Advice Needed - possible record store dishonesty

joegator81 · « **on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:09 pm »

Let me preface this by saying that I am absolutely bummed right now as this concerns the record store owner who got me into vinyl in the first place and I want to believe that this is a misunderstanding of some kind. However....

This store owner who I've always kind of thought of as a friend has been asking to buy my copy of PHISH STORY OF THE GHOST for some time now. He told me that he had a really good friend that wanted that record badly and he has never been able to procure one for her. I finally decided that I would sell to him because i'm planning on doing some system upgrades and could use a little extra cash to help with that. I asked for $140 cash and settled for $100 cash plus $40 store credit. This was on the 14th. I just checked his ebay page and he has it for sale for $210 dollars. He listed it on the 15th which one day after I sold it to him. Obviously anything could have happened. I don't know if this was a gift to his friend or he was going to sell it to her but I agreed to a negotiated price that leaves me with less cash than what I normally would have accepted based on a story that may not have been completely honest. Please don't tell me i'm having sellers remorse, I would be completely fine with what I got for the record if I thought I was doing a favor for a friend.

So, how do I handle this situation?

Thanks,

Joe

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:25 pm »

name his business on this forum and send him the link

thunderbrick · « **Reply #2 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:27 pm »

Stay calm. Print out the ebay listing, show it to him and ask "I'm confused. What happened to your friend? Did you find another copy?"

Tell him flat out you wouldn't have sold it except to do a favor for him and his "friend" and you want to reverse the transaction.

Simple.

joegator81 · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:29 pm »

Quote from: Art_Chicago on 17 Nov 2014, 05:25 pm

name his business on this forum and send him the link

Believe me, If were to respond at the same level of disappointment and anger I am feeling right now that would be exactly what I would do. I know I need to confront him to get the truth but just not sure the best way to go about it.

SteveRB · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:29 pm »

be straight forward and honest. Tell him you are bummed.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:30 pm »

Quote from: Art_Chicago on 17 Nov 2014, 05:25 pm

name his business on this forum and send him the link

Send him this link and tell him if he doesn't give you the disc back, that you'll post his name.

OR, you could simply post a link to his ebay ad and let us do the rest. BWHAHAHAHA!!!!

joegator81 · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:31 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 17 Nov 2014, 05:27 pm

Stay calm. Print out the ebay listing, show it to him and ask "I'm confused. What happened to your friend? Did you find another copy?"

Tell him flat out you wouldn't have sold it except to do a favor for him and his "friend" and you want to reverse the transaction.

Simple.

Yeh, I think that may be the best way to go. The "Stay Calm" part will be hard for me and my temper but I think this could be one of those self improvement tests... If I don't turn green and rip my pants I pass.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:37 pm »

And after the deal is reversed, strangle him.

thunderbrick · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:41 pm »

Yep, the ad is on ebay. Port St. Lucie, FL. This is gonna be fun to watch. Does he have a real store? Next time I'm in FL I'll stop in and ask him if he can get me a copy of that LP.

joegator81 · « **Reply #9 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:43 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 17 Nov 2014, 05:41 pm

Yep, the ad is on ebay. Port Lucie, FL. This is gonna be fun to watch. Next time I'm in FL I'll stop in and ask him if he can get me a copy of that LP.

Thanks for the laugh.

Yeh, that's the listing. I'm going to talk to him today or tomorrow and will keep everyone posted.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:51 pm »

Welcome to the music business. It gets worse. Don't take it personally. Just realize there's a bunch of sharks out there.

Doc

woodsyi · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:53 pm »

It's not hard to search E-bay to see who is selling the record for that money. He maybe unscrupulous in the way he gets records but he has great customer service for his customers who buy from him if 99.99% feedback on 10k transactions mean anything. He even has perfect 5 star on 8 transactions on Amazon.

Buy low, sell high -- he is doing business. I am sure he will have a story about his customer no longer wanting it and what was he supposed to do with it....

Sonny · « **Reply #12 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:54 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 17 Nov 2014, 05:53 pm

It's not hard to search E-bay to see who is selling the record for that money. He maybe unscrupulous in the way he gets records but he has great customer service for his customers who buy from him if 99.99% feedback on 10k transactions mean anything. He even has perfect 5 star on 8 transactions on Amazon.

Buy low, sell high -- he is doing business. I am sure he will have a story about his customer no longer wanting it....

Woodsyi,

I don't think the issue is Customer Satisfaction on ebay or "buy low sell high", I think the issue is the dishonesty saying that he has been looking for a copy of this album for another customer, not that he wanted to buy and sell it.

T

thunderbrick · « **Reply #13 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:55 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 17 Nov 2014, 05:53 pm

Buy low, sell high -- he is doing business.

I do that too. But I don't use fraud to get my stuff………..

He deliberately said he had a specific customer looking. That was a lie.

Sonny · « **Reply #14 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 05:56 pm »

Quote from: thunderbrick on 17 Nov 2014, 05:55 pm

I do that too. But I don't use fraud to get my stuff………..

joegator81 · « **Reply #15 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 06:01 pm »

Quote from: Sonny on 17 Nov 2014, 05:56 pm

Ditto, honesty is the issue here. And the simple fact that you don't screw over your friends. PERIOD.

Again, I have a very small hope that this is all a big misunderstanding... just trying to figure out how that could be.

woodsyi · « **Reply #16 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 06:04 pm »

It's a secondary market for used goods, guys. It's kind of like all's fair in love, war and used car sales. He paid out $100 cash and some credits for a record that cost what originally. He paid "good" money. I am not saying I like it -- it's just the way it is. Who knows, may be he contacted the lady who wanted it and she no longer wanted it (for $210). So he is selling it to get his money back. And if the market is $210 why would he sell it for less?

Sonny · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 06:07 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 17 Nov 2014, 06:04 pm

It's a secondary market for used goods, guys. It's kind of like all's fair in love, war and used car sales. He paid out $100 cash and some credits for a record that cost what originally. He paid "good" money. I am not saying I like it -- it's just the way it is. Who knows, may be he contacted the lady who wanted it and she no longer wanted it (for $210). So he is selling it to get his money back. And if the market is $210 why would he sell it for less?

Woodsyi,

I think you're missing the point. I don't care if he is able to sell it for $1000, it's that it seem that he got the record under false pretenses from a loyal customer!
That's my point.

RDavidson · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 06:14 pm »

If you are friends, you should be able to just talk it out.

Just be honest. Be like "Look dude. I see you're selling the Phish album on Ebay that I sold to you as a favor. Perhaps you didn't see that I was doing you a favor, but you mentioned another customer was REALLY looking for it and wanted it, which was the primary reason I sold it to you. I was trying to help the both of you out. I understand you have to turn a profit, but putting it on Ebay almost right away makes me feel that maybe your intentions weren't as you portrayed. If your customer found the album elsewhere or whatever, that's cool. If that's the case, I'd like to reverse our transaction and keep the album for myself as well as keep our friendship in tact."

As you may never truly know what his intentions were, it is best to just take the high road and in the future just not deal with him in this way. After all, I'm sure you'd like to continue visiting the store and make purchases there without any real ill feelings, right? There's no reason you shouldn't be able to "salvage" that part of the friendship.

rajacat · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 Nov 2014, 06:16 pm »

Quote from: woodsyi on 17 Nov 2014, 05:53 pm

It's not hard to search E-bay to see who is selling the record for that money. He maybe unscrupulous

Buy low, sell high -- he is doing business. I am sure he will have a story about his customer no longer wanting it and what was he supposed to do with it....

Simple. The next time time Joe is in his shop just offer to return the record. Wouldn't you do that? If it has been sold and his conscious is bothering him, he should show Joe the Ebay receipt and cough up the profit. Then he should profusely apologize and ask for forgiveness. This is just basic personal ethics.