In case it's somehow helpful... I am the person that bought the MET from Ben (the seller). And, I know Jason as well. I can't reconcile who said what when, when or how the dialog went sideways, etc. but I can say that my interactions with both have been friendly and I consider them both trust-worthy good people.
I was also very early to call after seeing the ad (10 minutes after posting?). I also had challenges connecting with Ben on the phone. I know he was at work when the ad went live, and was inundated with calls (problematic at his work). I called him a few times and was also hung up on (I presume accidentally) but I called back and we reconnected. He explained he was struggling to remember who was who, etc. so I can understand the situation.
The ad was clear about what was included, and that the price was firm. I'm a generally trusting person, so committed to buy it for his asking price and told him I'd pick it up as soon as possible. He accepted and changed the ad to read "sold pending pickup". There were no sneaky dealings, and no conversation about price. I beleive that if anyone else made Ben the same offer, they'd own it today.