I didn't 'fully" deliver furniture I sold and it got ruined

[craigslistseller]

What is the name of your state? Washington

I sold a furniture set on craigslist last week. The buyer asked if I would deliver it. I said I could drive it over, but could only do it before 8:30 am. She asks me to come before 7am so she can drop off her kids and get to work on time. When we get there the lady meets us outside her apartment building. We unload the furniture and she asks us to bring it up to her apartment. She doesn't have anyone else there except two kids too small enough to help. Her apartment is also on the second floor and there is no elevator (she didn't mention any of this before). The apartment building and area is also pretty sketchy.

So neither of us wanted to go in or hang around any longer and we weren't willing to risk injury moving that stuff up the stairs. It was really heavy. Plus I hadn't agreed to carry her furniture up to her apartment. She said I agreed to deliver and it's not delivered until we bring it up to her apartment. I said I didn't agree to that. I agreed to drive the furniture over (it's clear in our messages that's what I said) which I did. She wasn't happy about that and since it was supposed to rain hard and she had to leave she said she didn't want the furniture anymore and we could take it back.

At this point I was just fed up and said no and that at this point I considered the transaction complete (since she had already paid me by that point). She just said she wasn't taking the furniture and demanded her money back. So we just bail. Now she's messaging me threatening to sue me because the furniture is ruined because I didn't fully deliver the furniture like I said I would. Does that really hold any merit? At that point wasn't the furniture hers and it got ruined because she just let it sit there in the rain?

 

[zddoodah]

Impossible to evaluate intelligently without reading the messages between the two of you.

How much $$ is at issue?

 

[craigslistseller]

Impossible to evaluate intelligently without reading the messages between the two of you.

How much $$ is at issue?

After we haggled and agreed on the price she said exactly this "I don't have a truck can you deliver?"

I said exactly this in response: "I can drive it all over, but only in the morning before 8:30"


She paid $780

 

[adjusterjack]

Do you have that conversation recorded. I'm guessing not. Besides, it would be inadmissible since WA is an all party consent state.

Sorry, but you agreed to deliver.

The legal definition of delivery is the surrender of possession to another.

That you took the items to her creates a presumption that you agreed to deliver and you did not.

But that's just my two cents worth.

 

[craigslistseller]

Do you have that conversation recorded. I'm guessing not. Besides, it would be inadmissible since WA is an all party consent state.

Sorry, but you agreed to deliver.

The legal definition of delivery is the surrender of possession to another.

That you took the items to her creates a presumption that you agreed to deliver and you did not.

But that's just my two cents worth.

It wasn't a phone call. I do have the messages where all this was said saved.

 

[quincy]

After we haggled and agreed on the price she said exactly this "I don't have a truck can you deliver?"

I said exactly this in response: "I can drive it all over, but only in the morning before 8:30"


She paid $780

You probably should have simply given her back the $780 and taken back the furniture. If you believe the furniture really was damaged in the rain, you could still give her back the $780 and write the furniture off as a loss.

Apparently neither of you were very clear in what you communicated to the other, although she should have mentioned prior to the sale that she needed it delivered to a second floor apartment. You could at that point have said no and canceled the sale.

 

[craigslistseller]

You probably should have simply given her back the $780 and taken back the furniture. If you believe the furniture really was damaged in the rain, you could still give her back the $780 and write the furniture off as a loss.

Apparently neither of you were very clear in what you communicated to the other, although she should have mentioned prior to the sale that she needed it delivered to a second floor apartment. You could at that point have said no and canceled the sale.

It honestly just was so much hassle she put us through. Maybe since what was actually said doesn't matter I'll just delete that account so she can't contact me anymore. It's not really important anyway.

 

[quincy]

It honestly just was so much hassle she put us through. Maybe since what was actually said doesn't matter I'll just delete that account so she can't contact me anymore. It's not really important anyway.

Well … that’s certainly an option. She probably won’t sue you over $780 worth of damaged furniture … although she might.

 

[craigslistseller]

Well … that’s certainly an option. She probably won’t sue you over $780 worth of damaged furniture … although she might.

Yeah, but I'm thinking about it more now I'm realizing that she would have a pretty hard time finding out who I actually am. I'm sure it's not impossible, but it would make it much harder time suing me, right?

 

[quincy]

Yeah, but I'm thinking about it more now I'm realizing that she would have a pretty hard time finding out who I actually am. I'm sure it's not impossible, but it would make it much harder time suing me, right?

Discovering your identity and location will make it more difficult for her to file suit against you, yes.

 

[adjusterjack]

Depending on the small claims procedure, she may be able to file suit against John Doe and then subpoena the phone records for the identity and location of the seller.

 

[quincy]

Depending on the small claims procedure, she may be able to file suit against John Doe and then subpoena the phone records for the identity and location of the seller.

That’s a possibility.

The buyer also can locate Craigslist’s Registered Agent for service of process through the Craigslist website, if “craiglistseller” registered using his real name and contact information.

 

[craigslistseller]

That’s a possibility.

The buyer also can locate Craigslist’s Registered Agent for service of process through the Craigslist website, if “craiglistseller” registered using his real name and contact information.

So sounds all good then. Especially since I do use a vpn. So that probably helps too. Thanks y'all.

 

[Just Blue]

charming.

This thread is a prime example of why one should never use Craigslist. Ever.

 

[quincy]

So sounds all good then. Especially since I do use a vpn. So that probably helps too. Thanks y'all.

I wouldn’t necessarily say “all good then.” Small claims actions are not that difficult to pursue and $780 is not an insignificant amount of money. I just think that your buyer could have a difficult time showing the court that she was not the problem, if home delivery was not mentioned in your ad and you were doing her a favor by taking the furniture to her.

charming.

This thread is a prime example of why one should never use Craigslist. Ever.

I personally avoid sites like Craigslist but I think in this case both craiglistseller and his buyer share some fault in how the furniture sale went.