Warning on backhoe 4 sale in Ontario

[Eugen]

Writing on my phone so I'll be short.

This item

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 845053383/

The original seller just ripped me off of $1000 last week. I'll post the whole sordid afair when I can write more.

Just wanted to warn you all for now.

[Spike188]

Ouch, Ouch, Ouch. I see the ad is still up but at a reduced price.

Spike

[Eugen]

The day after I told the guy that I'm going to the police it showed up for sale by someone else at a reduced price.

I did file a police report.

[Timj]

I hope you can get your money back. It's got me

[Spike188]

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/it ... 956436275/

This one looks like the the same brand hoe in the same area.

Spike

[Eugen]

In fact it's the exact same item. The yellow strap is there in all the pictures. The link doesn't work for me. When I told him I'm going to contact the police he blocked me on Facebook.I don't think I'll ever get the money back but I'd be happy if he gets stopped by the law for a while from doing the same to other people.

[Chad]

Ugh, sorry to hear Eugen. That sucks. Hopefully he gets caught.

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

[Eugen]

Was really busy and didn't get a chance to be anywhere near a computer to write properly. Here's what happened. We have a bunch of big stumps on our property, and more to come as we have some big ash trees that need to come down. One of them near the house was flattened during a storm last summer, missed the house by 3 feet. Took out the hydro line and did some damage to the wrap around deck we have. Anyway, we want all these big trees out. I figured I'd save some money pulling the stumps out with a backhoe, so I've been on the lookout for one. Saw one that seemed like what I wanted, slightly larger than most of the Kubota that show up on market place, but small enough that would fit well on our MH 33. Not a 3 point, rather it would connect to the frame of the tractor. This one showed up on Marketplace last week and I contacted the owner. It was advertised as being in Barrie, which is 50 minutes away from me. Given our situation with two small children I can't take long trips no matter how good the deal is.

Contacted the seller, turns out he lives 3.5h North of me and that's where the backhoe is. I told him that's a deal breaker for me, thank you, I'll pass. Then he got back to me, saying he will come to Barrie anyway to pick some stuff up from his dad, and he'll bring the backhoe with him. But if I'm really interested I should know there is another guy interested and he will go the next day to see it. The backhoe did not seem like the deal of the century, but when I really need something I am willing to pay what I think is market value. Plus, reachability is a major plus for me. But, he said, you have to put down $1000. I told him I'm very uncomfortable to put significant money down on something I haven't seen. He sent me more pictures, but I found it a bit unusual they were all from weird angles, and hard to see the real state of the thing. There were some inconsistencies too, in what he was saying. He assured me that it's all working, and that he just dug things out with it. I asked for a video of it working, then he said oh, I unhooked it from the tractor, I already loaded it up for transport. He told me that he put a brand new control valve on it, and all kind of details. So I said, ok fine, I'll send you the $1000 and we meet in Barrie do the transfer. He said he knows someone there to transfer it from one trailer to another. I was a little worried that the hoe might be too heavy or too large for my trailer, so I asked him about the size and weight. He said 1800-2200 lbs, which my trailer could do. Here's when it gets stranger. He asked for a picture of my trailer, which I sent. Then he asks me where I bought the trailer, I said Innisfil. "That's my trailer that got stolen in Innisfil a few years ago." He proceeded to describe the trailer accurately. I told him the name and address of the guy I bought it from. At first he said he doesn't know him, then he said it sounds familiar. Eventually he said he knows the guy and that he's a shady character. And that he wants his trailer back. Well, if it was indeed stolen, I'll give it back to you, of course, I said. I contacted the guy I bought my trailer from and told him it appears that he sold me a stolen trailer. I told him who said that, and he then told me a lot of things about the other guy. Apparently he knew him quite well and that guy had ripped off many people. He told me other things too, like calling the police on him, etc. And, that he bought the trailer from him, and his wife was a witness. So, who was I to trust? I tend to be too trusting of people. My wife says to me: "why didn't the guy with the backhoe react at all when it appears you found the guy who stole his trailer?" No reaction at all, all he was about was to get his trailer back. So my wife said, surely if it was stolen, he filed a report. Asked him point black, did he report the theft? A long story ensued, how he tried but he couldn't figure out the online reporting system. I should say this is a young guy, not someone not familiar with technology, it seemed. By this point all red flags went up for me and I told him that I have zero trust in him and I don't feel comfortable getting the backhoe from him. I asked for $800 back, leaving him with $200 for his trouble. Anothe long story came my way, that he rented a Uhaul trailer, which burst a tire when he was on his way, and that he then borrowed $1500 to buy another trailer, only to bring the backhoe to Barrie, therefore I cost him more than $1800 and he won't give me a cent back. Then I'll go to the police, I said. At that point he blocked me on FB, so I was no longer able to send messages.

[Timj]

Sounds like this guy knows how to work the system.
Being an honest person, I am to trusting of people too.
Hope somehow this works out for you.
Tim