting over tax basis with the new gubbmint overlord rules)
 
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SoFloG

Royal Smart Person
Mar 9, 2016
1,087
1,218
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South Florida
I wouldn't call it scammed. Buying used parts site-unseen and communication with online sellers always leaves massive room for error be it mistake or malicious.

Hey, if they're manual window regulators I'd be interested in purchasing them from you. Can't be worse than my non functional electric ones!
 
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