Need some advice

[1976SR71]

I bought 2 blocks off of Ebay
A 400 and a 455 .
The short story is the 400 bore is not 4.120 but rather 4.140 (+.02") with still some visible scoring in the cyl....not ready to assemble as stated. rehone to +.03" $90
The 455 has some scratcing on the deck that will require decking...deck the block $120
When I first emailed him about the problems with the 400 he said that he would refund $50.
I told him that it was going to cost me $90 to fix.
We went back and forth about it and got nowhere.
Then I brought up the problems with the 455. I told him if he would take care of the 400 $90. I would cover the 455 $120.
Back and forth again...and again.....Finally I said fine, send me the $50
Well I recieved the check today and it included this letter.

Please accept this $50 as restitution for the incorrect advertisement of the 400 Pontiac that was sold on ebay.By cashing this check, all negotiations regarding any and all items sold through ebay to BBB(ME) from SSS(Seller) will terminate, and release and forever discharge SSS, his insures, agents, servants and employees of and from all claims debts dues and obligations of every kind of nature that BBB may have against said SSS and his insurers, agents, servants and emplyees and particularly of and from all claims for any and all claims for any and all items sold through ebay to BBB from SSS. All negative positions held by BBB will be satisfied and limit BBB from expressing those negative positions on mentioned ebay, that was used to sell the mentioned items to BBB from SSS.

Does this carry legal merit or is it just B.S.
I was going to put the $50 towards the Rehone.
Give him a neutral on the 400 block and a negative on the 455 explaining why.

Help please,
Thanx, Jeff

[ProdigyCustoms]

Screw him, cash the check and give him negatives on his feedback. Explain you had to beg to settle for the $50, or nothing. Once the Negative is on there, it is on there. I do not know of anyone that has had one removed.
His little letter is only intended to scare the legal out of you, which you are not planing to do anyway. But you can wreck his feedback and get some satisfaction from that.

[OHCbird]

The guy needs to learn to be more specific, and you should have asked for exact bore measurements before buying. If they don't give them to you, they're not worth buying from. Sorry- not defending him (or trying to offend you), but his 455 add does say it needs bore+; this should indicate to you that it hasn't been touched or checked (as in the deck).

Just a note-
1.don't buy anything that is already 'honed' to finish size; this is insane! You should always hone to fit- with actual pistons in hand. This must be a rookie shop of some sort.
2. Shot blasting a block? Not needed or recommended, as that stuff tends to stick in oil passages no matter what. Shot is large enough to get pumped through & kill bearings.

I'd call complete BS on the 400- going from 4.120 to 4.140 is something a rookie machinist would notice on first measurement. Don't cash the check, let Ebay know his 400 add was falsely represented, and call it a lesson learned on the 455.

[Steve1968LS2]

Yea, I would be worth $50 to me to post the negative feedback and burn his arse..

I hate buying anything off scambay.. unless it is something that can't have a problem.

Best of luck to ya..

[Bill Howell]

I love $hithouse lawyers. Unless you sign the letter and return it, He might as well have sent you toilet paper. The proper way for him to do a release would have had it on the back of the check so he would have your signature, or have you sign the letter before you got the check. I just hope the check don't bounce! I would cash it, then tell the story in my feedback.Remember, he will probably give you a negative also if you give him one so think about that. Regardless of why, a negative is still on your record. This is why I do not like ebay. I buy there from time to time, but I am yet to get anything that I felt was not at least a little misrepresented.

[ProdigyCustoms]

I always thought it was the buyers reaponsibility to pay and give shipping info, therefore I believe that once payment is made, especially through Paypal which E bay owns, I think an instant positive should go on the buyers feedback. After all, the buyer did his part, he bid, he won, he paid!
I have sent this to e bay a few times, coarse we all know where it ended.