I have been looking for a china cabinet in craigslist for a long time. We don't have a very formal dining room and so I never felt the need for buying brand new for $1000 or more. The search has been on since end of April, but nothing has worked out.
In the meantime, we went to several houses, trying to get something that was reasonably well maintained and matched our existing dark brown furniture in the dining room. Finally, I found something that seemed to match (from the picture) and I emailed the person for more pictures. She sent it within 4 hours and I made an appointment to see it that evening. It was almost an hour drive from work, but I decided to go anyway. I got there and saw that the piece was reasonably good, although smaller than a regular cabinet. The color was not an exact match and there were scuff marks, but I had enough with all the searching and said I liked it. Shannon, who was the lady whom I was dealing with, said that some other people inquired about it and would I mind leaving a security deposit to hold it. I told her then that transportation was a problem, and I need to figure out how to get the piece home. She agreed that if it did not work out, she will refund the money back. I called R and asked him, and he said to go ahead pay them the money if I liked it. So I paid $25 as a good faith money and left the place. This was on June 8 around 7pm.
I came home, and the transportation thing became an issue. Friend's van didn't work out and U-Haul turned out to be too expensive and almost cost as much as the cabinet price. I emailed Shannon back on June 9 and told her about the situation. She emailed back immediately and said she understood and her husband would look around and see if he could help with the delivery and that she would put it back on the market. This was less than 24 hours before I left their house.
Three days later, I got an email saying she was able to sell it and she asked for my address so that she could send me the deposit back. I sent her back my address and waited. After all the back and forth, there was no response from her to my last email about when she would send it. I dismissed the thought and the days went by. 8 days later on the 20th, I sent her the following email.
Hi Shannon,
I had emailed you our home address last Saturday. I was wondering if you had a chance to mail me back the $25 I had given as a deposit for the china cabinet. Please do let me know.
In case you did not receive the last email, the address is
I received no response. 4 days later, I called her husband's phone number, which was the one I had and basically said the same thing in the email. He said he would ask her that night. No response. 3 days after that, on the 27th I again called and left a message. Again, nothing. Finally, on June 29th, I sent an email with a cc to her work email which she had given me.
Hi Shannon,
I have emailed you twice, and spoke to Bill twice as well. You still have not send me the $25 good faith money that I gave you to hold the china cabinet. On June 12th you emailed me that you already sold it. It has been 17 days since then. Is there a problem? It is bad that I have to keep emailing and calling.
And I got the following (part) in reply yesterday. Spelling and grammar mistakes verbatim from her email.
I mean you no disrespect as I am sure my words are going to be taken out of context; however, I must respond in this manner. When you left my home on June 4th, it was with the plan that you would be back that weekend to take possesion of the china cabinet I had listed on craigslist. At that time you left me a deposit for the china cabinet so that I would cancel the three addtional appointments I had scheduled for that evening. Thus cancelling any potential to sell the china cabinet. You then emailed me to let me know that you would be unable to pick up the china cabinet as agreed because of the travel requirements. I then relisted the cabinet on cragslist and was able a week later to sell the cabinet as described in my email on the 13th. It was in fact my intention to return your deposit as I asked for your address to do so. However the incesent phone calls and emails are bordering on harrassmnet. If you had left a deposit with any business and then backed out of the deal at your request, you would forfeit that deposit. With any business transaction that requires a refund it can take 4-6weeks for that to happen. I say this not to insue anger but yet to remind you to calm down. As I'm sure your life is busy; so is mine. Unfortunately with 2 businesses to run and a family to maintain you are not at the top of my priority list. It has skipped my mind on numerous occasions to send you a refund. In fact the envelope is on my desk waiting to be taken to the post office for postage. I have not however been able to fit into my day a trip to the post office when I begin seeing patients at 8am and stop seeing patients at 6pm. By the time I am anywhere near a post office, they are closed. At any time you would like, you are more than welcome to stop by for the refund. If I am unavaiable I can leave the envelope taped to the front door or if my childrens nanny is home she can give you the envelope. Otherwise I'm sorry but you are going to have to wait for my schedule to open up. If you have a paypal account you could send me an invoice for the $25 and I will be happy to refund the money in that manner as well
So I sent her a one line email asking her to put the money in my hubby's paypal account.
These are my questions, interpeeps.
1. Are 2 (polite) phone calls and 2 emails in 18 days reminding to send refund money borderline harassment?
2. What would you have done?
a. Forgive her. Vengeance belongs to the Lord
b. Don't bother, it is only $25 afterall. And anyway, you deserve it for being stupid
c. Pursue it. It is not just the money, it is the principle of the thing. Send polite emails and reminders
d. Take her to small claims court and send threatening emails in the meantime.
3. What should I have done different? Should I have waited longer before sending a reminder.
and now, MORAL OF THE STORY
Thou shalt not be stupid like me.
And this is how I feel like now.
6 comments:
Oh, sweet friend. Who knows? For Shannon, the situation may just be the last straw that broke the camel's back. I'm sorry the cabinet didn't work out. I know you've been wanting something.
And you are not stupid. (That word is not allowed *smile*)
It was all in good faith. You weren't able to find transport. She didn't get her cabinet sold when she wanted. I do agree that her email was a bit much. If she had time to type all that, wouldn't she have time to pick up a stamp during a grocery run? Or maybe she doesn't buy the groceries...
Be anxious for nothing...(preaching to sell at same time)
1. No.
2. B, minus the stupid part :) There is a point where you just have to calculate whether $25 is worth the time and effort and emotional strain.
3. Continue sending terse, 1-line emails if you have the time.
I am skeptical that someone with so little time can manage to send a lengthy email like that but can't take 30 seconds to Paypal the money or 60 seconds to get an envelope stamped. If she runs 2 businesses, she either (1) has a postage meter or (2) has access to stamps.
Also, she will have a tough time claiming you forfeited the deposit as it was she who offered it to you.
Wow.
I don't think you were being pushy at all! I remember dealing with stuff like this when I worked at the advertising agency, and I'd be calling people to approve the ad they signed up for. Argh! And I had to be professional on top of that, even when people were lying to my face.
Not to defend her at all, but she does sound extremely stressed and she probably wrote the email on nothing but emotions and probably regrets it. ;-) I've done things like that, and have felt ashamed later.
I think at this point, B might be your best option. It's easy for me to say that though since I wasn't the one wronged! Hopefully she'll do the right thing and return the money. Maybe in the future if something similar happens you can get it in writing at the time you make your deposit, and set "will return the money by x date".
I hope another cabinet comes along soon!
A couple years ago, my response would have been different that it is about the principle. But now here it is :)
Take the emotions out of this scenario. And put yourself in her shoes. A person comes to visit (she doesn't have to care how long we travel, she didn't ask us to) puts a deposit, and says she won't take it due to transportation (agreed it didn't work out but still not her problem again). Somehow the piece got sold and she gets on with her life. Now the other person follows up. technically she doesn't have to return the money, but she wants to, may be she just didn't find the time.
The thing is, small claims court is a drag on this thing. The whole emotions you went through is not worth it. Just an email saying "Friendly reminder to send the money back, here is the details. I dont want to be pushy" or something of the sort might have made things different.
I agree with people above on various doubts mentioned about her. But I think the lengthy email is more about emotion rather than having the time. I have a zillion things to post and quite some free time to sit and play my xbox, but I am too lazy to go to a post office.
No offence, just my 2 cents...
1. Definitely NOT harrassment!!! She is just being anal and bitchy. Sorry for the harsh language but taht is the truth of the matter.
2. Definitely keep pursuing your refund of the $25!! If she gets away with it now, she will always get away with it with other customers...and maybe something even bigger and more expensive along the way.
3. I would definitely keep calling and emailing until she gives back the money. She complains about it then you can tell the officials that she has refused to return your money that is owed to you. And show them the email she sent you as proof that she is supposed to send the money back to you. They will firmly tell her to hand it over to her and for her to quit being a snooty conwoman.
I don't trust Ebay or Craigs list or any of those sites for this very reason....you cannot trust the people selling the items.
We have all been in your shoes at one time or another. Let it go, she isn't going to nor do I feel did she have any intentions of returning your $$.
Post a Comment