Sold a tank, 2 weeks later the individual says it's leaking. Need advice.

[Mhart032]

I understand your contemplation putting myself in the buyer shoes, but its unfortunate that things my happen, but i dont think its your worry if you know you sold it in good faith and working condition, you have no control over what happen to it during transit or setup. now that being said, I would request a video of it and me being me, if i could fix it i would have him drain the water and reseal it for him WITH HIS HELP and id supply the adhesive sealer. now if he water a refund... Not going to happen..

 

[SeaJay]

Why would anyone buy a used tank from a random guy instead of buying a new one? Because it’s cheap. The discount is in the risk. If I’m willing to take a risk to save some money, I go to the classifieds. If I want to pay more for peace of mind, I go to an authorized distributor. They know the risks just as I do. In my opinion, if you buy something like that and do your due diligence to make sure that you are getting what you want for a fair price, then you try to hold the seller accountable after the fact, you are the one trying to take advantage of people, not the seller.

 

[Meldrath]

@Meldrath , my friends and I will help the buyer move forward. We have a good local group that will help him out.

I am glad to hear that, however my offer still stands. If he wants to get it resealed, let me know and I'll see what I can do to help. I really hope everything works out better for him going forward.

 

[Potatohead]

Why would anyone buy a used tank from a random guy instead of buying a new one? Because it’s cheap. The discount is in the risk. If I’m willing to take a risk to save some money, I go to the classifieds. If I want to pay more for peace of mind, I go to an authorized distributor. They know the risks just as I do. In my opinion, if you buy something like that and do your due diligence to make sure that you are getting what you want for a fair price, then you try to hold the seller accountable after the fact, you are the one trying to take advantage of people, not the seller.

100% accurate.

If I was the OP I would probably feel bad about it. However it's simply not your problem, you guys tested the tank, and from that point on you have no idea how it was transported, if his stand was level, etc etc. It's a crummy deal for him but this is part of what happens when you buy used. If it was a great deal he can probably get it resealed and still be far ahead.

 

[nereefpat]

I've seen some posts about redoing the silicone.

Keep in mind that if a tank is leaking water, that means the seams between the glass panels are compromised. Adding silicone to the inside corners is not a proper fix. To do it right, you would have to take the whole tank apart and reseal every panel...Not a simple or easy job.

 

[Snoider]

I’m glad I walked away from this deal.

 

[SeaDweller]

Sucks to suck, but it's not your issue; anything could have happened after it left your hands.

 

[albano]

On a side note... I think that every time a tank is filled and emptied (leak tested) that the seals are stressed, and now might be a little closer to failure.

NB: not an expert on glass or silicone

 

[cymonous]

Where exactly did the buyer leak test the tank? I see this is also in Ohio. Since he was leak testing, I'm going to assume the cold garage where temperatures come into play when the tank is full of freezing water.

 

[Meldrath]

Where exactly did the buyer leak test the tank? I see this is also in Ohio. Since he was leak testing, I'm going to assume the cold garage where temperatures come into play when the tank is full of freezing water.

Tank was stored indoors in my house and leak tested in my house.

 

[cymonous]

The buyer's house man, not yours haha.

 

[Meldrath]

The buyer's house man, not yours haha.

Could have been a million things, from the tank itself, to the move, to any number of other factors. You're absolutely right.

I personally moved and drove my 5 ft tank from New Orleans (MACNA 2017) to Dallas, and it was transported originally from Dallas to New Orleans lol. Not a single issue, but we took alot of care in how it was transported. It has now moved with me from Dallas to Cleveland and no issues so far as well.

Again, I'm not sure of the situation and no one will be. I just wanted to know what other people would do if this happened to them both as the seller and the buyer and weigh the options from there.

 

[steallife904]

its safe to assume the warranty is over on this tank right? You could see where I was going with that.
he could try to reach out to elos to see if anything can be done but probably not. I think if I was buyer I would look into removing the front glass and re sealing it. Wonder if any LFS could offer help on it?

 

[Meldrath]

its safe to assume the warranty is over on this tank right? You could see where I was going with that.
he could try to reach out to elos to see if anything can be done but probably not. I think if I was buyer I would look into removing the front glass and re sealing it. Wonder if any LFS could offer help on it?

I honestly believe it could be resealed. Elos tanks use a floating bottom which means the side panes could come off without having to reseal the bottom besides the part where the pane attaches to. But that's up to them if they want to go that route.

@ELOSAmerica

 

[Omega0397]

The buyer's house man, not yours haha.

I also know the buyer. It was tested in his house and was where the tank was being setup at for a permanent home, on the stand it came with.

I see a lot of people weighing in here with their 2 cents. There are multiple sides to every story. I know the buyer, as I mentioned. He's very meticulous, well thought out, and careful. His previous tank leaked after owning it for about 3 years, it was a small leak and likely due to the tanks age, not stress or abuse. He was desperate to get a replacement tank for his fish and corals, and it obviously backfired on him with this purchase.

In other words, yes the buyer took a risk in getting a used tank, but that doesn't mean the buyer was negligent in any way.

 

[Silver14SS]

In other words, yes the buyer took a risk in getting a used tank, but that doesn't mean the buyer was negligent in any way.

Doesn’t have to be negligent for stuff to happen, leaks are definitely a risk of purchasing used.
If the tank did not leak at the time of purchase, what does the buyer expect as a resolution?

 

[Gunner2012]

I was one of individuals that helped the buyer move the tank from the seller to the buyers house. There was no negligence whatsoever on moving or placement (inside a house). Debates can go back and forth. Dont assume what you don't know for those chiming in with negativity. Its an unfortunate situation. The movers as well as myself are LEAR members and we will help our brother out.

 

[Omega0397]

Doesn’t have to be negligent for stuff to happen, leaks are definitely a risk of purchasing used.
If the tank did not leak at the time of purchase, what does the buyer expect as a resolution?

Yes, I did mention that it was a risk and no I didn't say anything about reimbursement. I only posted because there were quite a few posts implying the buyer was a careless fool if you read back through.

 

[Gil03]

IF all you say is true then you should have no issue with it being left as 'not your problem'.

 

[WVNed]

If I had bought it you would never have been told it leaked.
Say you are sorry and let it go.