STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: I am an IDIOT - duped on Craigslist


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
I am an IDIOT - duped on Craigslist
Permalink Closed


So, I found the table below on Craigslist really cheap. The table retails for $400 (without the glass top), but the seller was selling it for $50. They said the glass top broke when they moved and ended up getting a knew table. Sounds too good to be true, right? It was. furious

I went and bought said table tonight, and when I was wedging it out of my car, I noticed a large "Made in China" sticker on the bottom. What? I don't think Crate and Barrel would slap a "Made in China" sticker on their furniture. Then, when I got in my apartment, I noticed there were a lot of screws. Funny, considering the description on Crate and Barrel's website says "dark, minimal flared legs and an architectural cross-brace of the same wood connect so precisely that no screws or nails are required." Then I measured it... it's several inches smaller than the dimensions listed on the C&B website. I looked at the pictures on the site, and there are not any exposed screws... I feel SO stupid. Really, I am embarrassed and also horrified that I could be so naive.

I am SO embarrassed, esp. because I made such a big deal out of this to my parents, and I called several friends looking for someone with an SUV to fit it in.

Luckily, I'm only out $50, but I can't tell my parents. They would be super pissed b/c essentially, I have the word SUCKER stamped on my forehead. Basically, I think I am going to have to buy the actual table from Crate and Barrel to cover up my stupidity. My mom could take one look at this table and know it's not real. disbelief I guess I'll have to try and resell this one on Craigslist.

I'm sure you all know already, but I hope this serves as a cautionary tale! I clearly have learned a lesson. cry

HaloDiningTable483Q?$sharelarge$
HaloDiningTableDetailJL09?$share$ As you can see, there are no visible screws, unlike my table.

-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Tuesday 17th of November 2009 10:16:52 PM

-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Tuesday 17th of November 2009 10:33:53 PM

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2478
Date:
Permalink Closed

why not just keep it? if you couldnt tell the diff, why do you assume everyone else will? its not like youre prancing around town with a fake LV bag!

__________________


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

I mean, I suppose I could keep it, but with the exposed screws, it just doesn't look like it came from C&B. I have a bedroom set from C&B, and this just looks cheap compared to it. I"ll buy the glass top and see if it still looks obvious. If it doesn't then I'll keep it and hope my mom doesn't notice. I can't believe I didn't notice when I went to look at it. cry

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2061
Date:
Permalink Closed

You can't cover the screws up with some type of furniture marker or something?

__________________
"A girl should be two things Classy and Fabulous"


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

Ranchera - the screws stick out of the wood so there's no way I could cover them up with touch up paint. They're the same color as the wood, but you can still see them.

I feel like emailing the seller but that won't help. It's not like she'll say, "Sure I'll refund your money!"

-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Wednesday 18th of November 2009 08:21:45 AM

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus


Nine West

Status: Offline
Posts: 72
Date:
Permalink Closed

you can prob recoup most of your costs on craigslist- $50 isn't bad for a made in china table Im sure some poor college student will snap it up.

personally (lets preface this with the fact that I am an enormous bitch when someone lies to me) I'd call the original owner, and not shut up until they agreed to come to my door take it off my hands and give me my money back as well. or at least give me my money back for the misrepresented goods.

__________________
http://www.fashionfoodfrivolity.blogspot.com/


Gucci

Status: Offline
Posts: 2925
Date:
Permalink Closed

I would definitely try calling the person you bought it from. This is blatant misrepresentation if they listed it as a C&B table. If you know a friend who is a lawyer, it might not be a bad idea to have him or her call as well. Scare them a little if you need to.

That being said, I'd just consider this a learning experience and be glad it was only $50. As for your parents, they're your parents! They expect you to make mistakes every once in a while. Everybody gets taken on something once in a while. I can't imagine from everything you've ever written about your folks that they would judge you harshly for this. It's only a table. I wouldn't spend money I don't have (and I'm only assuming this since you were looking for a cheaper alternative to purchasing the table from C&B in the first place) to cover up an innocent mistake.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Stuff happens. And then you learn from it.

__________________

Interested in craft beer and wine?  Visit my blog http://downthehatch1.blogspot.com/



Dooney & Bourke

Status: Offline
Posts: 875
Date:
Permalink Closed

Boots wrote:

I would definitely try calling the person you bought it from. This is blatant misrepresentation if they listed it as a C&B table. If you know a friend who is a lawyer, it might not be a bad idea to have him or her call as well. Scare them a little if you need to.

That being said, I'd just consider this a learning experience and be glad it was only $50. As for your parents, they're your parents! They expect you to make mistakes every once in a while. Everybody gets taken on something once in a while. I can't imagine from everything you've ever written about your folks that they would judge you harshly for this. It's only a table. I wouldn't spend money I don't have (and I'm only assuming this since you were looking for a cheaper alternative to purchasing the table from C&B in the first place) to cover up an innocent mistake.

Don't be so hard on yourself. Stuff happens. And then you learn from it.



Exactly!  Don't be so hard on yourself!

 



__________________

Fashion fades, only Style remains - C Chanel.



Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2127
Date:
Permalink Closed

Honestly, I'd be more disappointed as your parents if I found out you were duped then felt the need to replace the table with the one you thought you were buying to cover your mistake.

You liked the look of the table enough to buy it. Keep it. You needed a table and you got one.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

__________________

-gd



Kenneth Cole

Status: Offline
Posts: 312
Date:
Permalink Closed

Ditto to what everyone else said about not being too hard on yourself. And while $50 may seem like a lot, in my experience dining tables are pretty expensive and once the glass top is on this one it will probably look a lot more like the C&B table. It almost fooled you so I'm sure it would fool other people!

__________________
“Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and in high heels.” Ann W. Richards


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2347
Date:
Permalink Closed

Oh that stinks. Sorry. It sucks that someone would be dishonest just to make a sale. If you don't end up returning it, maybe it can be repurposed somehow for some other room or something...that way you don't ruin the effect you were initially going for but still find a way to use it.

__________________

...High expecations are such trouble-makers...

http://www.confessionsofthecaffeinated.blogspot.com



Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

Thanks ladies - you all are right. I'm being too hard on myself and this was definitely a mistake to learn from. I still feel stupid, esp. b/c if I had gotten on my hands and knees I would have seen the Made in China sticker and then I would have thought about the fact that there weren't supposed to be any screws in the table and it seemed smaller, etc. I think if I had really thought about it, I would have realized this wasn't real.

Boots - I can afford the real version, but I figured if I could get it cheaper on Craigslist, then why not? Unfortunately, it obviously didn't turn out to be authentic.

I am going to contact the seller and see if they'll let me return it, b/c they completely lied. I think I am going to buy the real table at C&B, esp. b/c I got a catalog recently with a 15% off coupon. I want the real deal, and if I can get it cheaper, now would be the time to buy. This one just looks so cheap, and that's exactly what I was trying to avoid. I bought this to replace a cheap, battered Ikea table set. If the seller refuses to let me return the fake table, I guess I'll try and sell it on Craigslist myself.

GD - you're right, my parents probably would be more disappointed that I tried to cover up my mistake. I don't think they would be disappointed per se just by the fact that I was duped, but my mom would definitely lecture me about being naive, which I justly deserve. Hopefully they don't find out that I'm going to replace it.

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

Boots wrote:
If you know a friend who is a lawyer, it might not be a bad idea to have him or her call as well. Scare them a little if you need to.


I'll be an official lawyer in May! I'm sure I can rustle up something I learned to scare them with. Maybe something to do with contracts...



-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Wednesday 18th of November 2009 04:19:42 PM

__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2061
Date:
Permalink Closed

wetbandit42 wrote:


I'll be an official lawyer in May! I'm sure I can rustle up something I learned to scare them with. Maybe something to do with contracts...



-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Wednesday 18th of November 2009 04:19:42 PM

Now would be the perfect time to practice what you've learned! :)

 



__________________
"A girl should be two things Classy and Fabulous"


Gucci

Status: Offline
Posts: 2925
Date:
Permalink Closed

wetbandit42 wrote:

 

Boots wrote:
If you know a friend who is a lawyer, it might not be a bad idea to have him or her call as well. Scare them a little if you need to.


I'll be an official lawyer in May! I'm sure I can rustle up something I learned to scare them with. Maybe something to do with contracts...



-- Edited by wetbandit42 on Wednesday 18th of November 2009 04:19:42 PM

 



Use it!  Sometimes just the mention of a lawsuit will be enough to make these jerks reconsider their actions.  Make sure they know that their life will be that much easier if they just refund your $50.

 



__________________

Interested in craft beer and wine?  Visit my blog http://downthehatch1.blogspot.com/



Chanel

Status: Offline
Posts: 3120
Date:
Permalink Closed

I would totally try to return it AND report them to Craigslist.

__________________


Marc Jacobs

Status: Offline
Posts: 2255
Date:
Permalink Closed

Suasoria wrote:

I would totally try to return it AND report them to Craigslist.




Ooh, I didn't even know I could do that - report them. I totally will!



__________________
Know first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly. - Epictetus
Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us


Create your own FREE Forum
Report Abuse
Powered by ActiveBoard