2 more things to rant about

[Takeereasy]

Yesterday two things got me upset. The first, and the biggest, was the deal for my new sub fell through. I was going to go used. I found a guy selling a fantastic sub for $350. I couldn't wait to pick it up, it's worth about $700 new, and it's only a year old. I contacted the seller, told him I was interested, and was supposed to pick it up today. My only stipulations were that it would be 100% functional and in reasonable cosmetic condition. Yesterday he emailed me and told me that if I still wanted the sub it would be $485, as he now had other parties interested. I cancelled the deal. If a man can't stick to a bargin then he's not a man IMO, and you can't trust him. I was too nervous about what could go wrong with the sub. After all the guy had misrepresented the price, what else did he misrepresnt?

The second thing was another one of my friends got a big screen TV. He got a fantastic deal on a Sony 50" RP LCD. Then the store told him what cables he needed. He walked out with $600 worth of Monster Cable accessories. All that they are is a $300 power bar, $100 S-Video, and a $200 HDMI cable. I found out about this second hand. I can't say anything because if he thinks that he got taken advantage of he'll be upset about the whole deal including the TV. I'm staying mum, he didn't ask my opinion, and he doesn't need it. Still, I'm ticked, how can Monster execs sleep at night. (I know, on top of piles of money, right?)

 

[j_garcia]

Anytime someone changes the terms of a deal like that, you are better off not dealing with them. You did the right thing.

On the second one, I would want to know if I paid too much for something like Monster, so I would want someone to tell me, and show me some online places to find that kind of stuff for next time.

 

[Spiffyfast]

the same thing happened to my dad when he got his HDTV from Best Buy, and he still has the cables, but if they were willing to spend it in the store you can't really do anything about it after.

 

[Duffinator]

A freakin $200 HDMI cable? You should see the nice HDMI and DVI cables that came with my DirecTV/HD TiVo unit. I will keep them and use them when I have a TV with digital inputs and not be buying any over priced cables from my local vendor. Tough deal on the sub but there are other deals out there and this is probably a sign that a better deal is coming your way.

 

[racquetman]

A hundred clams for an S-video cable? Ouch!! I think that's a way bigger ripoff than the $200 HDMI cable.

Buying used is always a risk. Especially from someone you know absolutely nothing about. If I was going to buy a used sub, I'd wait until a local highend dealer was clearing some of their stuff out or selling some floor room demo subs (if you have that option, obviously).

 

[Takeereasy]

Garcia, I agree about being better off about not dealing with people who can't live up to a deal, they're just plain shady IMO. About the monster cable, he swears he can see a difference between his old AR S-video($15) and the Monster. I don't see it. He's happy though and can afford it. I'm letting sleeping dogs lie.

Spiffy, it's a frigging shame that shops take advantage of people like that. It would be one thing if they said "look, these are some nice, high quality, cables that will do the job you want and look good while doing so." The way they sell the product though is to make you think you can't get good connectors unless they say Monster on the box. It's a scare tactic almost.

Thanks Duffinator, I'm sure something else will come up, but I really was jazzed about this one. I'm dying to upgrade the 10" polk I've got right now. I'm still really considering the Cadence X-sub. Man that thing is a steal for you guys south of the border. It would be about $450 Cad to get it to me. Still pretty good.

Alandamp I agree that the S-video cable hurts the worst. He's still talking about how fantastic the improvment in the picture is since he switched s-video cables. There is 0 difference to my eyes. It is a pretty cable though. He was talking about how much better the S-video was than component till I turned on progressive scan on his DVD player. He was watching an interlaced signal, and had run the component into the composite. Don't ask me, I shook my head too.

 

[brian32672]

If a man can't stick to a bargin then he's not a man IMO, and you can't trust him. I was too nervous about what could go wrong with the sub. After all the guy had misrepresented the price, what else did he misrepresnt?

I agree with this and you did the right thing!
However it does kinda suck, specially if it would have been in pristine condition. Or close. But to deal with him, may have only been problems down the road as well....

 

[Takeereasy]

Yeah, Brian, it's not worth it to take the risk. Even at $485 it wasn't a bad price. If he had asked that in the beginning I still might have considered it.

 

[Buckle-meister]

If a man can't stick to a bargain then he's not a man

Absolutely. A mans word is his bond. You did right.

Regards

 

[Takeereasy]

Absolutely. A mans word is his bond. You did right.

Figures a Scot would get it . Still boils the blood though. I was looking forward to shaking a few walls tonight (with the sub).

 

[Spiffyfast]

Yeah, that's BS that he did that. I've had ppl do that to me before. I was selling something, agreed on a price with a friend, and had another friend offered me more for it, I sold it to the first guy b/c once to ppl come to an agreement that should be it.

 

[j_garcia]

My buddy is going through something even worse than that. The guy shipped his receiver and didn't insure it for the amount my buddy asked him to. He's not even paying for it, my buddy said he would. Needless to say, it arrived with the front panel badly damaged, and it wasn't covered sufficiently to take care of it. My buddy said he had the original box, but not the styrofoam, so the receiver (heavy) was just in there with peanut packaging and some cardboard. The seller says he has no responsibility because it was all UPS's fault. That's BS.

 

[Spiffyfast]

thats something I'd take to small claims court if ups doesnt cover it

 

[Takeereasy]

Why people can't stand up to their responsibilities confounds me to this day. If the guy didn't insure it properly he's at fault. If you go to small claims court you loose a day of work, and you get inconvienced. Then you have to wonder if the guy will ever pay you. If he doesn't more hassles for you. The best case scenario is your friend out a days pay or a vacation/sick day because somone else messed up. How hard is it to find a sheet of styrofoam? If you had to buy it it's like what, $2 for a square meter? I hope UPS covers them.

By the way I got an email from the guy with the sub. Now the price is down to $450, if I still want it that is. I told him to go ahead and sell it to one of the other buyers.

 

[Spiffyfast]

By the way I got an email from the guy with the sub. Now the price is down to $450, if I still want it that is. I told him to go ahead and sell it to one of the other buyers.

Hmm...kind of sounds like he didn't really have another buyer, just wanted more money out of you.

 

[j_garcia]

Hmm...kind of sounds like he didn't really have another buyer, just wanted more money out of you.

That's what it sounds like to me.

Had it happen before too. I had offered him less than he was asking, and he said he would think about it. He said he got offers that were higher than mine, but "The other guys backed out." and I said "My original offer stands, and I'm not a flake, I actually HAVE the cash." and we worked it out. That was a GOOD deal, because after meeting him, I believed that he may have actually had other offers, but I was the first and he made a deal with me.

 

[MDS]

I would offer the guy 20% less than the price you had previously agreed on. He tried to extort more money after making a deal but now he's squirming to try to get rid of it because his tactics backfired.

 

[j_garcia]

I would offer the guy 20% less than the price you had previously agreed on. He tried to extort more money after making a deal but now he's squirming to try to get rid of it because his tactics backfired.

That's not a bad idea

 

[Takeereasy]

I'm hoping he didn't have other buyers, that way he stiffed himself. I'd love to offer 20% less MDS, but then I'd have to talk to him again, and it's just not worth it. Oh well, maybe they'll learn their lesson, or maybe they do have another buyer. Either way I'm not dealing with them. Wish I had a guy like the one you were dealing with Garcia, then I'd have got my sub and the neighbours would finally have received some payback for that Dwight Yokum album I had to listen to the other day.

 

[Buckle-meister]

I would offer the guy 20% less than the price you had previously agreed on.

I would break his legs.

Regards