Dang it I'm stupid.

Maybe offer a small Paypal deposit in the future for the seller to hold, then if he backs out you can whup him or sue him......

I don't think you are stupid. You did nothing wrong.
The seller is someone you don't want to deal with anyway.

Bummer, I understand guys not wanting to accept full payment via PP, but just a small amount to show good faith should be standard. Should have told him to get with the times and start an account, oh well.

You aren't stupid (although someone will chime in and say "first with cash wins"). The guy selling has no morals.

You aren't stupid. That seller is an asshole. Looks like he told you twice its yours. Came back after the first time asking for more money! Thats a red flag.

'hey man, uh, I know we agreed on a price... but Im a huge asshole and I want more money'

THEN even after he gets that from you he still sells it to another person? ASSHOLE.

This sucks every time it happens, sadly this has become the norm on Craigslist and Kijiji. People selling don't give a s**t and will sell to whomever gives them the most money regardless if they've already come to an agreement with another buyer.

You should get into the mindset of, it's not yours until the machine is in your car. That should save you from another incident like this later on.

That's messed up, man. Don't beat yourself up about it. Sure, it's a loss, but people suck sometimes. You just gotta get over it and know that you did everything in your power to get the machines. If the guy wants to be a loser, that's his problem, not yours.

That does suck, greed at it's ugly best. Thinking out loud about your scenario, if I was to get someone that did that to me (basically an auction by phone with you giving him a starting price), I think I'd say that I'll give them even more than the deal was worth (give him his pound of flesh) *providing* the game is as nice as they say it is when I get there. This might cut out other bidding. Since condition is in in the eye of the beholder and subjective to what you see, that would give an out to offer the original agreed on price (more or less) for the game after being seen and picked apart. The cash on the pinball talks sometimes (and it usually does). If not, you can walk away knowing you tried and feel better about it. If you think about it, that's probably what happened to your deal anyway (only with someone else).

That's the way to do it if the seller is close but it is much tougher to do if you're going to drive four hours or more and burn over $50 in gas. Not impossible - but tough to swallow if you come home empty-handed. Another reason why dealing with CL posters can be such a PITA.

viperrwk

I also called this guy about these games.

He had said he had some people coming on Friday for both of the games. Told me if I matched their price I could have them on Thursday. Debated on picking them up, but decided against it. Guess I would've been too late anyways.

Price for both games was OK, nothing like a steal or anything, but in the ball park.

He told me 1.4k for Slugfest and Soccer Ball.

Soccer Ball would be a cool score, but I don't care for Slugfest at all.

will never get into a cl bidding war for something. if they pull they crap, time to move on.

This hobby seems to have become a real cut-throat hobby. Potential buyers offering the seller more $$$ than their listed price. Sellers leading people on that they are going to sell the machine to you, only to back out because someone has offered them more money. It just seem that buyers out there will do damn near anything to beat the other guy to a machine. It didn't seem as bad just 2 years ago. It's really gotten out of hand lately.
I used to get worked up about the potential of getting another machine, only to lose out to someone else. I don't get worked up anymore until the machine is loaded into the back of my truck and I'm on my way home.

This seems to happen to us all the time in Central PA area. I can't tell you how many times I have had sellers on Craig's List do this over the past couple years. I think the thing that makes me the most crazy are the ones that think my gas is free and sell a machine when I am on the way to pick it up.

I really don't get it but I am getting to the point I really don't care anymore. With all the BS going on with this hobby over the past couple years I am getting ready to thin out the collection some and go back to doing something with cars again.

Crazy thing is when I post fully working machines, just shopped, boards repaired, etc for a couple hundred over what people are selling junk for I can't sell them. Right now I have 7 machines for sale in the $500 to $750 price range fully shopped and ready for a home gameroom and have not been able to sell even one of them. Most are listed for about $200 more than I paid for them broken & dirty - I just don't get it these days.

That entire scenario would have never started if some #$%^& did not offer the seller more to start with when he knew it was sold.

I had a machine that I was going to get a few weeks ago and the seller was holding it for me because I was the first to call. She asked if I was serious because there was another person interested when I called to get directions. Small world up here so I asked who the other buyer was. She called the other person to see if she could give a name and he said yes. Found out it was another Insider (Ak_tilt) who had never did me wrong. I told her to let him have a look before me but told her if he offered anything less than asking price I would come get it as asking price but not more. He bought it.

Most of the time around here (also central PA) its usually the same group of people calling the sellers and starting the bidding wars. The only way to "win" is to not hesitate when you see the ads. You need to jump into the truck and get there right away with cash in hand and haul the game away ASAP.

At least you didn't drive 4 hours one way to find out they had been sold - that really stings.

Its tough to judge ppl selling machines if you don't have prior experience with them. I can see both sides of the argument from the sellers perspective - cash in hand first gets you the machine vs making a deal and sticking to it despite sooner/better offers. It makes it worse when sellers try to combine the two like this seller apparently tried.

I had a similar situation with a seller on my Tommy a while back. I called first, immediately when it came up for a low asking price on CL. I said anytime, anyplace. They wanted to wait several days until a meeting time that worked best for them. They got many, many calls and messages offering over asking in the meantime. To their credit, they figured out it was underpriced but stuck to the plan. I basically was polite but insistent, reminded them that I was local, rolling with cash and a truck and very serious, happily paid full asking and thanked them for holding steady. I sent them pic's they asked for of their kids' high scores before I reset it.

Based on the stories you see so often with unscrupulous CL sellers, I figured either the game would be in very poor condition, I would get into an impromptu auction, or lose the buy. Worked out that time. I figure I'm due to get hosed next go round!

Yep, got hosed a couple of weeks ago. Went to see the CL listed game within 1 hour of posting. agreed to buy, gave $100 deposit - didn't take the game because it was raining. agreed to pick up the next day. Guy called me back and said come get your deposit, sold it for more money. Lame.

That is very sad...after all you left a deposit!!! Very bad form from the seller!

Had something similar happen.

Told the story at work, guy that's always chasing stuff on CL told what he does, as soon as he sees something he wants, he prints the ad and flags it. Figures that's one way to lose the competition.

That's close to fraud at that point. I'd be upset too.

I found a good deal on my Stargate but it was a 7 hour drive each direction. He said he'd hold it until the weekend but I didn't want to take the chance. I left at 2pm and didn't get home until 5am, but it was worth it.

I guess I got the good end of a CL deal. Found a JP seven hours away for way too cheap. Lady took $100 paypal deposit. Held it for me. I picked it up several days later.

What I love is when you give a fellow pinsider a deposit on a machine then they get a better offer and sell it from under you. Don't just shit on humans, take it a step more and shit on your family!!

I think there is a bit more to this story Gorilla? Still a little pissed?

On Craigslist you don't have a deal until your cash is in his hand and his game is on your truck. Phone calls and handshakes don't apply. Tail lights apply. When you're loaded and he sees your tail lights, the deal is complete.

Yes, it stings to drive four hours and not get the game, but it also stings to be selling a game and have the first three buyers make appointments and then never show up. The seller's time is worth just as much as the buyer's time and there are plenty of time wasters on both sides.

Cash and truck, first person placing an acceptable amount of cash into the seller's hand along with a truck to move the game gets the game. Anything else is wishful thinking.

Giving a deposit via Paypal is asking for trouble. Not worth doing. He could keep your money and still sell the game to someone else. Then what? There is always another game. If you don't get this one you may get the next one.

This sucks. However, it happens to everyone. The game is yours when it's in your truck. I've had people screw me even after paying in FULL with PayPal. He just refunded my money.

Words, actions, promises, payments, EVERYTHING is meaningless until the game is in your truck.

Which, again, is barely tolerable in the real world but just plain tacky from pinsider to pinsider.

That might be how it is, but that's certainly not how it should be!

When I say I'll hold it for you, I hold it for you.

I recently got a nice ST:TNG from a fellow pinside'r (pinballcharlie) and he agreed to hold it for me until I could get there 5 days later....and he did. That's how it should be.

Yeah but look at the example from TopJimmy. He actually placed a deposit in hand and had a verbal agreement to leave the machine due to the weather. Who wants to transport a pin unless it can remain 100% dry? So they both entered into a contract and the seller defaulted. That is just really, really bad form IMO. At least he got the $100 deposit back but still

I would love to live in a perfect StarTrek world where everone on earth was just Bill & Ted excellent to each other.

Sadly, when I sold motorcycles I had so many strokes walk through the door I became quite jaded. I learned quickly that when there was cash in my hand (or bank certified check) it was a done deal. Everything else was just pillow talk.

I have had so many people tell me they will be back to purchase something and I never see them again.

I have never had multiple people want the same machine from me. So I don't have a personal policy. But my feeling is this, first person with cash in hand takes it home.

I personally would be pretty pissed if tweedle dee comes by and says I'll take it, but I will be back friday to pick it up. Then I never see him again. Then Tweedle dum comes by an hour later with a phat stack of Benjamins and says I have cash right here and now.

So yeah, maybe dee comes back and you are a stand up guy, he gets the machine. Maybe your a chump for not taking dum's money, because it is right there in front of you.

Now, on the other hand, if it is a well known pinsider and she/he tells you "hey I want it, but can't swing it till friday" you agree, Then you hose them, well that is another story.

There is a big difference between a random CL dude and a well known pinsider.

Simple way around this dilemma. Post you will not hold the machine, first person with cash takes it. If first person shows up with no money, tell them they are taking their own risk if it is still there.

That happen to me i was going to up pick a popeye on sunday i made the deal with him on friday i had to work sat and on sunday morning on my way to the highway i called him to let him know i was coming he OH I SOLD IT LAST NIGHT

I agree it's bad form but it is not surprising. Don't rely on a stranger's integrity and you can't get burned. I have moved games in moderate rain in the past. If you show up prepared it's not a problem. Wrap that sucker up in shrinkwrap, put a tarp on it, and put it on 2x4s in the truck bed. It'll stay dry in most conditions unless you are driving a really long way. Or if you do this a lot then get a cap for the truck. Gotta be prepared if you want to get the game.

I act with high integrity with people I know. When dealing with strangers on Craigslist I have to go first with cash and a truck wins. I have had way too many people waste my time to bother with CL verbal agreements and holding games for strangers. I don't make appointments to show things, I tell people "I will be here from 3-5 on Saturday, if you want to buy the game, show up during that time. Call before you arrive to ensure the game is still here as there are multiple interested parties." I have wasted way too many saturdays waiting for buyers who never show up.

I will never leave a deposit again, or If I do I'm going to take my translight and mpu with me. Basically if I roll on a CL ad again I'm either coming home with it or forgetting it.

Rent a van if you have to. If you get the right pin at the right price, it is worth a hundred or so. You have to get face to face with cash and a means of getting the pin out of there at once.