Craigslist trade issue and my solution?

GeneralElectric · #1 09-17-2011, 01:16 AM

So a guy came over today to trade my amp for his and a mandolin. We met through Craigslist and after emailing throughout the course of the day he came over to make the trade.

He tested it out in my basement and I told him that the power in my basement isn't that great (literally everything runs off of one outlet and a bunch of power strips plugged into it) and there is some background electrical noise.

I let him test it out with my stuff and showed him that you'd get the same problems with the other amps and basses in my basement since its got lousy power and makes pretty much anything kinda noisy.

I was very happy with the trade and I get home to find an email from him saying its broken, making all sorts of weird noises, and what not. He's unhappy and says he can't gig with it. Personally I'd want him to be as happy as me and sent him an email to try other outlets in a different room and see if the problem persists. I don't know what the noises are that he's describing but I'm assuming its the electrical hum. I used the amp on a gig last month with no issue.

I don't really want to trade back because I love the mandolin and I actually need it to get paid playing gigs. I don't think he damaged the thing because he seemed like a nice office type of guy and not like he's trying to dick me over.

I'm trying to rectify the problem and want the advice of you guys. I'm also more than slightly drunk and feel extra guilty at this point.

I told him that if the problem persists I'd pay for the repair if needed, although I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg because I'm pretty broke. The guy is located in Hoboken as well so maybe you folks can point me in the direction of a reputable repair shop if needed.

Does everything I'm doing seem fair, or should I just trade back if he asks me to? Advice anyone? I never try to dick anyone over and even though he's a random craigslister who doesn't affect me in real life, I've always tried to do the right thing but everyone I've met.

Longhair · #2 09-17-2011, 01:34 AM

He tested the amp out prior to agreeing to the trade. Trader's remorse has set in and now he wants you to make it go away any way possible.

The 2 words that you need to learn when selling or trading is this: AS IS

**jmattbassplaya** · #3 09-17-2011, 02:31 AM

I usually don't agree with LH, but yeah, as is makes sense now. You can only do so much.

GeneralElectric · #4 09-17-2011, 06:26 PM

Turns out this guy is also a TBer. He's having the same problem I had a few months ago when I had a dirty fx loop. He agreed to let me pay for the repair which suits me well. I love that mandolin!

fourstringdrums · #5 09-17-2011, 11:57 PM

He tried and he was happy. Once he brings it to his house, you're absolved of responsibility IMO. It would be different if he bought it sight unseen, but he played it in person and still agreed to the trade.

fhm555 · #6 09-18-2011, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

...He tried and he was happy...

This ^

I know the feeling though on wanting to do the right thing. I'd be in the same boat.

LilloEsquilo · #7 09-18-2011, 02:39 PM

It is a rough situation, no doubt.

I had something kinda like that happen. I was selling a laptop I didn't use anymore, I figured why keep it around so I advertised it for a good price on CL (I paid 1349 for it a couple of years earlier, advertised it for 350). The guy of course talked me down 50 bucks and bought it for 300, he tried it out before he bought it, everything was working fine.

3 months later he emails me hey man, the video card fan is sounding like ground up glass I'm going to give you the chance to make this right and give me my money back (he didn't say if I was getting the laptop back or not, dunno). I was like dude, you gotta be kidding. You tried it out back when you bought it, everything was fine then. I'm not responsible for what may go out in the future on it, it was bought as is with no warranty of any kind. (As the original buyer, my warranty was up, what do you expect lifetime free service?). I said, if you think you're going to pay 300 bucks for a laptop from me and get free lifetime service on it, you're nuts, I couldn't get that for what I paid for it, so as much as I hope it doesn't happen, if the hard disk goes tomorrow, I'm sorry, but it's not my problem.

Never heard back but I just couldn't believe someone buys something for a good price, but as is, and later when something goes, expects you to give them their money back. Are they nuts or am I just that big a jerk that it seems that way to me?

By the way, a fan for that wouldn't be too much money, IF you could find it. Finding it would have been more work than fixing it. I'd contact the manufacturer and see if they could help first thing, but that's another issue!

Elionjamz · #8 09-25-2011, 05:04 PM

Hi guys,

I'll chime in here as I am the "random craigslister" who generalelectric traded to. Andrew, first of all, thanks for being a stand up guy about the situation, as, like many of us, I have been burned on craigslist before.
I also, want to clarify that I am by NO MEANS trying to dick anyone over! I really just want an amp that plays well as I just moved out here from Portland and have just started my first NYC gig.
When I tested the amp, I heard a noise, but, as I was told, there was electrical noise and just figured that was problem, and, since Andrew seemed like such a good guy, I didn't think anything of it.

Once arriving home, I tried the amp through 2 different cabs, multiple cables and 3 different outlets, same noise. I also offered just to trade back and move on, however, GeneralElectric really liked my mandolin and offered to pay for the repair as a solution. Typically, I would give the same advice as LH, but I did try the amp in a very "uncontrolled" envronment and had I known the sound was not electrical hum as described, I would have never gone through with the deal. Thank god I am dealing with an honest TBer.