what to do about bad seller?

[shinjiplus]

i'm looking for your opinion on what i should do.

i arranged to buy an item from a user on the b/s/t forum, and we agreed on a time and place.

when we met up the item was clearly not in the condition as described, and on top of that, was damaged (luckily i noticed). the seller offered to repair the item and we would meet up again the following week.

he cancelled our meeting, and for the next 5 or 6 weeks i heard nothing from him, despite my e-mails. finally responding to a PM, he claims his e-mail server was down and to use another e-mail address.

we set up another meeting time, he cancels. twice. finally we agree on a time/date, i go, WAIT FOR ONE HOUR DURING MY WORK DAY, and he never shows. doesn't answer calls either.

i am obviously upset, but agree to go forward but ask for $20 for gas and wasted time.

for a couple days he doesn't respond, and when he finally does, (after repeated e-mails, PM's, and phone calls to his office and cell phone which i left him while waiting for him the last time) all he says is "no deal at -$20 off" (close to that).

what should i do?

i have already invested in several accessories for the item, and passed up similar offers waiting to close this deal.

[TinyTank]

name the seller!

[ttt]

you have his number right? find out his address and bring a shotgun with you.. :lol: j/k

you should inform the mod and others about this seller and move on with your life.

[devious9191]

Best idea might be to just get whatever item from someone else, so at least you didn't waste money on the accessories... personally I wouldn't push the issue too much. Some people are just retards and that's how it goes.

[wanted]

work deal to the max in your favor
then leave -ve feedback

[Emancipated]

I think you should give up on the transaction and chalk it up as a lesson learned. Then ask the mods to ban wanted for real for infinity. He's so annoying.

[DJXP]

depending on what the item was the situation can vary slightly. id say forget about, but possibly warn others as that is not good trading etiquette, and not someone id want to deal with, buying or selling. Yes I am picky whom I sell to as well. A lot of time wasters out there, all added to my do not deal with list.
Usually id say leave him a -ve, but heatware states if the deal doesnt go through then no feedback should be left.
Even if the seller were to offer me an incredible deal, i would not take it at this point.

[itsmypostoffice]

shinjiplus: you're too kind-hearted my friend and a new batch of RFD'ers are ruining it for many regulars. i discussed this in detail with RFD guys i've kept in touch with and it's difficult to pinpoint where it all started. there's so much bickering & low-balling causing a lot of friction.

you should cut your losses and concentrate on finding what you wanted in the first place. we're willing to lend a hand so don't hesitate to ask. forward any PMs that you exchanged with this guy to RFD mods and ask for a review, they'll determine what course of action is neccessary -- but you should also ask their permission to post your side of the story so you can warn others about this guy's poor trading behaviour. when you PM'd me about that 300m for sale i was happy to offer my opinion -- it's the least i can do for your earlier help (the students love your camera by the way).

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=191889

just so you don't feel singled out please follow this link and read about my recent trade...he was like school during the summer --> No Class!

[Shaner]

You forgot to include in your poll the option to ban Wanted from this site. I wanted to choose that option.

Anyway, I say just forget about it. As a seller, he's not really under any obligation to show up. It's common courtesy, but he's not obligated.

[Emancipated]

You forgot to include in your poll the option to ban Wanted from this site. I wanted to choose that option.

Anyway, I say just forget about it. As a seller, he's not really under any obligation to show up. It's common courtesy, but he's not obligated.


WHat?! He's the seller; he is absolutely obligated to show up. What kind of logic is that?!

[UrbanPoet]

your pretty much screwed.. what he did was really mean, but not illegal.
you could sue him if you want... for what? who knows... and for how much? (wasted time and lawyers) is it really worth it?
all u could do is

a.) keep on bugging him
b.) beat him up
c.) forget about it

(a) is an alright choice.....
(b) is silly
(c) seems like all u could really do... unless u wanna keep on bugging him.

[MrDisco]

if you didnt't give him any money yet then i would say back out. now. clearly he is not to be trusted - how can you trust what he's selling you? you're better off paying a bit more from a more reliable source.

[felix]

^ Exactly. And be sure to post who it is so we can be aware and not be the next victim.

[shinjiplus]

thanks for the tips everyone.

first of all, it was for a laptop, so i already picked up maybe $60 in accessories (extra AC adaptor and specific wireless adaptor). it wasn't too expensive, which is why i decided to pick it up.

secondly, the person works at the company which produces the laptops, and he seemed reputable. he said he repairs and refurbishes the laptops for fun, so i assumed he was knowledgeable.

anyways, you're right, i'm too nice. i'll give him a PM before i contact the moderators. i don't want to trash his name/account, even though i do know where he works, and people that work with him.

[i6s1]

Why not just tell him he's gotta drop it off at your convinience? No meeting during your work time. He comes to the front of your building or then end of your block at a time you'd be home relaxing, and he phones you when he gets there.

And then when he calls, you tell him you don't have the money (or the money isn't in good condition), come back tommorow. When he comes back the next day, don't answer your phone.

[Shingo]

Buddy your sounding way to nice man.

Notify the Mods with your side and move on and find the item your looking for from a more reliable source that will deliver.

Baseball is 3 strikes your out

Good Luck!


thanks for the tips everyone.

first of all, it was for a laptop, so i already picked up maybe $60 in accessories (extra AC adaptor and specific wireless adaptor). it wasn't too expensive, which is why i decided to pick it up.

secondly, the person works at the company which produces the laptops, and he seemed reputable. he said he repairs and refurbishes the laptops for fun, so i assumed he was knowledgeable.

anyways, you're right, i'm too nice. i'll give him a PM before i contact the moderators. i don't want to trash his name/account, even though i do know where he works, and people that work with him.

[shinjiplus]

thank you again for all your replies.

i gave the seller another PM/e-mail, in hopes that this is a misunderstanding. perhaps his cell phone, office phone, computer, internet connection, and ability to type (despite being a CS graduate) all failed at teh same time :evil:

i'll pm the information to moderator and post the seller's name if he should fail to reply. you're all correct, we don't need his kind around here.

[Keelie]

if its someone on RFD, please report him to admin/mods

[JohnB]

when we met up the item was clearly not in the condition as described, and on top of that, was damaged (luckily i noticed). the seller offered to repair the item and we would meet up again the following week.


First you should go back in time and not buy it. If the guy sells you damaged goods to start with you can guess how the deal will go - thats why you meet in person - to inspect the goods !!

Or secondly publish his name, cell phone# email and personal info somewhere online so that no one else gets ripped off again.

Call and complain to his boss at work 5 or 6 times a day, call his house and girlfriend and landlord.

Call the company directly and complain to the CEO that hes selling broken refurbed stuff using the companies good name as a front, etc.

Or thirdly, if youre kind of timid and dont want a confrontation, write it off as a lesson learned, leave the guy alone and buy a better/working laptop somewhere else.