Silence2-38554
Mobius Guitars
Hey everyone, I currently find myself in a very annoying situation that I've never been in before & am simply seeking some advice. This all started a little over a week ago. I sold a 4k LG computer monitor on craigslist for $300. Unfortunately, I made two classic mistakes that I will never make again- I had him come pick up the monitor from my apartment, so he knows where I live. Second, I allowed him to pay with a personal check.
Four days after the transaction, I check my bank account to find that the $300 has been withdrawn. I call my bank & after looking into it, they discover it was because the buyer put a stop payment on the check. I have such little experience with checks, I didn't even know this was a thing he could do when I accepted it. So, I call him & while being very dismissive, he says "oh, yeah.... It's busted. It doesn't work." Please keep in mind that I've worked in IT for over 10 years, know that model of monitor very well & know for a fact it was in perfect shape when it left my possession. Then he says "I'll send you a picture" & hangs up.
Great, so... hours go by with no picture. The next day rolls around... no picture. After multiple equally dismissive phone calls & "promises" to send the photo of the "damage", I agreed to taking the monitor back, just to be done with it and move on. We agreed that he would return it at 11am yesterday, which of course he did not show up. This morning, he texted saying he got busy and will return the "broken merchandise" at his convenience.
After looking into this type of situation, it seems like the thing to do would be to take him to small claims court. I have plenty of documentation to support my case, video footage of him picking up the monitor, screen shots of our text & email conversations, etc., but here's the thing- Upon looking into him via some very basic google searching, this guy has a record. He's been arrested for assault (on an elderly person), theft, possession of a controlled substance, which, if I were to guess based on his behavior, would be coke. He's also been arrested in at least three different states across the country. Despite all this, he also seems to own an architectural firm here in town?! It's just mind boggling.
So here is my dilemma. It's $300. I don't honestly -really- care about the money, at this point it's more the principle. My knee jerk reaction is "fuck this guy, I'm gonna take him to court because I know I could win & in California, I can demand 3x the original amount for damages, plus court fees, so I could win close to $1k & teach this guy a lesson". However, because I was too trusting initially, he knows where I live, with my wife, cat & dog. Risking really pissing him off over a stupid computer monitor is not worth it AT ALL knowing he could come here and do something stupid & violent.
As far as I can tell, my options are:
-Do nothing. Let it go, maybe even tell him to keep the monitor so he doesn't feel obligated to return to our home.
-Proceed with a small claims case because fuck this guy.
-Let the local authorities know what's going on with the situation. However, it's Oakland, CA & they have better things to do.
-Wait 6 months then attempt to cash the original check again, as apparently "stop payments" are lifted after that period."
-Wait a month or so, then file a small claims case once everything has cooled down a bit.
If there's an option I'm not thinking of or maybe a combination of the above options that would be the best way to go, I would love to hear suggestions. Also, I didn't name the guy in this thread because I don't want random people harassing him & linking it back to me. If someone thinks they could help & would like more info, PM me. Thanks for reading through this ridiculous situation!
Four days after the transaction, I check my bank account to find that the $300 has been withdrawn. I call my bank & after looking into it, they discover it was because the buyer put a stop payment on the check. I have such little experience with checks, I didn't even know this was a thing he could do when I accepted it. So, I call him & while being very dismissive, he says "oh, yeah.... It's busted. It doesn't work." Please keep in mind that I've worked in IT for over 10 years, know that model of monitor very well & know for a fact it was in perfect shape when it left my possession. Then he says "I'll send you a picture" & hangs up.
Great, so... hours go by with no picture. The next day rolls around... no picture. After multiple equally dismissive phone calls & "promises" to send the photo of the "damage", I agreed to taking the monitor back, just to be done with it and move on. We agreed that he would return it at 11am yesterday, which of course he did not show up. This morning, he texted saying he got busy and will return the "broken merchandise" at his convenience.
After looking into this type of situation, it seems like the thing to do would be to take him to small claims court. I have plenty of documentation to support my case, video footage of him picking up the monitor, screen shots of our text & email conversations, etc., but here's the thing- Upon looking into him via some very basic google searching, this guy has a record. He's been arrested for assault (on an elderly person), theft, possession of a controlled substance, which, if I were to guess based on his behavior, would be coke. He's also been arrested in at least three different states across the country. Despite all this, he also seems to own an architectural firm here in town?! It's just mind boggling.
So here is my dilemma. It's $300. I don't honestly -really- care about the money, at this point it's more the principle. My knee jerk reaction is "fuck this guy, I'm gonna take him to court because I know I could win & in California, I can demand 3x the original amount for damages, plus court fees, so I could win close to $1k & teach this guy a lesson". However, because I was too trusting initially, he knows where I live, with my wife, cat & dog. Risking really pissing him off over a stupid computer monitor is not worth it AT ALL knowing he could come here and do something stupid & violent.
As far as I can tell, my options are:
-Do nothing. Let it go, maybe even tell him to keep the monitor so he doesn't feel obligated to return to our home.
-Proceed with a small claims case because fuck this guy.
-Let the local authorities know what's going on with the situation. However, it's Oakland, CA & they have better things to do.
-Wait 6 months then attempt to cash the original check again, as apparently "stop payments" are lifted after that period."
-Wait a month or so, then file a small claims case once everything has cooled down a bit.
If there's an option I'm not thinking of or maybe a combination of the above options that would be the best way to go, I would love to hear suggestions. Also, I didn't name the guy in this thread because I don't want random people harassing him & linking it back to me. If someone thinks they could help & would like more info, PM me. Thanks for reading through this ridiculous situation!