Yes, what he said. Something is definitely up. Is going back to the seller an option? Whatever is currently wrong with it was certainly wrong when you purchased it from them. Maybe they will do the stand-up thing and at least give you some money back with which to have it looked at. Are there any bike co-ops in your area? They might have someone who is knowledgeable and can assess what is wrong and whether the fork is salvageable. They might also have cheap parts with which to fix it.