Gumtree purchase - not as described... (with poll!)

Conka on 08/01/2014 - 12:55

Hi All

I purchased a motherboard, CPU & RAM combo from Gumtree for $40.

It was advertised as motherboard being 1 year old and a 3.2GHz Core 2 Duo CPU.
I went to collect, and paid the guy.

Got it home, took off the heat sink, and found it was a 1.8GHz. Further inspection identified that the motherboard had a manufacture date of 2008.

Fraudulent advertising? Definitely.
Caveat Emptor? Certainly.

So, after contacting vendor and requesting that he return my money - he said "No"; with a lot of early morning SMS messages stating how I should seek counseling/psych evaluations and the like with threat of "escalate to a level I won't be able to handle" if I don't drop it.

Bull; meet red flag.

Given its only $40, what do you reckon?

For mine, it has moved on past the value of the money, and is almost at "value of the lesson" stage.

Petty? Probably. I don't want him to do this to other people.

Options?
* Report to Gumtree
* Police / Small claims - not worth the effort, but I'd love to see the vendor receive a scare!
* Bikies (Just kidding!)

I'm not saying its all his fault. On my part, I didn't confirm the goods properly before paying. I should have done that and this would have never happened.

Is there anything else I'm missing?

Poll Options expired

  • 44
    Gumtree Report
  • 7
    Police / Small Claims Report
  • 184
    Bikies
  • 28
    Live with it
  • 3
    Other?
General Discussion

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Comments

    • ThisJustin on 09/01/2014 - 12:02
      +6

      Why is 19 the cut-off age? If you can drink, smoke, vote & gambling why can't you make sure the goods you're selling are accurately described?

      This seller sounds like a jerk. At the very least I would report it to Gumtree. Too many jerks get away with being jerks because no one does anything about their jerkiness.

      • IrishPete on 10/01/2014 - 07:22
        +1

        You're right. He shouldn't be allowed to drink, vote, gamble or go to war at 19.

        People aren't mature at 19, they haven't learned all life's lessons yet. I am just being realistic, and in fact there's plenty of brain research to back it up. People at that age, and well into their 20s, don't always think about consequences.

        He needs to learn, so giving him feedback would be good. Blowing up what is probably his mother's letterbox, not so good.

        • Ughhh on 10/01/2014 - 11:38

          so giving him feedback would be good

          Like ebay feedback? "F- seller, gimme back money!!1"

          He's just gonna call you a f retard and tell you too piss off.

    • frinik on 09/01/2014 - 14:44
      +1

      You had software shipped from China expecting it to be legit?

      • IrishPete on 10/01/2014 - 07:19

        why not? sealed box. accurate photos. and underpinned by PayPal, except I didn't realise until after that it would be shipped so slowly. Even when it arrived, I defy anyone to detect it is not legit. It probably is legit, it's just the activating code (which is what you are really paying for) is not.

        • Ughhh on 10/01/2014 - 11:41
          +2

          You should be wary of any programs, cds and DVD movies coming from China that's a lot cheaper than usual, Slow boat or not.

  • MementoMori on 09/01/2014 - 10:55
    +1

    Yes, a tricky one. Similar things have happened to me.

    Honestly I think the best workable solution is just to PESTER him about it a sufficient amount so it wasn't worth his $40 to do it again, then simply move on.

    Most people will find the stress of this just not worth it.

  • BuyoTheCat on 09/01/2014 - 11:02
    +1

    At the end of the day, if it works, it is still a decent buy. Good luck!

  • Peck on 09/01/2014 - 11:18
    +1

    I agree with trying to get over it. You will still be pissed off a little, probably for ever and a day, to think that there are pricks like that seller out there. It is definitely the principle of the matter and not the $40. Don't make trouble for yourself by doing anything more. Forget the idea of harrassment etc. it might turn around and bight you.

    • blitz on 09/01/2014 - 11:59
      +4

      Having a bad day, Moots? This is very unlike you. :/

        • Janko on 10/01/2014 - 08:12
          +2

          Sellers can make mistakes, sure, this seller however didn't remedy his mistake.

          Should the buyer have also insisted on powering up the board, making sure each and every port and slot worked, stay there for 8 hours making sure it wasn't temperamental or have temperature issues, make sure it wasn't stolen,… how far do you go?

          Commerce would completely fail if a certain level of honesty can't be assumed.

        • MementoMori on 10/01/2014 - 10:00
          +3

          Hmmm… I'd rather live in a world where most people are honest and do the right thing and can exchange second hand goods easily and fairly.

        • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 10:40

          Moots, appreciate your point of view.

          I do take responsibility for my actions very seriously. I am not saying it is all his fault. I have a duty to make sure that what I pay for is what I am after. I didn't do a great job of that this time around.

          Likewise, I would expect that it is a seller's duty to ensure that what is advertised is what is provided.

          Having never been in this situation before, I was keen to understand what others would do/have done. I don't have a Delorean, so I can't go back and fix prior mistakes; but I can try and work out what to do next.

          I don't know what powers/interest the cops would take in something like this, and so I asked. I don't want to waste their time.

          In my opinion, the only dumb question is one not asked.

          Thanks for your thoughts.

        • [Deactivated] on 10/01/2014 - 10:50

          Doesn't matter - you not doing your due diligence doesn't change that it wasn't what he said it was and he should have taken it back. After all, if one person bought it then someone else would have too.

        • johnno07 on 11/01/2014 - 08:57

          The blame should lie squarely with the disingenuous seller. The only thing conka11 is guilty of is trusting the guy. I would sign him up for a whole bunch of embarrassing junk mail. Get free condoms sent to his house whenever they pop up on Ozbargain - addressed to "The Family".

  • Vmeisterkun on 09/01/2014 - 13:08
    +1

    Egg his house, put shit in his mail box (everyweek). Give him a lesson back.

    • Moots on 09/01/2014 - 13:18
      -5

      Karma

      The sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.

      • [Deactivated] on 09/01/2014 - 20:58
        +10

        Santa

        The dude who puts presents under your tree at christmas time.

        • illz on 10/01/2014 - 16:43
          -4

          LOL @ Santa!

          Anybody that believes in Karma is delusional & retarded.

  • eediot on 09/01/2014 - 13:34
    -2

    It's forty bucks, just let it go. Seriously not worth anymore time or thought. Just think of it as a charity donation, helping to keep scum off the streets.

    • ThisJustin on 09/01/2014 - 14:12
      +3

      Err… How is it keeping anyone, let alone scum, off the streets?

  • BuuBox on 09/01/2014 - 13:52
    +1

    Got a copy of the listing?

    What CPU, RAM and motherboard did you end up with?

  • frinik on 09/01/2014 - 14:46
    +7

    Leave it for a couple months… he'll think he got away with it.
    Then start doing everything everybody else said.

    • Janko on 10/01/2014 - 08:24

      Then the most recent person he ripped off will get the full force of his retaliation.

  • redraoh on 09/01/2014 - 16:06

    I think it's a bit unreasonable to expect a seller to know when their product was manufactured. I would interpret it to mean he bought it one year ago.

    Was the CPU overclocked? He might have thought it was 3.2GHz in that case if he never physically looked at it. Still, it's not your problem, he should allow you to return it for your money back.

    • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 10:42

      Fair point. It is my problem, because I purchased the damn thing. Not all people live by the same set of standards/morals/ethics

      No, CPU isn't overclocked.

  • cdeep0 on 09/01/2014 - 16:40
    +5

    i would sell it on Gumtree ….and buy another.

    • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 10:00

      Yeah; have certainly considered it. I'd get my money back (or close to), no worries there.

  • h0mbre on 09/01/2014 - 17:01
    +1

    Was it advertised as Core2Duo?
    Core2Duo was released in 2006-2008, ending around 2010-2011 I believe
    If he stated it was C2D in the Gumtree ad then I doubt he knew any better.
    If I saw an ad that stated C2D but only 1 year old, alarm bells would ring straight away.

    If it was sold as i5 or i7 then perhaps the intention was there to dupe you but just seems like an error on his behalf and further error on your behalf for not checking the CPU at purchase.

    • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 10:24
      +1

      For the record, this is the ad that was placed …

      Processor: intel core2duo running at 3.20 ghz
      Ram: 4gb
      Motherboard is only a year old, ram sticks are both brand new

      This is what it ended up being …

      CPU: E2160 http://ark.intel.com/products/29739/Intel-Pentium-Processor-…

      Mobo: uATX Acer (manufactured by MSI) Socket 775 (can't find a model number on the board).
      It APPEARS to be this (http://www.alikamarkets.com/products/Intel-Motherboard--E162…)

      RAM: 4GB DDR2 @ 800MHz

      So; there are 2 untruths in his tale: CPU is 1.8GHz, not 3.2GHz; Mobo definitely isn't 1 year old.

      • effgee on 10/01/2014 - 19:08

        3 untruths, I suspect. I tried buying DDR2 RAM about a year ago (from MSY) and was told "not possible - try ebay". So I'd be pretty confident the RAM is much older than 1yr.

        To me the appropriate response is depends on the seller's intent & attitude. Neither sound great, so he should at least cop a gumtree report. Much as ebay sucks, their feedback system helps avoid a lot of these issues.

  • AngelaShopping on 09/01/2014 - 17:13
    +1

    Post his details, SMS, & Emails so he can be spammed.

    • [Deactivated] on 09/01/2014 - 21:00
      +7

      keep his email on a sticky note next to your PC and sign up for every bogus thing you see in passing on the internet.

  • itbargainhunter on 09/01/2014 - 17:39
    +21

    Send him a post card and said

    "I KNOW WHAT YOU SOLD ME LAST SUMMER"

    • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 09:57
      +1

      love it!

  • Clain on 09/01/2014 - 21:06
    +6

    I personally found this "article" very interesting. Wondering how many people are reading through the comments sections and laughing…
    Anyways, thanks for the post and now I know that it is always good to double-check before paying.

  • Kempe on 10/01/2014 - 00:02
    +2

    Hmmm, I'm one of the old school, I would batter shit out of him and see if he likes that escalation if he threatened me

  • stickyfingers on 10/01/2014 - 01:52
    +1

    I bought a Nexus 7 off Gumtree almost 2 weeks ago to be shipped. It's still not here and he's not replying to my emails (he was replying almost instantly when I was buying it). Paid using PayPal, filed a case today :/

    But hey, you're 1 up on me in a way, you've got his address. Fireworks anyone?

  • g2420hd on 10/01/2014 - 04:34
    +1

    I've only ever sold two things on gumtree: an unused wallet and a phone with a crack screen.

    i) The guy who bought the wallet didn't even look inside the box; had to remind him just in case so I can caveat emptor his ass if he changes his mind. (He was actually really nice !)

    ii) Guy who bought the cracked phone paid 50% deposit upfront…………Before I told him my address.
    (Also very nice!)

    Anyone with examples of what scammers try to do on the buy side? I only know of the paypal one where they'll just put a claim in after they've taken your stuff.

    • IrishPete on 10/01/2014 - 07:25
      +1

      there's the "accidentally overpay through PayPal" scam, where they ask you to refund them by wire transfer or bank credit, but the PayPal payment hasn't actually cleared yet. I know someone that happened to. Yes they are a little naive and always want to think of the best of people.

  • eatwell365 on 10/01/2014 - 07:59
    +1

    1. English phrase "Revenge is a dish best served cold."

    2. Hammurabi Code and Hebrew Law, an “eye for eye”. Better to interpret as "only an eye for an eye" actually means to restrict compensation to the value of the loss.

    3. Confusius says "Before you embark a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

    your choice is …

  • onlyletters on 10/01/2014 - 08:55

    Police wont do shit and Gumtree report wont do shit either, you should have checked all of this when purchasing. At the end of the day, you're dealing with Gumtree sellers.

  • rav_stk on 10/01/2014 - 10:10

    i'll not worry about it..its not fair but more practical choice. i recently bought an ikea table which was advertised as brand new..for 40dollars, new one cost 100..ok so i thought fair deal. i had to drive a fair way..but when i had a look, it was far from brand new.. lot of scratches, the door on cabinet was damaged as well.. but i took it as i had already spent fair amount of petrol on it and also time..

  • Conka on 10/01/2014 - 10:13
    +2

    Folks; this is where I'm up to at the moment.

    Now that I have calmed down somewhat; I'll do a Gumtree report and call it a day.
    Maybe he'll be banned from doing further posts on his email address/phone number? Who knows?

    In terms of the solution …

    I purchased this to replace the blown Mobo in my ~3 year old Home Theatre PC (HTPC) Mobo.

    The Mobo boots at least. CPU wasn't overclocked (so, the vendor was lying through his teeth in that regard). Haven't actually put it to work yet. The Mobo will do what I want, and it appears to take my newer 2.8GHz processor, but I'm limited to DDR2 (not a huge issue for a HTPC)

    So, I have a few surplus PC parts now that could be destined for Gumtree/Ebay (RAM and an ancient 2160 CPU)

    By the way; I love what a vindictive bunch of people you are! At this stage, a full 74% of you think I should get the bikies in. Anyone got a bargain for some enforcers?

    • Malarkey on 10/01/2014 - 14:05
      +6

      Mate, I'm in Brisbane too. I'll take care of this for you for $15. pm me if interested.

  • JimmyF on 10/01/2014 - 11:43
    +2

    Take it as a lesson… double check what you are buying and you are happy with it before you pay for it. Once you walk away, its basically all over. You are dealing with a private seller of 2nd hand hardware. As far as he knew he was selling what he said he was selling. Not everyone is a techie.

    At the end of the day, you have working hardware, you only paid $40 for MB/CPU/RAM combo. The RAM alone would be worth that much and as you said, you could resell it for the same amount you paid for it. So there isn't much of a loss to you.

    It falls into the buyer be aware and double check that everything is working and is what they say.

  • cmdwedge on 10/01/2014 - 11:46

    Go over with a big mate or three, with mobo and whatnot, and politely request money back. Speak softly and carry a big stick. Your mates are the stick.

    Hell, I returned a $5 video card because the heatsink fell off within 10 seconds, but the guy was completely reasonable and refunded with an apology.

  • weezlebub on 10/01/2014 - 12:08

    he calls at indecent hours of the morning, i'd suggest a couple of things:

    1st - remind him that you know where he lives, he doesn't know where you live
    2nd - request that he transfers 20$ to your bank account (and provide details)
    3rd - if no money hits the account, try salting his lawn or letting down his tires
    4th - get an app to block his number, buy a prepaid sim & whenever you're awake later than usual, start prank calling

    • Rode on 10/01/2014 - 17:28
      +1

      This could get you into deep trouble and cause unnecessary problems. Especially over $40.

  • lonewolf on 10/01/2014 - 12:44
    +1

    It might sound childish, but the minute someone threatens me / says i better be careful or he will take it to the next level etc, is exactly when i call him out on it and go to his house and ask him what hes going to do. I mean generally people who say that crap are cowards who will never do anything in person. The ones who will dont just go around writing about it on gumtree.

  • lycheetea on 10/01/2014 - 13:00

    You expect to buy that sort of specs with $40 dollars? Scammer only get greedy people.

  • zxcvb on 10/01/2014 - 13:40
    +1

    As someone said, the 4GB RAM itself is almost worth the $40. The other parts are a bonus. I recently bought a DELL Optiplex 755 C2D 3.0 Ghz Tower with 8GB RAM, 256MB AMD GPU, 500GB HDD for $125 and thought I got a bargain :(

  • illz on 10/01/2014 - 16:34

    What's his address and phone number?

    PM me the details if your uncomfortable posting them here.

    • Conka on 11/01/2014 - 14:56

      All good Millzy; I appreciate the offer though.

  • trinest on 10/01/2014 - 19:56

    If the dude payed by paypal he could just do a paypal claim?

    • Geewhizz on 10/01/2014 - 21:02

      I don't think you can put in a paypal claim though if you collect in person?

  • Janko on 10/01/2014 - 21:26
    +1

    Just speaking to a mate tonight who sold a kite surfing harness on gumtree but mucked the size up. I asked him if the buyer was pissed—he said no because he refunded his money and let the buyer keep the harness. I guess that's why he's a mate.

  • MrGrinchy on 11/01/2014 - 01:11
    +1

    I found a 3ghz + fulling working PC thrown out for free.

    Spend your time bin hopping looking for chuckouts in CBDs.

  • p1 ama on 11/01/2014 - 18:31

    Do police ever do anything about scams like this? Do they ever do anything about the pretty common "bank transfer" scams either? (Buyer sends money by bank transfer, seller never sends items).

    • wtfnodeal on 11/01/2014 - 20:45

      They hardly do anything if no one dies. Seriously, they are rubbish and waste of our tax payer money.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/01/2014 - 00:35
        -3

        Seriously, they are rubbish and waste of our tax payer money.

        Do everyone a favour and leave the country, thanks in advance

        • wtfnodeal on 12/01/2014 - 00:58
          -1

          I guess this is your first day in this country? Don't worry you will get to know them.

        • Tal_Shiar on 12/01/2014 - 11:54

          Your comment was unneccesary dude, cops are like any other demographic of employees… You get some bad ones, you get some good ones. I've been harassed by cops walking to work thinking I was a underwear thief and was verbally abused personally and professionally, but then when I've needed the police, I've gotten a quick and professional response.. But then I've been in this country for over 30 years!

        • wtfnodeal on 12/01/2014 - 16:17

          My experience with them is 1 hr response when people's lives at stake and reluctantly agreed to come over when the nearest station was only 5 mins drive away.

        • [Deactivated] on 12/01/2014 - 18:20

          Patrol vehicles wouldn't do much patrolling if they were always at the station waiting for your calls

        • wtfnodeal on 12/01/2014 - 19:44

          We called 000 emergency line. Is 1 hour response time reasonable?

  • lordezekiel on 12/01/2014 - 08:27
    +1

    I think you are all missing the value of spending his time on this, it is not just for the $40 he lost, it is more like a community service to make sure this scum doesn't scam another person - who knows, this might be the 27th person he has scammed and have weaseled his way out of thousands of dollars of dodgy sales…
    One can generally assume if someone is being a d**k head, that they are normally that way inclined and will do it it again and again and again.
    I for one am sick of seeing pricks have their way.

  • natman on 12/01/2014 - 11:48

    Maybe seller honestly thought it was a 3.2GHz. You should have asked for the model number of the CPU before buying.

  • michaelTito on 12/01/2014 - 20:49

    was he a leb?

  • vnt on 12/01/2014 - 21:19

    -The cpu clock is not right but motherboard manufactured on 2008, that does not relates to how long it's used.
    I can buy a brandnew motherboard in a shop but make in 2000. Or an old imac 2006 but has been used only 6 months.

    -Another point is… forget it as only $40… rather leave it and enjoy life…

  • Hotdogs on 12/01/2014 - 23:13

    its not worth your time

  • hvalac on 13/01/2014 - 00:43
    +1

    Dude, you just misread.
    core 2 duo running at 3.2ghz…. they can actually run at 3.2ghz it's called overclocking.
    remember the ad did not say it was a 3.2ghz cpu, it said "running at" 3.2ghz
    and…

    1 year old socket 775 mobo… from for - 5 years ago… gl with that.

    You fooled yourself and now your complaining u got duped.

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