Ebay Hookah Ripoff?

[Vaporman]

I recently purchased a hookah as a gift from a seller on ebay. When It arrived I was very disapointed in my purchase. I and my wife are new to hookah and I would like anexperienced oppinion on the condition of this hookah remember it was sold as NEW.would really appreciate your views.[url="http://picasaweb.google.com/105799222947389692414/MahaRajaHookah?feat=directlink"]My photos of hookah[/url]
this hokah was purchased from [url="http://maharajahookah.com"]http://maharajahookah.com[/url] also selling on ebay as 213store. Do any of you have any experience with this retailer?

[Stuie]

Well first nicks and the like are normal on any hookah.

Mismatched hose ports the one on the left is original then they added a Mya Port on the right.

Decals on bases are nothing new.

I would say it's a new hookah. Quality one, no.

Nope no experience with them

[Cp44]

yea it wasnt handled well. Smoke it and see how well it hits.

[mustafabey]

What about eBay's protection policy? E mail the seller, tell him you are not satisfied. He may well take the hookah back, give you credit or even your money back. Of course he may ignore you. I have had 10 years of experience on ebay and 90% of the time the seller did what was needed to please me. This included stuff,uninsured,lost in the mail. Be sure you attempt to contact the seller first, eBay prefers this, then if you can't work it out. One of ebays statements is that it must be as described and obviously yours isn't. Go to the eBay resolution center and open a case. i believe the one condition maybe that you need to have paid with MF If this was like yesterday you might call your bank or credit card company and stop payment, I have had maybe 3 or 4 dealing with th ebay resolution center and i always got my money back

[dizzbizz]

In the first photo you say there's free air flow when you pull. Cover one end of the hose while the other is taking a hit, that will fix that problem, unless theres a massive leak somewhere else.

[Genie]

I agree with the others. Firstly, it looks new alright, just sloppily made. But not really atypical of how hookahs are made. Mismatched ports? Definitely. Indicative of people who really don't care what they're putting out. Hookah vases pretty much all have lousy paint jobs, they look great in the photos but then you get them and you see that the paint/decals are crap. One port/hose will definitely have to be plugged while the other is being drawn from--pretty normal on any multi-hose hookah except those with auto-seals on them.

Nothing wrong with hitting up the seller for a better hookah or a refund. That sharp bit on the stem would be the clincher for me and I'd definitely let them know about the issue. If you decide to complain (especially since it's a gift), I hope they make it right.

[Josh Hamilton]

no brand = no quality
Id go for a full refund...my jaw dropped seeing that its just stickers on the vase...hilarious
maharajah > Ive bought starbuzz shisha from them before...I had no qualms with them


otoh...you can blame yourself for not having the know how Edited October 21, 2010 by Josh Hamilton

[TheyCallMeDave]

Things llike the tool mark, were probably just used to make sure it stays on nice and tight for shipment, or to make sure it doesnt leak if it was improperly placed.

Although I DO think it is new, I think it's terribly made. Ebay can be a stickler for refunds, but I would definantly try.

Caravan trading company runs through Ebay, so if you have to order a hookah from ebay, I haven't heard any bad things about them. Everyone seems thrilled with their orders.

If Ebay ISN'T a mandatory vendor, try sites like hookah-shisha.com, hookahjohn.com, and hookahcompany.com. All three sites are very reliable from personal experience, and others can vouche for that.

[mushrat]

Ya, that vendor has been banned from the forum because of their business practices. (its ok you mentioned them cause you are having a problem). As said above, if you are going ebay, try Caravan or one of the ebay offerings from a main brand site.

Sorry you had a crappy experience but now you'll know.

[mushrat]

it appears they arent officially "banned" but ive had to ban them once or twice for shilling and pushing their crap here a while back....

[DJ Kae Dae]

Yeah, they're based in Los Angeles, I've been to their store to pick up a hose adapter. But that's as far as my business has gone with them.

[Hassouni]

[quote name='Josh Hamilton' timestamp='1287685752' post='485818']
no brand = no quality

[/quote]

Not true, at least globally. In the Middle East, most hookahs aren't KMs, Myas, MZs, Temsaahs, Elmas, Nours, or Nawras. These represent a very small fraction of what's produced, and a greater fraction than that will smoke really well. It's just much easier to market a brand vs a no-name for a Western market

[mushrat]

i have several no name hookahs that will put up against a km any day.