OT: Craigslist buying and selling

[LAAFTERHOURS]

Craigslist transaction gone bad – first the story and then some things on craigslist.

So I purchased a stainless steel set of appliances off craigslist but couldnt install them for a few weeks. The set included an electric double oven, dishwasher and overhead microwave. Since I dont know the first thing about appliances, I asked the seller about the items condition. He said the Oven was never used brand new, the other two items for two years old. They came from his investment property which was foreclosed on. I said I cant see if they work until I install them a few weeks later and he said you wont have any issues they work great. Fast forward to this past weekend. I hire an electrician to come in and install the oven. No problem, both heat up rather quickly. I install the dishwasher and turn it on – makes a loud sound but nothing turns over/ nothing happens. I open the thing up for the first time and the inside door has corroded liquid soap on the door, which has melted the plastic in the door. Call the guy on saturday and he says let me call you back (never does). So sunday I toss it in my van, roll over to his place and tell him we have two options – I wheel it out and give it to you and you give me 100 bucks or I take it with me and you give me 125. He says take it with you and I will call you monday with 125 (never happens). Now the guy refuses to pay.

A replacement dishwasher on the cheap from sears outlet is maybe 200 so by asking for 100 I think that was fair (i have no idea if the microwave works but running tests on that today). Mind you, the new double oven alone is worth 800. Im past the cash at this point but craigslist transactions in san diego dont go like they do in other big cities. When I lived in DC, craigslist was highly used and trusted. I have heard the same about SF. I always thought there was an unwritten rule that basically says stand by your sale or give a refund.

Anyone else have troubles like this? Its the first problem I have had with a craigslist transaction after using it for 6 years and using it quite often.

Should I do anything about my situation or let it go? Small claims for 200 bucks? Forget the cash and dump the dishwasher on his lawn (Not my style)?

Sorry if this comes across as a rant, Its not the intention. More of a thread about identifying sketchy people on craigslist. Cheers

[NotCranky]

I became reluctant to to buy appliances second hand, long before craigslist. I had a much worse story with a refrigerator ,which I got a 30 day written warranty on from a former captain of an air craft carrier. Sucker didn’t want to return my money when it didn’t work. I ran the serial number through product customer service and found he had lied about the age. He also did not disclose that he already knew it did not work,which I figured out. I threatened to get a friend and throw it in his front yard landscaping while making trips back and forth to my truck to honk the horn all the while screaming bloody murder about the bad deal, so his neighbors would know what a shit he was.He threatened to get some people to try to fire me from my job in Navy defense contracting.So… I told him he was lucky I was a nice guy and probably wouldn’t stick it through his plate glass window… but that he better give me my money back just in case. Yeah, that’s my style as needed. He had a guy come and pick it up from my house with a cash refund in hand.

I suppose if he wasn’t kind of “upper crust” Point Loma, I wouldn’t have had any leverage though. You need leverage unless you are willing to hurt someone physically, which I am not. No way I would have spent my time going to small claims but I knwo people who would go over whatever the minimum requirement is, out of principle.

Moral of the story,don’t buy stuff people can easily lie about unless it would still be a good deal with a surprise, or you have some low hassle recourse,hopefully short of something like throwing refrigerators at people.

Good luck.

[NotCranky]

I became reluctant to to buy appliances second hand, long before craigslist. I had a much worse story with a refrigerator ,which I got a 30 day written warranty on from a former captain of an air craft carrier. Sucker didn’t want to return my money when it didn’t work. I ran the serial number through product customer service and found he had lied about the age. He also did not disclose that he already knew it did not work,which I figured out. I threatened to get a friend and throw it in his front yard landscaping while making trips back and forth to my truck to honk the horn all the while screaming bloody murder about the bad deal, so his neighbors would know what a shit he was.He threatened to get some people to try to fire me from my job in Navy defense contracting.So… I told him he was lucky I was a nice guy and probably wouldn’t stick it through his plate glass window… but that he better give me my money back just in case. Yeah, that’s my style as needed. He had a guy come and pick it up from my house with a cash refund in hand.

I suppose if he wasn’t kind of “upper crust” Point Loma, I wouldn’t have had any leverage though. You need leverage unless you are willing to hurt someone physically, which I am not. No way I would have spent my time going to small claims but I knwo people who would go over whatever the minimum requirement is, out of principle.

Moral of the story,don’t buy stuff people can easily lie about unless it would still be a good deal with a surprise, or you have some low hassle recourse,hopefully short of something like throwing refrigerators at people.

Good luck.

[NotCranky]

I became reluctant to to buy appliances second hand, long before craigslist. I had a much worse story with a refrigerator ,which I got a 30 day written warranty on from a former captain of an air craft carrier. Sucker didn’t want to return my money when it didn’t work. I ran the serial number through product customer service and found he had lied about the age. He also did not disclose that he already knew it did not work,which I figured out. I threatened to get a friend and throw it in his front yard landscaping while making trips back and forth to my truck to honk the horn all the while screaming bloody murder about the bad deal, so his neighbors would know what a shit he was.He threatened to get some people to try to fire me from my job in Navy defense contracting.So… I told him he was lucky I was a nice guy and probably wouldn’t stick it through his plate glass window… but that he better give me my money back just in case. Yeah, that’s my style as needed. He had a guy come and pick it up from my house with a cash refund in hand.

I suppose if he wasn’t kind of “upper crust” Point Loma, I wouldn’t have had any leverage though. You need leverage unless you are willing to hurt someone physically, which I am not. No way I would have spent my time going to small claims but I knwo people who would go over whatever the minimum requirement is, out of principle.

Moral of the story,don’t buy stuff people can easily lie about unless it would still be a good deal with a surprise, or you have some low hassle recourse,hopefully short of something like throwing refrigerators at people.

Good luck.

[NotCranky]

I became reluctant to to buy appliances second hand, long before craigslist. I had a much worse story with a refrigerator ,which I got a 30 day written warranty on from a former captain of an air craft carrier. Sucker didn’t want to return my money when it didn’t work. I ran the serial number through product customer service and found he had lied about the age. He also did not disclose that he already knew it did not work,which I figured out. I threatened to get a friend and throw it in his front yard landscaping while making trips back and forth to my truck to honk the horn all the while screaming bloody murder about the bad deal, so his neighbors would know what a shit he was.He threatened to get some people to try to fire me from my job in Navy defense contracting.So… I told him he was lucky I was a nice guy and probably wouldn’t stick it through his plate glass window… but that he better give me my money back just in case. Yeah, that’s my style as needed. He had a guy come and pick it up from my house with a cash refund in hand.

I suppose if he wasn’t kind of “upper crust” Point Loma, I wouldn’t have had any leverage though. You need leverage unless you are willing to hurt someone physically, which I am not. No way I would have spent my time going to small claims but I knwo people who would go over whatever the minimum requirement is, out of principle.

Moral of the story,don’t buy stuff people can easily lie about unless it would still be a good deal with a surprise, or you have some low hassle recourse,hopefully short of something like throwing refrigerators at people.

Good luck.

[NotCranky]

I became reluctant to to buy appliances second hand, long before craigslist. I had a much worse story with a refrigerator ,which I got a 30 day written warranty on from a former captain of an air craft carrier. Sucker didn’t want to return my money when it didn’t work. I ran the serial number through product customer service and found he had lied about the age. He also did not disclose that he already knew it did not work,which I figured out. I threatened to get a friend and throw it in his front yard landscaping while making trips back and forth to my truck to honk the horn all the while screaming bloody murder about the bad deal, so his neighbors would know what a shit he was.He threatened to get some people to try to fire me from my job in Navy defense contracting.So… I told him he was lucky I was a nice guy and probably wouldn’t stick it through his plate glass window… but that he better give me my money back just in case. Yeah, that’s my style as needed. He had a guy come and pick it up from my house with a cash refund in hand.

I suppose if he wasn’t kind of “upper crust” Point Loma, I wouldn’t have had any leverage though. You need leverage unless you are willing to hurt someone physically, which I am not. No way I would have spent my time going to small claims but I knwo people who would go over whatever the minimum requirement is, out of principle.

Moral of the story,don’t buy stuff people can easily lie about unless it would still be a good deal with a surprise, or you have some low hassle recourse,hopefully short of something like throwing refrigerators at people.

Good luck.

[creechrr]

As Russell pointed out it’s all about leverage. Some people are concerned about what their nieghbors might think. Others my be more concerned with what you might do to them or property.

You also have to determine what it’s worth to you. How are you willing to push the issue?

I’d try to reason with the guy atleast once more. He may come around after having sometime to think it over. Then escalate as needed.

Also, the guy just might not have any money to return.

Have fun. Do whatever makes you feel better about the situation without getting yourelf into too much trouble. Anything that could lead to life sentence over this would be going waaaaaaaay too far!

P.S.
Try to minimize how much info about yourself you give to him.

[creechrr]

As Russell pointed out it’s all about leverage. Some people are concerned about what their nieghbors might think. Others my be more concerned with what you might do to them or property.

You also have to determine what it’s worth to you. How are you willing to push the issue?

I’d try to reason with the guy atleast once more. He may come around after having sometime to think it over. Then escalate as needed.

Also, the guy just might not have any money to return.

Have fun. Do whatever makes you feel better about the situation without getting yourelf into too much trouble. Anything that could lead to life sentence over this would be going waaaaaaaay too far!

P.S.
Try to minimize how much info about yourself you give to him.

[creechrr]

As Russell pointed out it’s all about leverage. Some people are concerned about what their nieghbors might think. Others my be more concerned with what you might do to them or property.

You also have to determine what it’s worth to you. How are you willing to push the issue?

I’d try to reason with the guy atleast once more. He may come around after having sometime to think it over. Then escalate as needed.

Also, the guy just might not have any money to return.

Have fun. Do whatever makes you feel better about the situation without getting yourelf into too much trouble. Anything that could lead to life sentence over this would be going waaaaaaaay too far!

P.S.
Try to minimize how much info about yourself you give to him.

[creechrr]

As Russell pointed out it’s all about leverage. Some people are concerned about what their nieghbors might think. Others my be more concerned with what you might do to them or property.

You also have to determine what it’s worth to you. How are you willing to push the issue?

I’d try to reason with the guy atleast once more. He may come around after having sometime to think it over. Then escalate as needed.

Also, the guy just might not have any money to return.

Have fun. Do whatever makes you feel better about the situation without getting yourelf into too much trouble. Anything that could lead to life sentence over this would be going waaaaaaaay too far!

P.S.
Try to minimize how much info about yourself you give to him.

[creechrr]

As Russell pointed out it’s all about leverage. Some people are concerned about what their nieghbors might think. Others my be more concerned with what you might do to them or property.

You also have to determine what it’s worth to you. How are you willing to push the issue?

I’d try to reason with the guy atleast once more. He may come around after having sometime to think it over. Then escalate as needed.

Also, the guy just might not have any money to return.

Have fun. Do whatever makes you feel better about the situation without getting yourelf into too much trouble. Anything that could lead to life sentence over this would be going waaaaaaaay too far!

P.S.
Try to minimize how much info about yourself you give to him.

[Coronita]

If you have time, take him to small claims.

[Coronita]

If you have time, take him to small claims.

[Coronita]

If you have time, take him to small claims.

[Coronita]

If you have time, take him to small claims.

[Author]

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