I am usually an easygoing person, but I recently had my first bad experience on eBay and am a bit steamed. I bid a modest sum on a 240 series grill that was advertised as coming from a 1985 model and looked in good shape in the picture. I asked about the usual things- are the mounting tabs intact, emblem in good shape, etc. The seller responded that everything was "good." After much delay, I recieved the grill in the mail. However, the grill I received was not from a 1985 car, but rather from a 1986-1993 model. Obviously, it will not fit my car. I contacted the seller first, who said that the grill should fit any 240 (wrong!). The seller also claimed that they went our of their way to get a nicer grill than the one in the auction. They confessed that the photo in the auction was an 82 grill and that there was some damage to the mounting tabs, but maintained that the grill sent was from an 85 car.

They offered a refund if the grill was returned, but I decided to simply keep what I had. I figured that I have something (if not immediately useful) for the money that I spent, and after so many lies, I was reluctant to trust the seller to issue a refund.

I left a very polite negative feedback, saying only that the item was misrepresented in the auction and admitting that the seller offered a refund and that I refused. The seller's response was less polite and put the blame squarely on me.

I have had exceptional eBay experiences to this point, and I like to think the best of people, so I am a bit put off and confused by this situation.

What would you have done?