Sold Item on OzBargain - Buyer Threatening Police Action

Hi Ozbargainers,

I recently purchased 2 Xbox One X's bundles only to realize I had no need for the second bundle.
https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/524064

So I put up a message saying I was selling it at cost price and was private messaged.
I messaged the buyer and we met up, It was a very cordial meet.

I had forgotten the bonus controller that was part of the bundle so offered to discount $70 off the cost (Which is the RRP price of a new controller) which I thought was more than reasonable and the buyer accepted.

I had advised the buyer that the seal had been broken and I had opened it to ensure the contents were all correct.
Game code and other items all sealed.

The buyer claims I sold him a second hand machine now and wants a refund as he believes the machine is 2 years old (Apparently serial says it's out of date) , He has advised that he will contact the police, My employer (Via Linkedin) and essentially anyone he can via my social media presence.

I've provided him the exact tax invoice that was sent to me and believe he should pursue it with Microsoft. I do not feel like I should have to take the purchase back as it was all made in good faith, I had offered for him to check all the contents with me at the meetup but he declined.

He is now saying I should take it back as it might be infected by Corona Virus and he doesn't want a second hand item.

What is my legal requirement in this regard?

Thank You

RESPONSE TO THE BUYER - https://ibb.co/r294K6b


11/4. Mod Note:

  1. Do not post personal details of other users. Guidelines
  2. User(s) who have an undisclosed relationship with other users, and used that relationship to artificially comment/mislead others, including false profile information, have had comments removed and account banned.

Poll Options

  • 968
    Ignore Buyer and Stand Firm
  • 222
    Take the item back and make a loss

closed Comments

    • +2

      I doubt it, My brother is fairly mature and regardless if he did and didn't confess to it, It's still me making the transaction.

      I'll cop the blame regardless, I'm just 500% certain that I didn't swap it around hence why I'm waiting on the buyer to confirm either the warranty date they gave him or the serial.

  • +4

    i have a serial number that is 003819180217

    and the expiry that MS told me from orignal registration was : 20 oct 2020

    • +3

      Very strange.. It might be a possibility that OP did inspect element and manually changed the date/serials as the date in the screenshot for the used device is written as 12/30/2020.

      That's not the Australian date format and certainly does not align with the two date formats of the newer consoles.

      • That's exactly how it shows on my screen.
        Already offered to take it back, I'll sort it out with Microsoft. Just needs to organize it.

        • +7

          Why does the serial number of the used console only have 11 numbers, compared to the 12 numbers on both newer consoles?

          HMMMMMMMMMMMMM

          I am still pretty convinced that you scammed the buyer (based on everything so far), and that those screenshots you provided have been tampered with.

          • -2

            @skido: That's OK mate, Like I said my conscious is clear and it's actually making me stressed dealing and updating everyone.

            The offer to the buyer has been made. I'm going to stop reading peoples judgements as it's messing with my head and there's enough shit going around to make this a big deal.

            Buyer can keep you all posted.

            • +10

              @ZackyD: so you got caught by tampering the screenshot and now saying you will stop reading people judgement because we all know you are a scammer?

              I don't see the rationale behind scamming someone while pretending to be a victim, unless you are a psychopath.

            • +2

              @ZackyD: Can you explain the fact that 00382017456 is not a valid serial number? Please provide a photo of the serial number on your device.

              Did you tamper with the screenshot? Why would you do that?

            • +2

              @ZackyD: I think that what's really stressing you out is that people are seeing through your lies.

              It's easier to tell the truth, maybe you should try it sometime.

      • +1

        I think you're wrong there. The format for all three consoles is month/day/year, i.e. the new ones are until May 12.

  • +21

    So curious about the screenshot that OP posted, then removed, then was rehosted by someone else on imgur:
    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8547273/redir

    I went to see if you can just check warranties for products through microsoft's website and sure enough you can:
    https://mybusinessservice.surface.com/en-US/CheckWarranty/Ch…

    Out of the 3 serial numbers listed in his screenshots:
    006609180517
    Xbox One X - 1TB
    Device Serial Number: 006609180517
    Standard Warranty: Expires May 12, 2022

    011097180617
    Xbox One X - 1TB
    Device Serial Number: 011097180617
    Standard Warranty: Expires Dec 3, 2020 <—— This doesn't match the date in OP's screenshots.

    00382017456
    This one is not a valid serial number.

    Now I've only just saw this post and have only caught up in the last hour, at this point I don't know who's lying and whether the screenshots have been doctored or the warranty checking website is faulty but this is all a very interesting read as someone working from home.

    • +5

      The warranty expiry date for the first serial number also doesn't match OP's screenshot, which shows 5/12/2023

      The system doesn't lie..

      • You're right I didn't even notice that, I'll update it.

        edit: Nevermind I can't update it cause it's been replied to.

        • +2

          It's unusual because XBOX consoles have 2 years of warranty. In OP's screenshot, the blue bar for the first two devices indicate its at the beginning of the warranty period and I don't think you can change that with inspect element. The second device warranty, as indicated by the system, expires later this year. This means, the bar should be at least over halfway… If OP bought two new consoles, they should have the same warranty end dates if registered automatically.

          Since the screenshot has definitely been tampered with, I have a theory.. Perhaps, OP found another XBOX ONE X (from online/friend) and used their serial number to fake the second one.. perhaps? The intricacies of (possible) scammer tactics.

          • +31

            @skido: I was bored so did some analysis on the screenshot he provided. As expected, he did a very sloppy job. https://imgur.com/CL2irZw

            • +5

              @dtxau: I haven't been following the full story. But I notice a rather suspect white line to the right of the serial number on the 011097180617 screenshot repost, like a careless MS paint job.

              What do people make of that?

            • @dtxau: @dtxau nice find dude! Rookie photoshop mistake from OP lol!

    • +5

      Ok there it is, end of the story. I confirm buyer's serial is correct but expiration date is 29 of Oct 2020.

      It was actually obvious what happened with the trail of clues.

      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8537211/redir

    • There is also the 4th serial number that the buyer posted. The date that website shows is different to what the buyer claims Microsoft told them.

      • Maybe this whole thing is fake and this is some kind of prank, but yea that's wierd too:

        003819180217
        Xbox One X - 1TB
        Device Serial Number: 003819180217
        Standard Warranty: Expires Oct 29, 2020

        What is even going on here.

        • Maybe Buyer slightly misheard or don't exactly remember but it seems close enough to the date he posted, 20th of October 2020.

          • @F1ProjectOne: Yea that sounds like a reasonable explanation.

            • @Neogohan1: Except where did the 4th serial number come into play? Did OP have an old unregistered device they put into the box or is this the buyers old device? Or did OP shop the pic?

              • +1

                @mapax: 003819180217 vs 00382017456

                Most likely OP changed the number in one way or another as it seems like Xbox serial numbers come with 12 digits but OP's third xbox only has 11 digits.

              • +1

                @mapax: 4th serial is here:
                https://www.ozbargain.com.au/user/221887

                The 3rd serial from the screenshots but isn't a valid screenshot so at this point in time maybe 3rd serial is a shopped version of the 4th one? Queue X Files theme is that too old a reference? sorry.

                • +1

                  @Neogohan1: I’m old enough to know that the X Files theme was by Mark Snow…

          • +1

            @F1ProjectOne: I was about to say day might be incorrect in my post but ommitted it for avoiding confusion. I had asked him/MS 2 times what day and he said and i captured what i could. SOmetimes its hard to capture these dates. And even month i confirmed again.

  • +4

    I'm not generally inclined to believe someone who threatens to contact ones mother, place of work and other personal contacts. What an immature and quite frankly, a real POS thing to do.

    Can't wait to find out who the real culprit is in all this.

  • +2

    Why can't the seller post a photo of the device showing the old serial number to clear their name?

  • +7

    IF the seller did scam… Why would he proactively post this thread on Ozbargain?

    Surely he would want this to be kept quiet.

    Hashtag TeamSeller

    Edit: Can't hashtag apparently.

    • +2

      pre-emptive strike, and it seems it worked on a lot of people.

      Like I said above, Why can't the seller post a photo of the device showing the old serial number to clear their name?

      • +3

        I don't think a pre-emptive strike makes sense.

        Situation: Seller successfully scams buyer. Buyer is now threatening to call the seller's mum. So, seller jumps on Ozbargain to launch a pre-emptive strike.

        Personally, I don't follow the logic there.

        • +7

          If you look at OP's opening post, he asks 'What is my legal requirement in this regard?' Maybe he was worried about the legal ramifications and wanted to know if he'd be in the clear to just ignore the buyer?

        • +1

          When you're some sort of weird psycho who cares a lot about their online rep and getting people on-side to believe your lies, it makes sense to me that you would want to get in front of everyone first to tell them your lies and hope they side with you.

    • +1

      I won't claim to understand the psychology, but I have observed similar behaviour in real life. Someone I know as doing something dodgy and got caught out by a person who threatened to expose them. The guilty person then started telling acquaintances a convoluted fiction to gain sympathy.

  • +5

    I'm 80% sure the OP is guilty of switching the Xbox with his old one. The evidence is overwhelming. He also seems to lack emotions in his responses to the buyer. Although to be fair, he was very calm when writing his initial post.

    The reason why I think there's a 20% chance that it was an innocent mistake. Who has the sheer audacity to post this to Ozbargain knowing the buyer is also active on here? Like as if the buyer would not see the post and give his account of the story. If you're trying to post to get information on how to cover yourself legally then surely post it elsewhere or change the story a bit.

    • +1

      Unless I've missed something, isn't it still a possibility that the buyer switched the console?

      • +3

        Screenshots have been doctored sloppily. This is enough evidence.

  • So is there actually something wrong with the sold Xbox, or just potentially old and no warranty..?

    • Missing parts, sold as brand new factory sealed.

  • +2

    Don't F**k With Cats has nothing on this!

  • +7

    Thank you everyone. Those who were in support, oposition, were critics and popcorners.

    It is never going to be same here. But it's as good as it gets. Have a great long weekend.

    Time for me to get another lesson.

  • +1

    Thank you for all concerned in this post. It's been a great distraction from the C- word.

    Also, popcorn retailers look to have done nicely out of it.

  • -1

    Buyer is very unlikely to find a new console at this price again.
    Would be a nice gesture if the seller accepted their used console back and gave the buyer the console with extended warranty.

  • +11

    This all a plot by the government to keep us busy at home

    • +7

      It’s working… I’m enthralled… hitting refresh on this more than my aus post tracking _
      What a drama that’s unfolded
      Days of our lives has nothing on this

  • +1

    Wowza, someone please do a TLDR, I don't have enough pop corn to last this thread.

    • buyer good seller bad

    • +2

      mate this is better than an average movie. go read the whole thing :)

    • +17

      tl;dr
      - buyer @randomstuff bought a "new xbox" from @ZackyD but suspected it wasn't new. Package was open, controller was grubby and buyer checked the serial number with Microsoft and it was already registered and warranty expires on Oct 2020. Seller blocks all communication with buyer.
      - Seller doubles down and posts a "screenshot" of his existing xbox serial numbers but then removes it, thankfully someone managed to re-upload it.
      - Detectives of OzBargain get on the case. 1 serial # is invalid, for the other serial #'s the expiry dates from the Microsoft site don't match the expiry date on the screenshot nor does the progress bar of the warranty expiry.
      - OzBargain Photoshop expert steps in and confirm sloppy photoshop job of screenshot

  • -2

    I'm so confused. The seller is offering to take the console back and give your money back (the buyer)? Why aren't you just accepting their offer? Anyone showing hate towards the seller are displaying no logic. Seller has offered up a viable solution, aforementioned from buyer themselves. As far as i'm concerned, buyer isn't as innocent as everyone appears to purvey.

      • +10

        All evidence is pointing towards OP tried to scam the buyer. OP is still saying he's a good guy. This is why they are being lynched by ozb member. Everyone hates politicians. This is no different a setup.

        OP raising hands and offering to rectify situation doesn't clear the facts of their actions. The intention to scam has been identified and is very transparent, people want OP to acknowledge that. Rectification comes second.

      • +5

        Ok ZackyD

  • +5

    Bargain hunting has been secondary to this thread of late…waiting for OP's replies to the accusations of sloppy tampering of evidence.

  • +11

    OP's mum needs to know about what her son has been up to!

  • +5

    Photoshopping evidence shows the POS you are. Take the old xbox back.

  • +10

    OP bought two, immediately decided he didn't need the second and would sell it, and yet decided to open the box for no good reason. Yeah, nah.

    • +3

      Yep that alone was a tell tale sign that this guy is a compulsive liar. Who actually buys two consoles just to "realise" he doesn't need a second one.

      • +1

        Story isn't believable to begin with.

        Also my instincts tell me that anyone conveniently loses a bonus controller is attempting to steal unless proven otherwise.

  • 2 packs of toilet paper for the Xbox

  • +3

    In this episode of judge jv…

  • +13

    LOL Never (profanity) with the OZbargain community especially when they have nothing else to do at home hHAHAHAHAH!

    0 chance you would have gotten away with it :P

    The fact that there is IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE that you photoshopped the pics is enough to convict you :D

    GUILTY!

    SHAME!

    SHAME!

    SHAME!

    • +1

      This place is great. Whenever I have a dumb day, I come here, raad the comments and instantly feel intelligent.

      • Oh, I see what you did there…

  • +6

    How do I change my vote?

    • +3

      Same here, can i unvote?

  • I thank the heavens for the extra long weekend, now time to make an essential trip to the grocery and hoard popcorn enough to read the entire thread. I'll spend this weekend to see if the poll result is fair judgement.

  • +2

    OP, can you just take a short video of your console serial numbers with a hand written time stamp? It will take less than 2 mins and might clear up some stuff, or cause more confusion.

  • How to undo or change the vote, Guys?

  • Good morning, coffee or tea anyone?

    • +2

      beer thanks.

    • +3

      Just water after all the popcorn I’ve had thanks, bit parched

  • +8

    Further evidence that OP's third screenshot was doctored - refer to red lines. The height of the last serial number is different to the other two.

    Was the serial number of the Xbox that the buyer ended up with (003819180217) there originally?

    • Is it possible that the browser rendering engine caused that as an artefact due to the fact that the last S/N does not have the same number of digits as the previous two?

      I'd eliminate that as a possibility by editing the html of the above two S/N to have the same number of digits and see if that impacts the rendering of the page.

      Would try it out myself, but I don't have an XBox/MS account to replicate.

  • +9

    Plot twist, OP and buyer are working together to troll the whole forum… :D

    Either way, what an epic thread… meme worthy for sure. Can see many a reference being made back to this one.

    • +7

      Further plot twist, OP is buyer AND seller…

  • +9

    To OP, You already had an xbox and it looks like you bought these 2 extra in order to resell for a profit, ok fair enough, nothing wrong with that. However, you got too greedy and you stepped accross the line. I want to say that was super ballsy of you to switch the xbox and controller like that and hoping the buyer wouldn't notice it.

    I have had similar incidents happen to me twice in the past 2 months, albeit with less at stakes. Each time they claimed it was an honest mistake but it's been happening so often that I don't believe such claims anymore. So I seriously start to wonder if those sellers successfully pulled such tricks so often towards gullible and unsuspecting customers that it has become a habit of their business. I would have thought Australia would be spared from such scammy occurences but even here it doesn't seem to be that uncommon, starting from the mechanics scam, reselling refurbished item as brand new, TechFast? I have some reservation on how they achieve such prices… . Now each sale, each amazing discount begs the question, is it really brand new, is there any defects? Anyone has had such experience happen to them?

  • +9

    After reading through whole thread the seller has clearly scammed the buyer and is hoping to get away with it under the guise of (you should have checked the goods when I gave them to you).

    First of all, why would buyer check anything if he expected it to be an unopened new xbox and you an honest seller.

    Second of all you should either take back the Xbox and refund the money or give him a partial refund(at least $100) for all this BS you have put him through..not to mention he now has your used goods.

    Lastly don't forget to cancel your ozbargain account and make a new one as you won't be trusted again and rightly so. Hope you learn a valuable lesson that it isn't worth it to be dishonest. One day it will bite you back harder than you think.

    • -3

      First of all, why would buyer check anything if he expected it to be an unopened new xbox and you an honest seller.

      Because its a private transaction, taking place in 2020 in a first world country. Not under some rock where we have no or little life experience to exercise basic due diligence.

      • No doubt the same neggers are also the ones who beg and post threads where they sign a contract without reading it.

  • -4

    Can't believe this post is not locked yet!

    • +2

      OP's mum isn't involved yet, story isn't done.

  • +5

    Why have you posted the option 'Ignore Buyer and Stand Firm' where you have blocked the buyer anyway? Seems pretty misleading to get the OzB community on your side where the truth has been unraveled in the comment section.

    If you want to sell your xbox, sell it at the CORRECT CONDITION, not mislead the condition… pretty much you sold the buyer an OLD and OUT OF WARRANTY used condition to profit as brand new. Plus what kind of seller opens the 'brand new' xbox to ensure the content is there? Once the seals broken, it should be marked as USED. If it's sealed and there's missing items, the buyer can just go directly to Microsoft anyway.

    Although personally I believe the buyer shouldn't have threaten you (tho I sympathies with the buyer because he was mislead by YOU) - I think karma will come back to bite you either way.

  • +51

    Spent a morning reading this entire thread, is it me or is Sammy78 and ZackyD the same person, strange how Sammy78's account was created to justify the MFD dates on the console, they way Sammy78 types and ZackyD types is far too similar.

    • +3

      Good point. One uses a 4G connection to avoid being suss.

    • +4

      Mate going back through this, it now feel like watching the sixth sense for the second time. So much of Sammy78's info, and timing (first comment was on 22 March - around the sale date?? to none other than randomstuff!) is dead set just like an alias…

    • And the ‘last seen’ times at the moment for the two profiles are only eight minutes apart

      • I’m not buying it, the evidence is too thin, at least for now. We need a mod to check IP addresses to see if Sammy78 is posting from Perth.

        • +4

          He's not from Perth, he undone that with this post.

          https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/8533415/redir

          • @mba: Well spotted. People can move states and Sammy didn’t mention when the NSW thing was, but that certainly is suspicious. A little too suspicious…
            Lol, we now need videos of serial numbers from OP, Sammy and the buyer.

          • @mba: Possibly she?

        • +20

          If you compare Sammy78's grammer to ZackyD's grammar they are identical, from the use capitalisation after a comma to starting sentences with a conjunction they are found in every post made by both Sammy78 and ZackyD.

          • +4

            @mba: It’s time for Sammy to fire up that vpn and make some posts from “Perth”.

          • +2

            @mba: Agreed. We rest our case your honour.

          • +2

            @mba:

            grammar they are identical, from the use capitalisation after a comma

            BRUH DEAD A$$. STREWTH!
            Looks like Zacky is (profanity) himself

          • +5

            @mba: The capitalisation after a comma that you noted is particularly unusual. This is very good evidence that they are the same person. If a moderator could please check the IP addresses it would be helpful.

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