Hey guys, I'd just like to update you on the situation with Mike here. Everything went through smoothly until Mike received the package. Despite the fact that I checked the laser extensively before sending it and he claims the package came in undamaged condition, he's claiming that it was dead on arrival. I've asked him to speak with me numerous times on the phone now, and he's come up with what you you will find to be an outrageous excuse...
Here's a timeline of the events:
11-17-2009
202bigmike sent me a private message before posting on this public thread with an offer of $40 for the laser and shades with shipping included. Since I wanted to keep everything public, I asked him to post his offer on this thread:
11-20-2009
Michael posted an offer of $41.05 USD on this thread and won the bid.
After winning the bid, Michael sent me a PM asking me to send him a Paypal bill. I responded by asking him to call me before I sent the bill. I always like to get a call from the buyer or seller when I complete a transaction online because it makes everything a bit more secure. And plus, it only takes a minute or two.
11-21-2009
Michael responds to my request for a phone call stating that he is "not much of a talker" over the private messages and publicly on this thread.
11-21-2009
I should have taken the above as a warning that this could be trouble, but I conceded and decided that I would send the bill anyways without the phone call. I sent the bill via PayPal, in addition to a PM to Mike letting him know I sent the bill and asking for his address to be sure it matched the one on file with PayPal.
Later that day I received the payment of $41.05 via PayPal in addition to a private message from Mike with his mailing address in it so that I could verify what was already on file with PayPal.
11-22-2009
11-24-2009
Once I received the payment and the shipping details for confirmation, I boxed up the laser and shades and had it ready to ship first thing that following morning. I was going to get the shipping label at the post office but I decided to purchase a shipping label over PayPal for the transaction in addition to sending Mike a PM letting him know it would ship out first thing the next morning.
That following morning I went to the post office and sent the package. When I got home I sent a PM to Mike confirming that it had been sent and in it I gave the tracking number. I also asked him to let me know when it arrived at his place.
11-27-2009
This was the day that the package arrived both according to Mike and the USPS tracking service. You can track the package with this tracking number (9101128882300896460048), here:
USPS - Track & Confirm - Put our delivery information to work for you
The USPS confirmed the package was delivered on this day.
Michael sent me a PM. This is where it all went down hill. Michael claimed that the laser was not working on arrival despite the fact that I extensively tested it just minutes before I placed it in the packaging and it was working fantastic. I asked him if he was still having the issues and whether or not the package looked damaged when he received it.
11-30-2009
Michael responded to the above stating that package was not damaged on arrival, and that everything looked good but the laser didn't work. My first response, CALL ME.
In response to this, Michael sent me an email to
magelord451@aim.com (my paypal email) saying that he sent me two text messages (I don't do text messages on that line) and that he can't talk on the phone because...because...get this...
he has a "throat" problem. OKAY, a throat problem? Really? REALLY? He claims there is "really no reason to talk", and he wants me to refund his money first and THEN he will send me back the laser and shades. I don't think that sounds like a good idea to me because my best bet is that he's having a great time popping balloons and lighting matches and hoping he'll get it all for free when I send his money back and he never responds to me again.
Here's the bottom line. If Michael feels there's no real reason to "talk" on the phone with me and that I should as the seller send his money back without talking to him and take his word for it after all of this that he'll send the laser and shades back I'm not going to refund his money. He purchased a perfectly good working laser and he knows it, however he's trying to pull a sheet over my head.
I don't have time for this. I'm a good, hardworking guy who's never stolen for anybody and I know karma will come back to you Mike.
All the best,
Vaughan
PS: Forum members, please share your thoughts. What should/can I do?