Bad Guy Casey Smith. Buyer Backs Out, what do you guys think?

[deborahbroadus]

The only problem with this is that if she does it for one person, then others will follow. I've done the whole return thing only to have the same person try it again. I didn't refund that time. This thread is here for any potential buyers to read. I would hate to hear the "well you did it for him" post.

Exactly! Sellers do open a can of worms when they break their TOS willy-nilly for a sad-sack story (not saying that the story given is not true, but it has nothing to do with the relationship between buyer and seller.)

 

[Focal]

I'm eager to find out the final outcome

 

[Will0W783]

Me too- any update on the situation, Trace?

 

[TraceH]

From: Trace Hardin <[email protected]>
To: Casey Smiith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2011 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: reguarding the snakes
Casey, unfortunately this is why I wrote on my website under the terms that the down payment is nonrefundable. I have had quite a few people in the past agree to snakes and then back out for one reason or another leaving me to have housed the snakes for months, missed sales and bear the burden. I don't want to get in the way of medical bills however so is there anyway you can prove to me that your wife was admitted to the hospital to have her appendix removed? I just need some sort of documentation that shows the name of the hospital, your wife's name and the date. You can scan and email or fax me the document. If you can prove that something bad has befallen you, like your wife needing surgery I will pay you the money back. If you can't prove that than I will have to keep the money but will gladly apply it towards future credit if you ever want to buy a snake from me again.
I hope you agree this is the only fair way to deal with this situation.
Take care,
Trace

Re: reguarding the snakes
FROM:Casey Smiith
TO:Trace Hardin
Message flagged Tuesday, November 1, 2011 7:37 PMMessage body
here is a pic of the hospital band that when my wife went to the hospital

 

[TraceH]

Now of course the guy that I could barely get a hold of for 10 weeks is emailing me like crazy wanting his money back. I guess I'll give it back but I want to wait a few days just to annoy him for once. Do you guys think anything fishy is going on with the wristband?

Re: reguarding the snakes
FROM:Casey Smiith
TO:Trace Hardin
Message flagged Wednesday, November 2, 2011 7:20 PMMessage body
are you online

Nov 02 7:39 PM
kclsmith1983:are you online right now

 

[reptilebaby]

looks legit to me.

 

[reticguy76]

all the pertinent info looks to be good, but something just doesnt seem right to me about it. cant put my finger right on it, but something just seems off

 

[Amelanistic Orca]

I'd keep it; been here; done that; scars to show for... Time for a life lesson! I'd hang onto the dough Trace.. Your choice.. For all we know; the dude is banned from returning stuff at Wally World? Who knows these days; but when you depo on a snake/animal: it's common practice you're gonna lose something if you can't fulfill...

 

[deborahbroadus]

I'm not going to give him "JUSTIFICATION" for keeping the money, but...if you are going to run a business...run a business. The choice you are making has several consequences....(if you just think about it) none of them are pretty.

At the most, you are a business with a TOS, but the otherway (quoting a friend's words) "Returning deposits basically makes sellers fee-free banks with 24/7 ATM withdrawal" and I thought to myself, "That's just so true." and.... once a business is no longer known as a business, it becomes more of a "second-hand" store not an actual business.

 

[YANKFANTHOM]

From: Trace Hardin <[email protected]>
To: Casey Smiith <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2011 4:06 PM
Subject: Re: reguarding the snakes
Casey, unfortunately this is why I wrote on my website under the terms that the down payment is nonrefundable. I have had quite a few people in the past agree to snakes and then back out for one reason or another leaving me to have housed the snakes for months, missed sales and bear the burden. I don't want to get in the way of medical bills however so is there anyway you can prove to me that your wife was admitted to the hospital to have her appendix removed? I just need some sort of documentation that shows the name of the hospital, your wife's name and the date. You can scan and email or fax me the document. If you can prove that something bad has befallen you, like your wife needing surgery I will pay you the money back. If you can't prove that than I will have to keep the money but will gladly apply it towards future credit if you ever want to buy a snake from me again.
I hope you agree this is the only fair way to deal with this situation.
Take care,
Trace

Re: reguarding the snakes
FROM:Casey Smiith
TO:Trace Hardin
Message flagged Tuesday, November 1, 2011 7:37 PMMessage body
here is a pic of the hospital band that when my wife went to the hospital

OK This band shows October 7th and its now November 4th. All of a sudden he is in a rush to get his money back? I thought he said she just went in?

 

[Focal]

What city and state are they in? Different last name isn't impossible but does raise an eyebrow for a "wife."

 

[Focal]

She's on facebook.

 

[reticguy76]

i guess it all comes down to personal preference and ways of doing things. also, its dependent on whether this is your business or just a hobby. for example, this is just a hobby for me. if i sold a snake and they either left a deposit, or asked for a refund (due to a legitimate and believable circumstance, within a reasonable amount of time (7 days for me), i give a refund. but as a business, i would require full proof, if it was beyond my terms and conditions and such. i think whichever way you go, isnt a wrong way, from an ethical and just hassle free way of dealing. however, the reasonable amount of time has gone out the window, and that is what seemed most weird to me about that wristband, is the date

 

[reptilebaby]

I know alot of women that keep their last names when they get married, so that isn't that unusual.

 

[jcfourme]

I'm with Kristi23 and the majority of the others. The terms are the terms and it's not like this guy said whoops I can't complete the deal right away, he waited until the animal could have been sold how many times over to someone else. By the way Mr. Reid, I could use 60 bucks pretty bad right now, could you paypal me some money? LOL!

 

[bloodybaroness]

That band is not much proof. You can go to the hospital and get admitted with a band for nearly anything. Heck, I got a band the last time I went to get staples removed from a wound. I was in the hospital for a grand total of one hour.

I agree with Deb. Stick by your TOS. You are more than covered if he threatens you in anyway.

Scammers do what they do by tugging at heart strings in some cases. You have kept this animal, fed this animal, and potentially missed out on other chances to sell this animal.

 

[Montoya]

You asked the guy to send you something to verify his wife was in the hospital and he did. You said you would give the money back if he did this and you haven't yet. Posting a picture of the wifes hospital bracelet was not necessary, and now your going to play games and make him wait it out? If you didn't want to return the money you should have just said no, the deposit is non refundable from the beginning.

This is probably the time that those bills from the surgery would be starting to come in. Bad things happen to people sometimes, have some compassion already.

 

[deborahbroadus]

You asked the guy to send you something to verify his wife was in the hospital and he did. You said you would give the money back if he did this and you haven't yet. Posting a picture of the wifes hospital bracelet was not necessary, and now your going to play games and make him wait it out? If you didn't want to return the money you should have just said no, the deposit is non refundable from the beginning.

This is probably the time that those bills from the surgery would be starting to come in. Bad things happen to people sometimes, have some compassion already.

Actually, it's not proof, but I agree with the sentiment of your post.

but anyway.... Judy pointed out the "game" that seems to be being played out (I think it was Judy) and I agreed that it appeared that way. What is starting to make him look bad is his own words about making the buyer wait for the money just to teach a lesson or something to that effect (this is not cool, imo).

I am leaning now...towards staying away from both the buyer and the seller (the seller because he doesn't seem to know how to run a BUSINESS...who needs these kinds of headaches?)

 

[JudyC]

I guess I'll give it back but I want to wait a few days just to annoy him for once.

Really? This kind of game-playing is unprofessional, petty, and extremely immature.

If you want to give the money back, then give it. As I mentioned before, you don't have to ask anyone's permission to be nice to someone. If you didn't want to give it back, then why make him jump through hoops offering "proof" of the issues he claimed. You asked for it...you got it...so deal with it. If you back out on the refund now, you make yourself look like a real jerk, at the very least. And delaying the refund just to "annoy him" makes you look like a first class creep.

I really don't understand why this thread is still ongoing. You asked for advice on your position of being able to legally and morally keep the $60. You were assured by just about everyone that you were well within your rights to do so. But you're still hemming and hawing and behaving like it's some huge moral dilemma on your part...or a major scammer mystery to be solved on his part.

Give the man his $60 and be done with it. Not because you're obligated to on the grounds of your TOS, but because you SAID you would if he gave proof his wife had been in the hospital and he did so.

 

[JudyC]

Actually, it's not proof, but I agree with the sentiment of your post.

but anyway.... Judy pointed out the "game" that seems to be being played out (I think it was Judy) and I agreed that it appeared that way. What is starting to make him look bad is his own words about making the buyer wait for the money just to teach a lesson or something to that effect (this is not cool, imo).

I am leaning now...towards staying away from both the buyer and the seller (the seller because he doesn't seem to know how to run a BUSINESS...who needs these kinds of headaches?)

Heh...we were typing at the same time. I didn't mentioned game playing earlier, but I definitely think I see it going on now...and not on the part of the buyer.

As for proof...the seller didn't stipulate exactly what kind of proof he expected. And we're talking $60 here. If it were $6000 on the line, more stringent evidence might reasonably be requested. But it's $60 freakin' dollars. The seller has been wishy washy about the whole thing from the start, so I don't see why some sort of solid, bullet-proof evidence should be demanded at this point.

Regarding your last statement, I couldn't agree more!!