RFM Buy Went South - Rant - Your Thoughts...

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Hello all,

OK, I have to tell this story to someone and vent my frustration. Please let me know if I'm off base here with my feelings.

Last week on Wednesday I spotted a REALLY nice Revenge From Mars on Craigslist in the Portland area. I emailed the seller and received high-res pictures very quickly from him. I liked what I saw so I emailed again and said I would call tonight to send me your phone number, which he did. No phone number in the ad.

I called and discussed details with him and it was the condition of game I was looking for. I agreed to his asking price and said I would paypal a deposit after we hang up. I then paypal'd him a deposit. I have another game deal going with someone else in the northwest and I wanted to contact him to see if he could meet me at the RFM pickup so I could get his game up to him. He changed his schedule for that Saturday - last Saturday - to be able to meet me. I emailed the RFM seller to get his address for directions and said I would call that night to firm up the pickup - this was last Friday.

Friday night I call to let him know I would be there Saturday morning - it a 8 hour drive one way for me - and I hear...'err, um, there's been a change of plans...I found a Invaders from Mars pin that I was looking for and the seller was interested in my RFM so we made a trade and cash deal...'.

WTF!!?? This asshat sold the RFM out from under me even though I had sent him a deposit on it and had made arrangements to come and get it the next day!! I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the guy (or maybe bitch slap the little bitch), but lucky for him technology has not advanced enough to allow me to do that. I preceded to tell him that is why I sent him a deposit on the game just so this would not happen and all he could say is '...uh, sorry man, but I really wanted the Invaders pin and this guy was willing to drive it to me...'.

He later that night refunded my deposit. I then had to call my other deal and tell him the trip was off. That put me in a bad position since he had already changed his Saturday plans to be able to meet me.

RFM's in that shape and for that price do not grow on trees around here, so needless to say I was, and still am pissed. I guess the moral to this story is no long distance craigslist deals since people's words mean little to nothing today. Just glad I had not already hit the road and found this out half way up. I probably would have just showed up anyway... I paid his asking price and exchanged money - to me the deal was done. Is it not that way anymore?

Never had anything like this happen to me during my 15 years of game collecting. This whole thing has just left a bad taste in my mouth for buying any more games. Am I wrong?

Thx for letting me vent and reading my rant.

Tom
 
Yeah, that sucks. You did everyone you could do with the deposit and communicating. This is not that surprising though and this stuff happens all the time. I have found with craigslist, if it is something you really want...you cannot wait. Not hours, or especially days, you need to get it right then and there and if you can't, just know that there is a good chance something like this will happen.
 
I would be pissed also, at least you got your deposit back, I'm sure
you can find a similar deal out there condition / price just keep looking
another one will pop up, what exactly is an "Invaders from Mars" ?
 
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Craigslist is like the prowling grounds for the world's best morons. The good guys seem to be outnumbered by an endless population of bad sellers AND buyers. I hate CL and don't even bother to look on there anymore. I feel your pain dude...
 
When you're saying Invaders from Mars are you meaning Attack from Mars?

Sorry to hear that but honestly these things really don't surprise me anymore with Cl....
 
I'm kind of surprised that you actually sent someone on CL a deposit for a game... although I guess you have *some* protection for this type of thing through PayPal.

What happened truly stinks though. The problem with CL is there are always people out there (buyers and sellers) scheming for a better deal--even if they have already agreed to a deal. My CL transactions are all relatively short haul, with cash in hand.
 
Wow, sorry you didn't get the RFM. RFM is such a great game, it's my wife's favorite pin. I am sure you can find another, it will happen. Good luck!
 
You're definitely not wrong or off base. I would be extremely pissed too. Some people just have no honor. I would say it's a trend in society but then I would be doing exactly what I'm about to tell you NOT to do which is let it get you down and effect your enjoyment of your hobby overall. If that happened it would be a damn shame.
 
Yea those don't show up very often... I think I saw that same one posted. Whats real interesting is that just today another one posted in the seattle area. probably not the same game but the price is good.

Makes me really have to think about my next pin purchase.
 
Don't let one moron ruin it all for you, chalk this up to the one time the guy turned out to be a dick. You got your deposit back, that's a lot better than most cases you hear about anymore. Like you, I'd be pissed, it would make me search for a better deal than with that guy, just to know my money went to someone decent and not a prick like them.

There's buyers and sellers like that everywhere, I had a few of those people contatcing me about the stuff I was selling, thankfully they went away and true individuals stepped up. Knock on wood, every person I've dealt with here, CL, Ebay, ect... have been good people. You can usually tell by the way they act, who to stay away from. Or the general rule of thumb, if it's too good to be true, then it probably is.

Cheer up chief, life moves on, and this means that next deal will pop up and you'll be ready for it. Things happen for a reason, be happy knowing that prick didn't get your hard earned cash :)
 
This is exactly why I will never buy a far away game on CL,too much time for some dumbass seller to sell a game out from under you.
 
This is exactly why I will never buy a far away game on CL,too much time for some dumbass seller to sell a game out from under you.

That's why it's great to have friends on here, near those places that can go nab them for you, before they get sold from underneath you.
 
Thanks guys for the positive comments....the search goes on.

Oh and yes, the deposit was with a credit card, so if I never saw the refund I would have recourse...the only way to fly with a craigslist deal.

Tom
 
Somewhere, on a pinball forum, the guy you canceled on is complaining about you. :D

Really, craigslist is awful. If you're not ready with cash in hand, ready to pick the game up as soon as you contact the seller, its hardly worth trying. You did everything right with the deposit and all, but still got hosed.

I always keep my searches within about 50 miles, but I know thats not feasible if you're looking for an unusual/particular game.
 
Yeah, you have a right to be pissed. I haven't had this problem before, but it's exactly why I limit the distance on my CL searches. If it's more than an hour or two away, in my mind there's just too much risk the seller will change his mind, sell to someone else, etc. and you've wasted all the time/gas for the trip.

Wade
 
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