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iamwilliam

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#304154 9-Apr-2023 13:14
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Helo all

 

I recently sold a phone on fb marketplace. Phone was reset and screen was working fine (as i had gone through the phone after the reset to set it up for the buyer).

 

Met up with the buyer and handed the buyer the phone to check (even told buyer to check while i wait) and after a couple of minutes, buyer hands me the cash.

 

About 2 hours later, buyer messages me on fb and says something wrong with the screen. I asked can you tell me exactly what the problem is? No answer until

 

next evening. Buyer says took phone to a phone repair shop and guy at the repair shop told buyer that phone had motherboard problems. Buyer then gets angry (sends me angry messages)

 

to get a refund, threatens to call the police on me etc. I felt pretty bad but at the same time its an older iphone and i sold it for cheap so i offered buyer to pay half of the repair costs

 

as long as i get the receipt because i did not want to meet up with buyer again (due to the buyer's aggressive nature) nor did i want the phone back (as it was already probably

 

fiddled with by the repair guys) and condition of phone is unknown. Buyer was acceptable to my offer to pay half of the repair cost that night (2nd night). Next day, i get a message

 

from the buyer saying the phone is not repairable and wants a full refund (3rd day). I say i am not going to refund in full but i am somewhat agreeable to bank in some money to the buyer's 

 

account (as i had already promised the buyer to pay half of the repair cost). After some back and forths, buyer was still angry and said will take this matter to the police.

 

 

 

My dilemma is i do not want any trouble with the police. I am not a phone expert and it could well be that the phone has motherboard issues being an older iphone 10, although the screen was working fine when i gave the buyer the phone.

 

Not sure on my obligations here. Any comments?

 

 

 

 


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gehenna
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  #3060614 9-Apr-2023 13:26
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It's Facebook. It's the wild west.



cddt
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  #3060616 9-Apr-2023 13:31
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Sounds like he's trying to take you for a ride. You sold it "as is, where is" and didn't provide any warranties or guarantees around the condition of the device. 


Wombat1
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  #3060617 9-Apr-2023 13:31
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Block the person on Facebook and move on.

Not worth it, they have no case because they took the phone to a “repairman” without consulting you. And you could have given them a refund before that. Who knows what has happened to the phone after they took it. Buyer was happy when they handed over the cash.



Wombat1
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  #3060618 9-Apr-2023 13:34
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gehenna: It's Facebook. It's the wild west.


To be honest, there are some things that I would rather sell on Facebook market place than trademe. Phones and cars are good examples because on trademe the buyer can hold you accountable for all sorts of things. And they have trademe behind them to enforce you to comply.

eracode
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  #3060619 9-Apr-2023 13:34
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Caveat emptor and the police would not be interested.

 

Did you meet with the buyer away from your home? To give us some sense of scale, what was the sale price?





Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.


networkn
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  #3060620 9-Apr-2023 13:37
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Wombat1: Block the person on Facebook and move on.

Not worth it, they have no case because they took the phone to a “repairman” without consulting you. And you could have given them a refund before that. Who knows what has happened to the phone after they took it. Buyer was happy when they handed over the cash.

 

This is the answer. Don't worry about threats to call the police, considering some of the fraud we have reported they haven't been interested in, magnitudes bigger in size, it's just not going to be a thing. 

 

 

 

 


 
 
 
 

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iamwilliam

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  #3060623 9-Apr-2023 13:41
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eracode:

 

Caveat emptor and the police would not be interested.

 

Did you meet with the buyer away from your home? To give us sense of scale, what was the sale price?

 

 

 

 

Met at my local supermarket store in the carpark. sale price was 300.


iamwilliam

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  #3060635 9-Apr-2023 13:42
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Wombat1: Block the person on Facebook and move on.

Not worth it, they have no case because they took the phone to a “repairman” without consulting you. And you could have given them a refund before that. Who knows what has happened to the phone after they took it. Buyer was happy when they handed over the cash.

 

 

 

This was exactly my thoughts and what i said to the buyer. 


eracode
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  #3060637 9-Apr-2023 13:46
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networkn:

 

This is the answer. Don't worry about threats to call the police, considering some of the fraud we have reported they haven't been interested in, magnitudes bigger in size, it's just not going to be a thing. 

 

 

There has been no fraud here. Buyer physically checked the phone, was happy and freely paid a fair, mutually agreed price.

 

IANAL but even in the highly unlikely event that something electronic happened to the phone after the sale, the seller is not liable because no warranty was given or implied.





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Ruphus
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  #3060638 9-Apr-2023 13:47
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Did they send you a copy of the report from the repair shop? Or do you know the name of the store the phone was taken to for assessment so you can contact them directly?

Sounds like a scam to me to try and get a free or cheaper phone.

iamwilliam

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  #3060639 9-Apr-2023 13:49
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eracode:

 

networkn:

 

This is the answer. Don't worry about threats to call the police, considering some of the fraud we have reported they haven't been interested in, magnitudes bigger in size, it's just not going to be a thing. 

 

 

There has been no fraud here. Buyer physically checked the phone, was happy and freely paid a fair, mutually agreed price.

 

 

 

 

Thanks ! phew.


 
 
 
 

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iamwilliam

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  #3060642 9-Apr-2023 13:53
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Ruphus: Did they send you a copy of the report from the repair shop? Or do you know the name of the store the phone was taken to for assessment so you can contact them directly?

Sounds like a scam to me to try and get a free or cheaper phone.

 

 

 

I requested (on the 2nd night) the report while discussing/offering the buyer to pay half of the repair cost (found out cost was around $160 to repair the logic board). Buyer said

 

will send to me next day but did not show me the report. Then, in the evening (3rd day), buyer sends me screen shots of receipts paid to the repair shop who tried to replace the screen (digitiser) but

 

diagnosed it to be a motherboard problem and this is where the buyer gets mad again says the repair shop (apparently buyer went to two shops) said they are not able

 

to repair it. 


eracode
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  #3060644 9-Apr-2023 13:58
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It’s not beyond possibility that the buyer is in cahoots with the repair shop. Is the repair shop a reputable outfit?

 

Unavoidably we all make first-impression assessments of people - and they can be valid. What was your gut-feel about the buyer when you met with him?





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Mehrts
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  #3060647 9-Apr-2023 14:33
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Tell them fairly but firmly that unfortunately it's their problem now, and move on. They were happy to pay an agreed amount for said item, even after physically checking its condition.

Second hand electronic goods are always going to be a gamble as to their true condition.

You've done nothing wrong, so don't worry about losing sleep over this.


Stu

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  #3060649 9-Apr-2023 14:39
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Common scam. As above, block and move on.




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