Advice Needed - Craigslist Issue As A Buyer

Sidekick74

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Hi All.

After a couple of texts here and there to resolve a dispute with my HyperPin, I finally had to open a PayPal Dispute with the seller. In short, paid for a HyperPin via PayPal before seeing the item. After picking up the machine, the seller noted that the machine did have some issues (Hyperpin menu didn't work properly).

After taking the machine home, the playfield monitor went out. I noticed from within the machine, the video card came loose. So, I put it back into place and whalla, the screen was back.

It was discussed before purchase that the seller would help me install new games when needed an tech support was always available. Well, this has not been the case. In fact, I've yet to get a call from the so called tech support after 16 days.

The seller seemed like a nice guy before and after purchase. It wasn't until the last couple of days that he went silent. All of his craigslist postings are off now. I was actually planning to take it back to him this weekend to get the machine fixed until he never returned my text messages. After speaking with my family lawyer, he told me just to request a full refund instead of a) getting it fixed b) trading it for another machine.

After thinking about this over and over again, it seems like the best resolution for me is to ask for a full refund. Oh ya, the seller told me after I brought it home that he offers NO REFUND.

Here's the kicker. I just opened up a paypal dispute and within 10 minutes, the seller texts me and follows it up with a phone call. The text basically states that he is now willing to trade my machine.

What would you do?

Get full refund or trade for a new machine?

TJ
 
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I'd get a full refund and move on. Buy a shell from one of the guys on here that makes new cabinets or the guy on the hyperspin forums and build your own.
 
I'd get a full refund and move on. Buy a shell from one of the guys on here that makes new cabinets or the guy on the hyperspin forums and build your own.

Agreed. Get out of the situation. Find it funny how fast he contacted you when the dispute came through.
 
I agree with the full refund. If the seller already sold you a shady unit, why would you even consider trading it for a different one? I wouldn't think he had anything better then what you already have. Let alone the fact he went into hiding/silent mode.

I have been watching a lot of threads on these things, and you can build one fairly cheap, but depending on the features the price obviously starts going up quickly.
 
I would seek the refund. What prevents him from going silent after your next non working trade. It may just be a ploy for you to settle the dispute and then you may not be able to raise a second dispute under the same transaction if the trade doesnt work out.
 
Thank you

All,

Thanks for the feedback. It was a little sketchy when he told me no refund after I paid for the machine. He told me the company doesn't accept refunds but he could talk to them.

Tonight, he says that the paypal dispute with put a hold on his account. This is strange because he said my payment went to the company.

Anyway, my only concern now is my family's safety.

Tim
 
All,

Thanks for the feedback. It was a little sketchy when he told me no refund after I paid for the machine. He told me the company doesn't accept refunds but he could talk to them.

Tonight, he says that the paypal dispute with put a hold on his account. This is strange because he said my payment went to the company.

Anyway, my only concern now is my family's safety.

Tim


He could have sold it for a company and used his personal paypal account to collect the funds and pay them.

I think he is pretty screwed either way. Even if he settles with you, I think they will keep all funds going into his account on hold for 30 days for now on (or for a while).

If your really worried about your family, I suggest you give him a choice of fix, exchange or refund. Some sellers would think the buyer is faking it to get out of the deal. Your going for refund only would lead a person to think that and maybe piss him off more. If you let him fix it, get a warranty from him in writing.
 
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The seller states that I won't win the case but he's willing to give me another pinball machine.

TJ

plain and simple.. if its a "not as describe case" YOU WILL WIN..PERIOD. JUST FOR THE ARROGANCE OF THE SELLER, ID TAKE THE REFUND AND MOVE ON.. "ETHICS" SAY IF IT BEGINS THAT WAY, IT WILL END THAT WAY.
 
I would take a refund and be done with it.

I'm actually surprised a craigslist seller accepted PayPal...so your lucky you have some kind of recourse. When I buy/sell on craigslist it is always cash only and as-is is assumed. But I suppose a virtual pin is a much higher dollar amount, so that was smart to do PayPal.
 
Thanks again!

After sleeping on it, I'm going to take his offer to replace with another machine. This way, he keeps his money and I feel safer because he isn't pissed off.

TJ
 
I would get the refund. If you got one pin from him that was junk then the next one might be also. He sounds like a shady person. Next time never pay for something without looking at it first and checking it out.
 
Good luck man. Hope the machine you get next works out for you. On the next one look it over really good before you take the machine home.
 
plain and simple.. if its a "not as describe case" YOU WILL WIN..PERIOD. JUST FOR THE ARROGANCE OF THE SELLER, ID TAKE THE REFUND AND MOVE ON.. "ETHICS" SAY IF IT BEGINS THAT WAY, IT WILL END THAT WAY.


Open the claim before the craigslist add is deleted. That bit me in the ass in the past. They would not go off of emails, etc. They had to see the original add. The seller had deleted it and I was out the $. I asked Pay-Pal what was to stop me from opening adds, and stealing $ and then just deleting the CL add and they admitted nothing was to stop me. It is a flawed system but that is all they could do without a court subpoena to reopen the records.
 
This is why I don't like CL: Too may shady sellers.

Best thing you can do is archive the CL web page (save, save as, arhcive, and print screen) before you meet the guy: That way you at least have a hard copy and a digital copy of the add page.

Then when you go pay and pickup the item:

1. Take some (digital) pictures of the item when you check it out. (You can use your camera phone or whatever you have handy.)
2. Use a pen to note any additional warranties, claims, and disclaimers that the seller makes about the item on the hard copy (listing page) that you printed out.
3. And, use a pen to have the seller sign and date the the hard copy (listing) that you paid for the item and that you picked it up.

Really, it's just good record keeping.

But, if there ever is a problem, and the shit does hit the fan, and you need to go to court or something, then you'll at least have some evidence (a receipt) to present.
 
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