Rip-Off Revenge!

[XSJoel]

OK guys, I have never come into the lounge, but I am looking for some creative ideas and some opinions, help, hell throw whatever thoughts you have about my story in here. I have had some trouble with my cell phone, so I have been searching craigslist for a used phone that I could buy. I found one today and the ad said: "This phone is in EXCELLENT Condition. Everything functions properly on this device. It charges, calls, and surfs the web great!" Awesome, right? Wrong! I meet up with the guy and check the phone out, boots up fine and did 2 things on it and decided I would get it since everything seemed fine. I get home and call Sprint to activate it, and immediately upon trying to send a text or use the internet I can tell that it locks up and won't do any of these things without locking up after about 30 seconds. So here is the twist. This guy has other phones for sale on craigslist and I could call him from another number and set up a little meeting posing as some one else. That is where I am at. I could bring my old man out there and threaten to whoop the dudes ass, he brought a friend but they both seemed like little punks, so that is an option, but I don't know how I feel about it. I texted him and told him the phone was defective and he hasn't responded. What would yall do? Any interesting solutions? I would really just like my money back and give him the phone. And yes, I am aware that the purchase was buyer beware, but I have a feeling he knew beforehand that there were issues because they started as soon as I activated the phone. And I am not too worried about legality here, I am willing to bend the law to get things done. Ideas?

 

[tadd442]

maybe, just maybe he knows how to activate it? otherwise, I say go for the ambush.

 

[XSJoel]

Oh no, I got it activated without a problem. Doing anything with the phone after that is the problem. I am done with the phone, looking more for opinions on routes to take.

 

[tadd442]

Oh no, I got it activated without a problem. Doing anything with the phone after that is the problem. I am done with the phone, looking more for opinions on routes to take.

How about stopping in at a seller's store for a tutorial?

 

[XSJoel]

The problem I have is that a person off craigslist knowingly sold me a defective phone. I must suck at explaining, sorry.

 

[tadd442]

The problem I have is that a person off craigslist knowingly sold me a defective phone. I must suck at explaining, sorry.

I was just trying to help you get it to work so you could have him shove it up his ass & still have a phone that works....I understood you just fine. Good Luck. I still advise the ambush tactic.

 

[XSJoel]

Yeah, it should still be under warranty, so I am stopping at the store tomorrow to see what they can do for me. Should be fixing it for free since it is under warranty. I am waiting and thinking what to do with the guy. He sells phones on craigslist often, so I got time.

 

[littlebill31]

Put an ad in the local paper for something crazy and use his e-mail/phone number.
Like "2005 Harley Road King divorce sale. MUST GO!!!!!!! 4K miles, ect, ect. $5,000.00 obo"

 

[XSJoel]

Haha, yeah that isn't a bad idea. Might do that once I am done with the dude, as I don't want him to change his number just yet, that is how I spot his ads on craigslist.

 

[nj1639]

Send every free trial magazine subscription that you can find to his address, if you know where he lives.

 

[Ghetto]

If you have phone insurance through sprint you can get it fixed through them. All you have to do is tell them you have a new phone.


Oh and never buy phones off craigslist.

 

[danno]

Not exactly a glowing endorsement for "Billy Bob's Cellular".

 

[54inches]

Have you tried calling the guy and maybe he can help you out. I mean I am an adult and that is what I would do. Also, anything off of Craigslist is Buyer Beware. Things break, especially if they are used.

It does suck, but these things happen.

 

[pumps]

If you get the phone fixed chalk it up as a lesson learned and don't waste your time and energy on revenge. There are much more productive things you can do with your time. You say you have a "feeling " he knew it was defective. Maybe he didn't know . You'll never know for sure. It's never a good idea to take someone to threaten to whip a dudes ass over something like a cell phone. You never know who might pull out a gun and put a bullet into you ..over what? A cell phone? In my work I see people shot, stabbed etc over the stupidest shit. Just not worth it. Regarding bending the law..In my mind I'm thinking what a lawyer costs to UN-bend the law and get a guy out of a spot vs the cost of a cell phone. Just my two cents.

 

[XSJoel]

I do have the insurance through Sprint, and also since it's a refurb in the first place, Sprint should fix it even without the insurance since it was just refurbed 2 months ago. So I am feeling cool about that.

As far as buyer beware, I am all about it, but the guy's ad says specifically:

"This phone is in EXCELLENT Condition. Everything functions properly on this device. It charges, calls, and surfs the web great!"

I believe from a legal standpoint I would win in a small claims case, as the phone quite clearly was not in the condition stated.

I have texted the guy and he has not responded, not surprised at all. The kid was a younger preppy guy, seemed kind of like a "bro" type. He knew the deal because it wasn't 1 minute after I activated the phone that it was freezing and rebooting itself and does it any time I try to execute any operation on the phone.

Pumps: Thanks for the advice, I am familiar with people getting in spots for dumb reasons. About 2 months ago my father's coworker ended up shooting a guy out in AZ over a road rage incident. Father's coworker stopped for a yellow light, guy behind him got pissed, light turned green and my dad's coworker's truck "stalled". The guy followed my father's coworker, when he parked the guy jumps out and puts a gun in my father's coworker's face. Father's coworker pulls out his own gun and blows the other guy away. I don't really want to beat the guy up or anything, maybe do something funny or shady, just something to get back at him.

 

[gggGary]

If you were planning on "doing something" you should not leave a trail of premeditation on the web......................

 

[Ghetto]

Hahahahha

 

[Hairyblackdude]

I work for Sprint.

Tell me what kind of phone you purchased & I can prob help you get it straightened out.

Freezing & locking up is almost ALWAYS software related. Most phones can be hard reset to repair any such issues & fixes alot of problems like yours..

 

[XSJoel]

@gggGary: The good news is that I am not going to do anything where the local PD or FBI will be scouring the internet looking for clues, so I think we are ok there.

Hairy: It's a Samsung Epic and it freezes up and reboots by itself within a minute usually. I just went to turn it on to do another hard reset let it boot up and sit on the desk, I picked it up within a minute of it powering up and it had already shut itself down. I am thinking it may be water damaged, but I can only find the indicator on the battery which is fine. About to bring it into the store in a bit.

 

[maxwell]

my god, do ANY of you EVER fight ANYONE, ever?

Listen, guy, go smash the dude's face in - that's the reply you're looking for. if you ask me, i'd go up there old school and pack a 10 of quarters, a padlock strung through a bandana, or a backseat baseball bat. get your new phone AND your money back. if he gives you one word of shit, crack him. but bring someone other than you're old man - that's just tasteless.

OR, if you don't want to bend THAT law, scope out what he rolls up in. send a buddy to check out the phone, tell him to say he doesn't like it, and when the kid rolls out again follow him either to his pad or where he parks the car. take your sweat, non-violent revenge from there.

a general rule of that kind of shit is if you're not extracting physical revenge, you don't do anymore damage to them than they did to you. so if he burned you for a couple hundred bucks, a windshield and a tire is a good toll. take out at least two tires so he can't just put on the spare - give the stupid fuck a headache.

THIS is the response you were looking for, go get some.

also:

This post was meant for educational and informational purposes only and in no way, shape, or form is geared toward encouraging violence against anything, living and non-living, in any way, shape, or form. I do not advocate, nor have I ever considered carrying out, any of the aforementioned plans of action.