Frayed Ends of Sanity - I've Been Ripped Off Online!

Motley Crue

So, here's the thing, I've been trading online on various sites for years....I'd say roughly 7 or so...and while I am no "Del Boy" I have made a few good sales, a few bad sales, and I've been able to catch a con in play more then a few times.

However, I recently purchased a portable games system from a seller on Gumtree, seller left the ad and I responded within 2 hours of him posting. Pictures of the item were left and it sounded legit, a few small scratches from wear and tear, nothing out of the ordinary. The price was a little low for the item in question but nothing they wouldn't get if they tried to trade it for cash with a company like GAME or something....so I felt that there was no real harm.

Anyway, I arranged to meet the seller last Friday night, and the transaction took place. As it turned out he was late and I was just about to leave when he turned up with his family - it was a 12yr old boy who was looking for money for his holidays - his mother explained they'd had a few people who posted offering money and then never showed so they wanted to come with him tonight and make sure everything was ok. So, I taught, fair enough.

I examined the unit in front of him, checked over it, tried a few things...and I gave him the cash. I didn't see any problems and everything checked out so I headed off. The family wished me well, offered me a lift if I lived out of the way, and that was that. That's when my trouble started.

First, when I got home, I realised someone had done some amateur wiring and replaced the plug on the power adaptor lead....rather to be safe then sorry I decided to use a spare power lead I had from my own previous console (which itself had broken). I turned on the console and realised the screen calibration was a little off, it was flickering a lot, and it seemed to be having trouble reading the games when they were inserted.....in fact, the console looked like it could do with a good repair. So I taught, it didn't cost me as much as a full price one, so I'll go and see a friend who repairs electronic al equipment and he might be able to help me.

Upon meeting my friend he told me the entire unit was a deathtrap. The screws at the base of the portable had been removed, so it had been opened, and some screws hadn't even been put back in. Next, the buttons had all felt as if they had been misplaced and essentially the unit was of no use and might have been overheated in my house if it was used with the plug they provided. Essentially, it was a no hope.

So enraged I texted the young seller and said I simply wanted to arrange to give him back his faulty PSP and receive my money back. No response. So I phoned. His father, whom I had not met the other night, answered the phone and said that I was to stop harassing his child. When I explained my situation the father said that they had seen me in a local shopping centre the day before and had to leave because they felt that I was going to approach them and harass them in the store? I have no idea what this was about?

I said this was absurd and I just explained that the console was faulty. He told me that it must have been my fault that the console was broken, to have some compassion as it was a child's toy, and then said if I phoned again he would call the guards. I explained someone had opened the unit and tampered with the electronics and it could have caused massive damage to my house. With that the call ended.

So, after that, I'd like to know what I should do....and where I should go? Legally, do I have anywhere to stand on, or should I just chalk it up to experience and that be that? It's not worth the hassle but I don't want to loose the money being honest especially since I've been treated in this way and accused of harassing a small boy

Nody

Buyer beware (for any private sales) - so yea chalk up experience and walk away is your only real option.

jor el

There is no consumer protection in a private sale. You were conned, it happens, but there's nothing you can do.

Their threats to call the Gardai could actually be true too, so I wouldn't go calling them back again.

How did so many problems get by you when you looked it over in the first place?

rubadub

Its not really an "online issue", just saw an ad online but met in person so its just like any old private buy from the likes of buyandsell.

Seems a very sneaky tactic by the parents, it could well have been the fathers who could well be (ab)using his son to sort of shield himself from any complaint. Even if it was the kids toy/scam the parents should take responsibility for his apparent deceit. Though it sounds like you didn't even turn it on and play a game (?)

homer911

Accept it, move on!

witnessmenow

Ok Firstly the PSP is going to over heat, it has no fans to begin with so it being opened is going to do alot

Unless your willing to escalate the situation so the law is involved there is nothing more you can do (and i dont think you will get ANYWHERE by going down the legal route)


Your only option are:

Get your buddy to repair

Sell it as (be honest about it!) - You'd be suprised how much broken consoles go for (its a joke TBH, there was a thread not so long ago where a fella bought a broken DS lite for €40-45 and parts alone were going to cost him another €30, which is madness when you can pickup a DS second hand for €70.)

tenchi-fan

I examined the unit in front of him, checked over it, tried a few things...and I gave him the cash.

That says it all really!!

jor el

witnessmenow wrote: »

Unless your willing to escalate the situation so the law is involved there is nothing more you can do (and i dont think you will get ANYWHERE by going down the legal route)

A civil case is about the only option, but the cost of solicitors, going to court, etc, could easily amount to far more than the cost of a new PSP and the dead money spent on the current one. You'd be in no way guaranteed a win either.

witnessmenow wrote: »

Sell it as (be honest about it!) - You'd be suprised how much broken consoles go for

Yeah, sell for spares. He might get €40 or so for it. Could be someone is looking for a screen for an otherwise working PSP.

tommy21

I wouldn't pursue it to be honest. How much did you lose? Probably not that much in the grand scheme of things. While you have done absolutely nothing wrong, these parents sound very vindictive and would probably only welcome the opportunity to raise hell in your life. Certainly do not contact the child again. You are fighting a losing battle here I'm afraid anyway, its their word against yours and as you have seen they have no problem being nice and presentable when it counts. This "harrassment" thing and apparently seeing you in a shopping centre (wtf like) indicates they'd have no problem accussing you of other things that would darken your name (again despite you having done nothing wrong) and even if you were declared innocent, that type of shadow always hangs around in my opinion. Obviously that's an extreme scenario, but with the unusual story made up by the parents I would not take the risk. Chalk it down to experience. I'd hate to let this scummy family (though the boy might just be under the parents' thumb so that's not fair to include him) get away with it but the risks of pursuing it outweigh the benefits.

I've stopped using Gumtree.ie completly, I've read too many bad stories about it and even applying for jobs people are out to scam you.