[woodsyi]

What we've got here is failure to communicate.

Joe's friend is speaking a language called Used Car Salese and Joe is speaking English.  Small white lies are par for the course in Used Car Salese and not to be interpreted in literal English sense.  When you speak smooth UCS, every one you know is your brother and strangers are friends.  If you don't speak UCS, you can get totally the wrong information in UCS spoken places like used car dealerships and Oriental rug stores.

Thus spoke the Jaded one.

[RDavidson]

No name callings.    Nobody is perfect.

Yup. And we all have varying personalities. Some people are zero BS, others are all BS, but the majority here I think are in the middle. If you weed out the "strong" advice/opinions, you'll usually get the info you need without getting too frustrated. It's difficult talking personal stuff in forums too. I think even those who come across "strong" in threads on AC, are probably more even keeled in person than you'd expect.

[neobop]

ok, lets move on. I want to thank you all for your advice it has been very helpful. Hopefully all of this will either be just a big misunderstanding or at the very least completely resolved by tomorrow. Much appreciated.

You might want to decide what you want to do before you see him tomorrow.  Lets get real, you already know what happened, what he said, how he got the record, how much he paid, and where it's listed now.  The only misunderstanding might be in a BS story he'll give you.  Maybe he'll tell you flat out that he's trying to make a living and does what he has to do. 

If you were willing to let it go for some "friend", what's the difference if someone else who really wants it is willing to pay $210.??   I don't think it's about the money, it's about false pretenses.  You should feel sorry for the record store guy.  Look what he's willing to lie for, compromise his integrity for such a paltry sum.  He's pathetic, and don't forget you still have a $40 credit.
neo

[thunderbrick]

You might want to decide what you want to do before you see him tomorrow.    I don't think it's about the money, it's about false pretenses. 
neo

Good point!

[thunderbrick]

You should feel sorry for the record store guy.  Look what he's willing to lie for, compromise his integrity for such a paltry sum.  He's pathetic, and don't forget you still have a $40 credit.
neo

Sorry, no.  I'd rather buy something at market value from someone I respect than get a great deal from a scumbag.  If I get burned on a deal I have trouble overcoming the memory of the deal.  There's still dirty fingerprints that can't be wiped off………..

I'd sell or give away the $40 credit before I'd go back in there.    And make sure he realizes that other people will know.  Pathetic shouldn't get a free ride.

[WGH]

This is an interesting morality story. I have a friend who is an antique dealer, he frequently buys "junk" for pennies on the dollar knowing it's true value. People shopping yard and estate sales do the same thing, often arriving at 5:30 am to find the best value and listing it on eBay the next day.

Perhaps you are confusing friend and friendly, a true friend wouldn't double deal you, a friendly salesman certainly would, and did. If you have any more $200 albums you would like to sell for $100 I'll be friendly too. Remember this as a $70 education and it will serve you well for the rest of your life, besides you got paid - so far the dealer hasn't. His markup seems fair too, he has overhead, you don't - it's just good business.

[neobop]

Sorry, no.  I'd rather buy something at market value from someone I respect than get a great deal from a scumbag.  If I get burned on a deal I have trouble overcoming the memory of the deal.  There's still dirty fingerprints that can't be wiped off………..

I'd sell or give away the $40 credit before I'd go back in there.    And make sure he realizes that other people will know.  Pathetic shouldn't get a free ride.

Joe is the one who sold the item.  It's up to him how he should handle it. 
Maybe the story about someone wanting it was BS, but nobody got burned.  Joe got the money and credit.  No one held a gun to his head. 

[joegator81]

I'm not mad that I didn't get the money. I know I could take the chance on ebay and maybe get what he's asking for it. I doubt he even gets near that. The only GHOST records that go for that much money are sealed. Again, this is not about the money, its about honesty and if he did lie then he is indeed not a friend and will have shown himself to be nothing for than a friendly salesman turned conman.

I think I am going to ask him if his friend is happy with the record. If he says yes then I know he is a liar. If tells me some other story which may or may not be true I will have to figure out what to believe.

Again, for those of you who continue to insist that this is about getting screwed or burned out of $70 you are barking up the wrong tree or really didn't  read my original post close enough. There is no way I would have done that deal if I knew his story was a lie, if it were true then all would be well - REALLY. I'm starting feel like the Mel Gibson character in the movie PAYBACK.

[thunderbrick]

There is no way I would have done that deal if I knew his story was a lie, if it were true then all would be well - REALLY.

As it should be!   

[rajacat]

IMO its bad business practice as well as unethical to establish a friendly relationship with a regular customer and then lie to that customer in order to make a sale. Hah! The store  owner will probably lose more money from this than he will gain on the resale. I wouldn't ever patronize that store again.
Would it be OK to lie about the condition of a piece of gear in order sell it on Audio Circle and then just say "that's business"? Survival of the fittest? I guess if you have ethics you're considered by many to just be a sucker. Greed is good.

[soundbitten1]

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.

 You stated that you finally decided to sell because you wanted some system upgrades and could use the extra cash not that you were doing a favor for him or his friend that you didn't know. If his story was true you would be doing his friend a favor not him. Anyway you got your money for the upgrades and that was your motive for selling. if his story is or isn't true he still might be stuck with a record he can't sell (not at that price anyway).

[Bob2]

I would chalk it up to a learning experience and move on. I would not go back to his store.
Not worth a confrontation to me.
Be content with the fact your heart was in the right place!
Now make me a deal on something!

[Letitroll98]

I'm afraid I have to side with those who view it as a fair transaction.  There were two competent parties, the terms of the sale were completed, and it's pretty unfair to dictate what the buyer will do with the item after he's in clear, legal possession of it.  If the conditions of his selling the item was that important to the sale, you should have asked for that in writing.  Since you didn't stipulate that, whatever he does with the item is his business and not your concern.  In fact if it was that important to you, you should have offered to sell it directly to the lady.  Once you sell something to a business, it's a business transaction and any emotion post sale is on you.

That being said, there is a separate issue regarding your friendship with this person.  If that friendship hinges on one transaction for a small amount of money, it wasn't that deep of a friendship and we have nothing to worry about, just buy elsewhere.  Closer friends work out differences by talking.  Simply ask the guy why the record is on eBay.  Without a reasonable explanation you have a right to be pissed and can tell him so.  If explained reasonably, just accept it and move on with your friendship.  How he responds will be more important than exactly what he says, whether he shows concern for your position or not determines how your friendship is judged.  Friends screw up all the time and we forgive them because they care how we feel.

[JohnR]

First of all, bear in mind that if the record sells on eBay he's up for eBay and Paypal fees, so he won't be getting the full amount by any means.

However I think the solution is simple, just go back to the store and say you changed your mind and want to reverse the transaction. If he says the "friend" has it then show him the printout of the eBay item and insist (politely) on having it back. No point souring the water though, you might want to sell him something in future...

[gnuyork]

I would make a ridiculously high bid on the record, so nobody else gets it. Then go in and offer to pay for it in person, but "re-negotiate" the price. If he refused to play ball, then maybe a punch to the throat. Just kidding about that last part. Or was I?

[dminches]

I'm afraid I have to side with those who view it as a fair transaction.  There were two competent parties, the terms of the sale were completed, and it's pretty unfair to dictate what the buyer will do with the item after he's in clear, legal possession of it.  If the conditions of his selling the item was that important to the sale, you should have asked for that in writing.

The fact that the buyer asked the seller to do him a favor and sell him the record for a friend should not come into play here?  Do you lie to your "friends" when you want something?  Also, how many deals are secured in writing?  That is ridiculous.

This was not a normal business transaction, at least not from the seller's perspective.  He was helping his friend out, at least he thought he was.

[Letitroll98]

That's the point, the seller is wrong.  He's selling to a business and he knew it.  The friendship is a different issue.  That's why doing business with friends is a sticky proposition and should be treated with care to make sure the business side is kept separate from the friendship side.  That wasn't done here and you see the result.

[soundbitten1]

He was helping his friend out, at least he thought he was.

No he wasn't, in his own words the reason the seller ultimately decided to sell was to get money for a system upgrade, he said he had a friendly relationship with the buyer but that wasn't the reason for selling.

[dminches]

That's the point, the seller is wrong.  He's selling to a business and he knew it.  The friendship is a different issue.  That's why doing business with friends is a sticky proposition and should be treated with care to make sure the business side is kept separate from the friendship side.  That wasn't done here and you see the result.

So when a friend of yours asks you for something do you interrogate them or do you act based on the friendship?  Maybe the seller misjudged the friendship, but if a friend asks me for something I assume it is being requested in good faith.  That's why the person is my friend.



 

[dminches]

No he wasn't, in his own words the reason the seller ultimately decided to sell was to get money for a system upgrade, he said he had a friendly relationship with the buyer but that wasn't the reason for selling.

The original poster said "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."  That was a lie which means the album was sold under false pretenses.  If the buyer had said "I'd like to buy your copy of xxxx so I can sell it on ebay" I think it would be a different story.