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Selling on Craigslist...what is fair?


LarlaB
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We’ve bought and sold many times using Craigslist- namely cars.

 

We are selling our hot tub. Or i should say we sold it. We were not asking a lot ($600) as we just want it gone- the frame/sides need replacing but the shell is in perfect condition with new heater and control panel and newish cover. Plus $100 in chemicals.

 

Several people were very interested. One guy sent the full $600 via Venmo the night he saw it and made arrangements to have a hot tub mover come pick it up the next week.

 

So, the night before the mover came, DH drained and cleaned the tub, removed wiring and electrical box plus cutting wiring to the house.

 

The hot tub mover said he couldn’t/wouldn’t move it as it would need to be partially dissembled. He’s right. He said “no one else would move it eitherâ€.

 

Buyer decides he doesn’t have time for this and sent a Venmo refund request. That’s it. Literally said the guy can’t move it and buyer doesn’t have time for this. Sigh.

 

So.....What is fair?

 

This was a rock bottom sell-it-asap price. The guy could pay $1k to have it relocated and still have a great deal. His choice. He owns it. But it’s sitting here still. DH offered him a partial refund of $350 because it’s unlikely we can sell it. We are now stuck with an unworking unwired hot tub that we couldn’t turn on to demonstrate working condition, even if we wanted too.

 

So what is fair? No refund? Partial refund? Full refund?

Edited by LarlaB
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You can’t sell it to someone else because of getting it ready for him? That’s a tough one. Normally I would say full refund. But if In getting it ready for him, you made it less sellable, I can see why you don’t want to refund him. What do Venmo payment policies say? Can he contest the charge with them?

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You can’t sell it to someone else because of getting it ready for him? That’s a tough one. Normally I would say full refund. But if In getting it ready for him, you made it less sellable, I can see why you don’t want to refund him. What do Venmo payment policies say? Can he contest the charge with them?

 

Yeah, see, there's the hang-up.  I'm not familiar with Venmo but I have a Paypal business account and Paypal would pull the money, put it in limbo, require you to prove he got it, etc.  

 

So, most likely, you are 100% on the hook for a refund regardless.

 

Your best bet is to offer to disassemble (because you said it can't be sold to someone else in this condition) and make an attempt to follow through with the sale.

Otherwise I suspect Venmo won't give you a choice - they'll just pull it from your account so you might as well make it as pleasant as possible, even if it stinks.  (And it DOES stink - all the draining and effort and time and now you're in a worse spot than you started.  I am very sympathetic.  But, practically, you're better off making this sale work than being in a tighter spot with a new sale and not being able to show it, kwim?)

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Yeah, see, there's the hang-up. I'm not familiar with Venmo but I have a Paypal business account and Paypal would pull the money, put it in limbo, require you to prove he got it, etc.

 

So, most likely, you are 100% on the hook for a refund regardless.

 

Your best bet is to offer to disassemble (because you said it can't be sold to someone else in this condition) and make an attempt to follow through with the sale.

Otherwise I suspect Venmo won't give you a choice - they'll just pull it from your account so you might as well make it as pleasant as possible, even if it stinks. (And it DOES stink - all the draining and effort and time and now you're in a worse spot than you started. I am very sympathetic. But, practically, you're better off making this sale work than being in a tighter spot with a new sale and not being able to show it, kwim?)

That’s an excellent point. I have never used Venmo, but I can’t imagine that they won’t refund the guy's money, so I think your best option is to contact the guy and try to find a way to get the hot tub disassembled so it can be moved. It doesn’t sound like he was trying to pull a fast one; it seems like he didn’t realize how difficult it would be to get the hot tub delivered to his house. I can certainly understand why he doesn’t want to spend an extra thousand dollars to get the hot tub moved — that’s more than he paid for the entire hot tub.

 

Realistically, isn’t there a good chance that you will have the same problem with the next buyer, anyway?

 

I do sympathize with you, though. What a nuisance! :grouphug:

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