It's tough. If you setup a specific time to come and purchase the machine, then I think the seller has an obligation to let you see the machine at that time. I'm not sure that was the case with this transaction. Perhaps the seller should have been more clear and said, "If it's still available you are welcome to see it, but I am not going to hold it for you without a deposit." Likewise, I'm not likely to hold it for someone that's still asking questions. To me that an indication they are unsure or want to haggle on the price. So in this case, if I were the seller, I would have probably taken the cash. Not specific to pinball, but in my area it seems like for every person that says they want an item only one in three will actually show up. There are also times when you can get flooded with offers and it's hard to keep track of who's who. There are of course exceptions to this. I know the person at all, including just an acquaintance on Pinside, I'm probably going to be more trusting that they will show up.