Two arcade sticks?
I wonder if he tested them in the system?
I once bought a Sega Genesis with a bunch of games and accessories from some dude on Craigslist. When I got to his place, I saw that he had two wireless Playstation controllers and a base in the box of stuff. I told him that they didn't belong to the Sega but he insisted that he had played it with them and refused to let me leave them behind. I tried to show him how there was no way to plug it in. He said something to the effect of, "I don't know what to tell you. I've used these to play it and I know they work." He absolutely would not take no for an answer.
I still have them. They're "Docs" brand and no, to this day, they still don't fit the Genesis.