Quoted from mrniceguy

I was hesitant to act like jury, judge and executioner...

Then you probably wouldn't of liked the Judge Dredd game...  

Quoted from sentinelking

Then you probably wouldn't of liked the Judge Dredd game...  

ZING!

So this is the original thread?

http://archive.maaca.org/s107351202.onlinehome.us/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1258202026/s-new/

Quoted from MrMikeman

First time I hear of a seller pulling something like this within MAACA.  Bad move..

Maybe the first time in public?  I heard of someone pulling the same thing with a Hyperball, just west of Toronto awhile back.  Buyer showed up and the game was already sold.  Doh!

Quoted from Monkeybug

So this is the original thread?

http://archive.maaca.org/s107351202.onlinehome.us/cgi-bin/Blah/Blah.pl?m-1258202026/s-new/

Yup, that's it.

Sometimes it's a sellers market and mess happens. Not a practice I would prefer to engage in but having said that if there is more interest in something than availablity of that item things can get wonky. Call it greed or whatever other motivation, friendship, loyalty or other motivational factors kick in this happens. It's not pretty but it happens.

I have done a lot of online transactions... and i gotta say, People who screw you in small communities get it in the end.  I've had deals go sour, shipping problems, unhappy purchasers and traders (in themusic area mostly) but do my damndest to make sure everyone ends up happy... pissing off community members in such a small hobby is pretty rough.  FOr me, it's not worth the dammage to my rep to screw someone over a transaction. maybe the seller is less worried about his/hers.

Quoted from necro_nemesis

Sometimes it's a sellers market and mess happens. Not a practice I would prefer to engage in but having said that if there is more interest in something than availablity of that item things can get wonky. Call it greed or whatever other motivation, friendship, loyalty or other motivational factors kick in this happens. It's not pretty but it happens.

Sure, things can happen or change, but there's right ways about going about it. I can't say what the right way to handle the situation would be in this case though since I don't know the other side of the story. It could be a very legit reason for all we know, and at least he informed mrniceguy that the game was sold, and didn't just find out when he arrived (that would suck huge).

CRAP!!!  I didn't know it was your Ottawa deal.  I didn't know you were going just for me!  I would have made other arrangements if I knew.  

To your point, yes, under the circumsatance after booking a trailer, hotel and doing a pick-up deal, the guy really screwed you.  I though it was a local sale.

You are a very respectable guy for not wanting to let me down and still picking my game up!!!!  All should know this!

Thank you!

shoot.  pick up my silverball mania at twilight zone and i will throw in $75 if its not out of your way.
  don't think sparky is done flash gordon yet.  but really i would be just putting things in the back room at the moment.  since i cleaned it all up.

Quoted from jonny_eh

but there's right ways about going about it.

Like I say not the way I would go about it but it does happen out there and little one do about it except chaulk it up for future reference.

Time and time again.....

Your experience sucks and the seller has little integrity (by English North American standards), but the value of integrity varies by culture and circumstance.  You can't paint everyone with the "cultural market standards" brush, but it has been my experience that if you deal in a foreign market, then you need to understand its cultural mores. This is not meant to slight anyone, its simply a difference of perception when it comes to "what's fair".

For example, we're all in a money bind these days, so there is little honour amongst thieves.  We have all been disappointed, you weren't swindled though,I believe that a contract is NOT binding unless money has changed hands; "consideration" is one of the conditions that need to be met before an agreement is considered a binding contract (I am not a lawyer) - so either you have to pay him money, or he has to deliver your machine for it to be a contract.

Reading the discourse, this deal had "back out" written all over it.  Despite his optimism for a sale to you, the seller warned you at least two times that first cash takes it, so it is logical to assume that a deal was brewing the entire time and that when it came through it was either logistically or monetarily more profitable to the seller.  Sellers get what they can get and buyers be ware. It sucks, but you are out a little negotiation time and some pride, but nothing else - there will always be another machine (take the ZEN approach, it will help reduce your blood pressure).

I agree with the rest here, either you hedge your own bets through deposits or posts that prove a deal is struck, or you RUN to get it, or you simply trust.  Some dealers are loyal to a T, some are loyal to a minor fault (which can be forgiven depending on circumstances), or some are downright sneaky snakes.  I think this sounds like the middle case to me.