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59 replies

Got ripped off buying a used FEC100 on ebay.

FM Former Member
So I got my FEC100 that I won off ebay yesterday, Looked great, until I opened it up. It's just over a year old, but looks like it's been run everyday for the past year and was never once cleaned, also looks like it's had a pretty substantial fire in it, as all the panels are warped and the door seal is mostly burned off. There's about a 1/4 inch of char on all the panels and there behind the fire pot, from the wall to the firepot is filled with charred grease. I believe it's actually worse than what can be seen in the picture, I spent hours scraping it with a putty knife last night, and I think I'm going to try some Easy-Off on it next, I ordered a new seal and the metal strips that hold the seal in, hoping it's not too warped to seal. Any ideas on how to get this cleaned up. It's my own stupid fault though, 1 for buying it without seeing it and then 2 for leaving the guy feedback before I received it, he gave me a story about how paypal was tying up the money and he needed to get his FEC500, so he asked if I could leave feedback right away so paypal would release the money. I was hesitant, but I did it for him and now I'm screwed, I doubting this thing is even going to work.

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FM Former Member
That sucks, feel free to post his user name here so people won't buy from him. I'd still turn him into Ebay and Paypal for not disclosing everything. That's dishonest.

Not my preference, but for a major fire like that, get the Easy off out. Probably take a couple of cans. And some stainless cleaner. They sell stuff to get out the soot marks (restaurant supply houses).

It certainly should be salvagable if the stainless isn't warped too bad. As long as the doors shut, you replace the seal you may be better off than you think. I've seen an FE like that get salvaged.

Good news is these things are built like tanks and "most" of them can be fixed after a fire. You might have to replace some of the electronics (I'm sure the ignitor isn't going to work, it rarely does after a fire, but check). Check the wiring and see if it burned through anywhere. Also the temp probe may/may not be working. The rest of the elctronics are outside.

Russ
FM Former Member
You don't HAVE to have an ignitor. Plenty of people just use gel starter or even a propane torch to start the pellets. You only need to get the initial fire going, so you can do it manually to check and see if the unit is working.

Any damage to the electronics or outside (wiring?).

You'll probably need a new drip pan that goes above the fire cap.
FM Former Member
Thanks Russ. You mean the slanted ramp?, I also ordered a new one from Cookshack along with the door seal parts, the racks/grills are even bent.

I don't believe there is any damage to the wiring and electronics, I'll have to take a closer look though, honestly, my main focus has been trying to get the inside cleaned up.

the pipe that goes from the upper drip pan to the lower drip pan was completely blocked, hammered out as much as I could, and threw it in my oven's clean cycle, which started a fire in my oven, but it's clean now and luckily I didn't damage my oven, couldn't breathe or open your eyes in my house for a while though, yesterday wasn't a good day.

also locked myself out of the house yesterday when I was about to take my daughter to school. We had to wait 45 minutes in the cold for my wife to come home from work to let us in.
T tomMember
Where are you located,as your post doesn't say.You may have some knowledgable FEC folks close to you.

Sounds like you have talked to CS service?
If you haven't talked to them,they will support you all the way-just like an original buyer.They can get you over the glitches and stay on the line with you ,as you install any parts.
tnqtnqMember
you can still file a SNAD (significantly not as described) claim with eBay under the buyer protection plan. You can also do a follow up to your feedback as well as any feedback left by the seller for you. I did see that listing when it was active and felt that the description was lacking as it did not really state the condition nor show any interior images; only stated that it was used at a restaurant which means most likely heavily used but not necesarily abused as you image indicates. If you used a credit card for the purchase you can ask them to do a chargeback as well. Probably too late to stop payment on a check but you might talk to your bank about fraud.
Last edited by tnq
M maxqMember
I'd be madder than hell.

I'd start with ebay and let them know what this bozo did. Have you been in touch with Hunter Hill Cafe? Is davidbbqman associated with this place? If so, maybe a few hundred of us could call Dave and ask if his refrigerator is running.

As Smokin said, you'll probably be able to salvage the smoker but what that idiot did is just wrong on so many levels.
FM Former Member
I sent him a message through ebay, if I don't hear back from him I'll file a complaint through ebay.

This is my fault though too, he put up this unit for $2000 Buy it now,which I thought was pretty cheap and I saw it right when it was first put up and I jumped on it before anyone else could.

Not that it makes it OK, it was definately fire damaged, and that was never mentioned. he also stated that "it works great" and quite a bit on it is broken. Not sure how it worked great with the door seal mostly melted off either.
FM Former Member
quote:
Have you been in touch with Hunter Hill Cafe? Is davidbbqman associated with this place?
I'm pretty sure David is the owner of Hunter Hill Cafe.
quote:
If so, maybe a few hundred of us could call Dave and ask if his refrigerator is running.
Thanks for the support, let's see if he gets back to me first. I have a feeling I won't hear from him though.
B bubbasz1Member
quote:
davidbbqman123

His description is way misleading, he doesn't have a foot to stand on, it was not in operational as the picture represents. Take more pictures before you do anything else to it and start the process.
He doesn't have to get back to you for you to take action =, plus the auction has the ebaybuyer protection on it, you should be good as gold.>> I think!!!
FM Former Member
I filed the complaint with ebay.

I just want a partial refund though, more than half.

I'm up for the challenge of making this unit right, it'll help me get to know how this thing works.

I guess I can't fix the warped walls, but everything else should be able to be fixed. As long as I can get it to seal, I beleive from what I've been told it's fixable. Although, there are gaps where the back wall and side wall meet. I guess we'll see.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by mclancey:
I know, I'm just giving him a chance to make it right.


We'll let you take it for now. Obviously you're the one that needs resolution first.

Let us know what to say before we go off on him next Big Grin

I have a few sources at Cookshack, maybe they know the guy too if he's trying to buy one.

Russ
S smokeniceMember
Sam's club sells a proforce oven and grill cleaner that will clean the inside. It may take several applications and several bottles and the use of a power washer. Use heavy duty rubber gloves and wear a mask. The stuff is potent.

If using paypal, dispute the charge and they will go after him as well as they have a guarantee. Ebay will also deal with it. Don't give up.
FM Former Member
quote:
Originally posted by Smoke'n Ice:
... and the use of a power washer...


Be careful is you use a power washer. Some of them can be pretty powerful and you don't want to force water anywhere there might be an issue (up the auger, the holes behind the temp probe) you really want to keep it out of the insulation.
cal 2cal 2Member
This is just my opinion, I wouldn't give this CHUMP a chance to make it right. He knew he wasn't doing a feller right and I believe in treating everyone the way I want to be treated and EXPECT the same from everyone else in return,period! So treat him the way you were treated and don't feel bad about doing it, he asked for it.

CALL your credit card company the 1st thing and then you did the right thing filing a complaint with E-bay.

I just don't understand how people can sleep after doing someone wrong like this?
B bubbasz1Member
From what I hear from everybodys comments he will wish he didn't treat a cookshack member like a piece of dog meat. You can be surprised what word of mouth can do for one's reputation.
In this day and age at the very least you have to treat people as you would want to be treated because anymore it is a virtue that is becoming extinct.
S smokinmaineiacMember
quote:
Originally posted by cal:
This is just my opinion, I wouldn't give this CHUMP a chance to make it right. He knew he wasn't doing a feller right and I believe in treating everyone the way I want to be treated and EXPECT the same from everyone else in return,period! So treat him the way you were treated and don't feel bad about doing it, he asked for it.

CALL your credit card company the 1st thing and then you did the right thing filing a complaint with E-bay.

I just don't understand how people can sleep after doing someone wrong like this?


I'm with Cal. This arse doesn't deserve a chance
to "make it right".
FM Former Member
I really appreciate all the support. Thanks!

Anyway he responded to my complaint:

"im sorry that you feel that the smoker is not as good as you thought it would be, however the unit does work good and i have cooked in it everyday since i have had it. we cook chickens, ribs, etc in it everyday and didnt have any problems! i agree it could use a door gasket and some cleaning, but it works fine and it has produced great results for us here at the restaurant! you need to keep in mind that i paid $4,000 for this grill less than a year ago and sold it for half that amount! your were not getting a brand new cooker. i even told you that the temperature gauge bounced up and down a little bit and would send you a brand new thermostat and hi heat sensor. i bought the thermostat from cookshack but have not had the time to install it. it will take a little work to get it back in brand new condition, but thats why i sold it for half of the original price. i even threw in 3 rib racks that i never used that i paid $50 each for. im going to ship the thermostat to you tomorrow."

So I guess the fire(s) weren't any problem.


"you need to keep in mind that i paid $4,000 for this grill less than a year ago and sold it for half that amount!"

This is my favorite, so according to this logic I can buy a car drive it into the ground and light it on fire, but hey I only had it a year so it's still worth half????

"i even told you that the temperature gauge bounced up and down a little bit and would send you a brand new thermostat and hi heat sensor."

A: you told me this after I already purchased the smoker and B: Why wouldn't you then send it along with the smoker?

"i even threw in 3 rib racks that i never used that i paid $50 each for."

Yeah, that makes up for it and lets not forget that the regular racks are so distorted and out of shape they are not usable.

I understand it's not new but still there's a Huge difference between USED and ABUSED AND FIRE DAMAGED.

On the good side of things I picked up an FEC 100 from SmokinDudes BBQ in Bensalem PA that was manufactured in 04 that was like new. they took really good care of it, I cooked a turkey in it for 4 hours,(which came out great) in a pan and foiled all surfaces but also spent a half hour cleaning the smoker when i was done just to make it look like it did before i started the turkey, it was that clean.
FM Former Member
Question.

Did you plug it in and it worked?

Did you ask him point blank was there a fire and why didn't he disclose this fact?

The evidence is in the photo of a fire, that's not from normal use. Feel free to quote me as an FEC100 expert.

The patterns of the burn, WHERE the seal is burnt away (that's never normal and ONLY happnes from a fire, not normal use) and of course the obvious scorching of the unit, the misshapen cap over the firepot. You don't get scorching outside the smoker (where the seal is) without a fire. Normal use doesn't give you such an obvious burn patten.

Please ask him, was there a fire and get it in writing. If he denies it let us know.
S smokinmaineiacMember
Some people use online auction sites to dump their junk on other people (also known as fraud) because they know it is hard to be held responsible.

They know the legal costs involved and the time that needs to be spent for succesful prosecution will cause most people to just throw their hands up in the air and give up.

I don't know how they can sleep at night.

SmokinMAINEiac
FM Former Member
Smoke'n Ice - I got the proforce last night did a pretty good job, i put another bottle in before I left for work this morning. I think it would work better if it wasn't 40 degrees. Maybe once I get it a little more cleaned up, I'll fire it up and do the recommended 200 degree application.

However, I don't think I'll ever get all the black stains out.

It's also tough getting the back left corner behind the fire pot and of course, that's where it's the worst.

So far, 2 cans of easy off and 2 bottles of proforce, about 50 rags and a few scrubbers and lots of wrecked clothing. it looks a little better though.

Russ, He's not replying to the questions you told me to ask, most likely because he doesn't have an answer.
FM Former Member
I would wait until you fire it up, use some heat to finally get it clean.

I then would use a hose to rinse it out, don't use much pressure. My concern is that if the intergrity of the inside is "open" anywhere, then water will get in. The heat could have causes a warp or a crack where you don't see it.

Finally I'd use a biodegradable cleaner for the final clean, just rinse, use a lot of towels.

I saw a product specifically for the "black" but haven't used it in this application. It's called Carbon Off and it works to get the crude off of cooking utensils and it works. But works better with a little heat.

Go slow, keep cleaning and don't work about the appearance. Reseason and you'll be fine.

Sorry this happened, but we'll keep helping. Saw you got an offer for the racks too.

Russ
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