- 9/7/12
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Once upon a time (June this year, to be precise) there was an RWI Supporter named deadpan who sold a 1680 build to a low post count noob, birneria, for £420 / $560 / 490 euros- a well priced, lightly but tastefully modded vintage Sub.
deadpan chose to use UPS for the shipment, and unfortunately the parcels' journey was not a smooth one. Tracking number showed it going off the radar a couple of times, the paperwork wasn't to the satisfaction of German Customs, then whilst waiting for more paperwork from deadpan , UPS put the parcel down somewhere and couldn't remember where . Then they lost it again, but found it - eventually.
Throughout all this deadpan behaved exactly as you would hope a Supporter on RWI would behave. He checked the tracking number regularly, he stayed in close contact with UPS, promptly supplied the extra paperwork required, phoned them when the parcel disappeared, contacted them when it disappeared again, and ensured they launch a formal investigation in order to locate the parcel.
When UPS declared the parcel as lost, deadpan immediately refunded the buyer 50% of the purchase cost (£210) and told him that if the parcel was ever found then they would sort things out then between themselves.
The buyer, birneria , has behaved the exact opposite.
When the parcel was declared as lost he demanded to know why deadpan had chosen UPS for shipping, as if it was his fault alone, and he should have known better than to use UPS.
When deadpan made an effort to keep his buyer in the loop, regularly sending him updates via PMs on RWI and Whatsapp, birneria complained, became angry and annoyed, and demanded to know why he was being contacted on Whatsapp.
When deadpan refunded him 50% of the purchase cost birneria did not acknowledge it in any way.
When UPS miraculously found the parcel again, deadpan immediately contacted birneria and told him the watch would soon be delivered.
I then sent birneria a PM and asked him to ensure he refunded the money once he'd received the watch.
He complained to deadpan that he was being 'harassed' by 'people he didn't know asking him for money'.
Instead of being happy that the parcel had been found and would soon be delivered birneria complained that deadpan had opened a HD ticket - "why involve others in this ?"
Despite the fact he was on a 'sailing' holiday, (his excuse for not being able to refund the £210 - no internet) birneria somehow managed to sign for the parcel himself - at his home address.
He complained that he'd had to pay 25 euros import charges in order to receive the watch - deadpan is not in the EU, therefore import charges are inevitable.
He complained about having to wait so long to receive the watch - a little less than 6 weeks from the date of purchase to delivery.
Upon reception of the watch, he claimed it wasn't running and refused to refund any or part of the £210.
I sent birneria a PM offering to look at the watch and told him that any shipping costs incurred would be refunded to him.
He refused and told deadpan he would find a watch maker in his town and told him he would not refund any part of the £210 until he'd taken the watch to a watch maker.
birneria was told that he would need to provide proof of the repair costs and an explanation of the issues with the watch from the watch maker - again he never replied to or acknowledged that request.
Then all communication from birneria stopped for about 2 weeks.
Tired of waiting for him to reply and explain what was going on, I asked the seller to start a group PM with myself and the buyer.
bernia refused to acknowledge the group PM.
He has read all the messages posted therein by deadpan and myself but has never posted one word in that group PM - instead, he communicates with deadpan in a separate PM, telling him that this is a 'private matter' between him and deadpan, not RWI, that he should not be talking to other people about it.
He claims he's being harassed, threatened, that he is feeling 'pressure' because I asked him to provide proof of the non-running movement or refund deadpan his £210.
He claims to have received a 'defective' watch, that he has spent "hours" on research to find a watchmaker in his town, that he had to "negotiate" with that watch maker and that the watch makers' conclusion is that it needs a new movement - a Swiss ETA 2836 which will cost 350 euros (remember, the watch only sold for 490 euros).
Inside this watch, there's an Asian 2836, they cost $85 on eBay, yet birneria wants to replace this with a top grade Swiss ETA - and he wants deadpan to pay for it.
birneria sent screen shots to deadpan of the conversation with the watch maker. Believing that nobody would be able to understand what was being said because it is in German, he didn't seem to realise what a mistake this was.
The watch maker reported that a screw had come loose, that it was stuck under the balance wheel and it was a simple fix with no damage. The cost of the repair was 50 euros.
bineria knows exactly what the issue was and what the repair cost is - he replies to the watch maker stating he is happy that it is repaired and that the cost is only 50 euros.
Nevertheless, birneria considers that the 50 euros to repair the movement is on deadpan, as well as the 350 euros to replace the 'defective'' A2836 (there is nothing wrong with the movement, aside from a loose tab screw) with a Top Grade Swiss ETA 2836.
He complains to deadpan n in their PM about how badly he's being treated, how he ended up with a "defective" watch, the "hours of research time" he spent looking for a watch maker, the "negotiations" with the watch maker, all the extra costs he's accumulated - 25 euros import tax, 50 euros "repair" costs etc etc etc.
It's just not possible to discuss any of this with birneria - in large part because he refuses to enter into any discussion in the group PM, but also because he is so self absorbed, so self centred that he really does believe he's right and everybody else is wrong. He feels that he is the victim in all of this and that deadpan should put things right.
You may have guessed, this isn't really a bedtime story - not unless you enjoy sleepless nights, because this really is the buyer of your nightmares. Some of you with active sales received PMs from me suggesting you not deal with birneria - you should be oh so grateful that you've never sold him anything.
birneria has had his account restricted indefinitely - no access to PMs, no access to the sales area, so we're all safe. But deadpan is out £210/$290, if you feel like helping him out, PM him - or me (I have his PP address) - and make a donation.
If 50 people each send him £4.20 he gets his money back.
Or 20 people each send him £10.50, that would work too.
And also 10 x £21.
You all get the idea.
I have 100% faith in deadpan, if he gets his £210 back then he'll stop taking any more money, because he's someone you can trust, unlike birneria
I'll start the ball rolling, and send him $25 (£18).
Sleep tight - and choose your buyer carefully.
deadpan chose to use UPS for the shipment, and unfortunately the parcels' journey was not a smooth one. Tracking number showed it going off the radar a couple of times, the paperwork wasn't to the satisfaction of German Customs, then whilst waiting for more paperwork from deadpan , UPS put the parcel down somewhere and couldn't remember where . Then they lost it again, but found it - eventually.
Throughout all this deadpan behaved exactly as you would hope a Supporter on RWI would behave. He checked the tracking number regularly, he stayed in close contact with UPS, promptly supplied the extra paperwork required, phoned them when the parcel disappeared, contacted them when it disappeared again, and ensured they launch a formal investigation in order to locate the parcel.
When UPS declared the parcel as lost, deadpan immediately refunded the buyer 50% of the purchase cost (£210) and told him that if the parcel was ever found then they would sort things out then between themselves.
The buyer, birneria , has behaved the exact opposite.
When the parcel was declared as lost he demanded to know why deadpan had chosen UPS for shipping, as if it was his fault alone, and he should have known better than to use UPS.
When deadpan made an effort to keep his buyer in the loop, regularly sending him updates via PMs on RWI and Whatsapp, birneria complained, became angry and annoyed, and demanded to know why he was being contacted on Whatsapp.
When deadpan refunded him 50% of the purchase cost birneria did not acknowledge it in any way.
When UPS miraculously found the parcel again, deadpan immediately contacted birneria and told him the watch would soon be delivered.
I then sent birneria a PM and asked him to ensure he refunded the money once he'd received the watch.
He complained to deadpan that he was being 'harassed' by 'people he didn't know asking him for money'.
Instead of being happy that the parcel had been found and would soon be delivered birneria complained that deadpan had opened a HD ticket - "why involve others in this ?"
Despite the fact he was on a 'sailing' holiday, (his excuse for not being able to refund the £210 - no internet) birneria somehow managed to sign for the parcel himself - at his home address.
He complained that he'd had to pay 25 euros import charges in order to receive the watch - deadpan is not in the EU, therefore import charges are inevitable.
He complained about having to wait so long to receive the watch - a little less than 6 weeks from the date of purchase to delivery.
Upon reception of the watch, he claimed it wasn't running and refused to refund any or part of the £210.
I sent birneria a PM offering to look at the watch and told him that any shipping costs incurred would be refunded to him.
He refused and told deadpan he would find a watch maker in his town and told him he would not refund any part of the £210 until he'd taken the watch to a watch maker.
birneria was told that he would need to provide proof of the repair costs and an explanation of the issues with the watch from the watch maker - again he never replied to or acknowledged that request.
Then all communication from birneria stopped for about 2 weeks.
Tired of waiting for him to reply and explain what was going on, I asked the seller to start a group PM with myself and the buyer.
bernia refused to acknowledge the group PM.
He has read all the messages posted therein by deadpan and myself but has never posted one word in that group PM - instead, he communicates with deadpan in a separate PM, telling him that this is a 'private matter' between him and deadpan, not RWI, that he should not be talking to other people about it.
He claims he's being harassed, threatened, that he is feeling 'pressure' because I asked him to provide proof of the non-running movement or refund deadpan his £210.
He claims to have received a 'defective' watch, that he has spent "hours" on research to find a watchmaker in his town, that he had to "negotiate" with that watch maker and that the watch makers' conclusion is that it needs a new movement - a Swiss ETA 2836 which will cost 350 euros (remember, the watch only sold for 490 euros).
Inside this watch, there's an Asian 2836, they cost $85 on eBay, yet birneria wants to replace this with a top grade Swiss ETA - and he wants deadpan to pay for it.
birneria sent screen shots to deadpan of the conversation with the watch maker. Believing that nobody would be able to understand what was being said because it is in German, he didn't seem to realise what a mistake this was.
The watch maker reported that a screw had come loose, that it was stuck under the balance wheel and it was a simple fix with no damage. The cost of the repair was 50 euros.
bineria knows exactly what the issue was and what the repair cost is - he replies to the watch maker stating he is happy that it is repaired and that the cost is only 50 euros.
Nevertheless, birneria considers that the 50 euros to repair the movement is on deadpan, as well as the 350 euros to replace the 'defective'' A2836 (there is nothing wrong with the movement, aside from a loose tab screw) with a Top Grade Swiss ETA 2836.
He complains to deadpan n in their PM about how badly he's being treated, how he ended up with a "defective" watch, the "hours of research time" he spent looking for a watch maker, the "negotiations" with the watch maker, all the extra costs he's accumulated - 25 euros import tax, 50 euros "repair" costs etc etc etc.
It's just not possible to discuss any of this with birneria - in large part because he refuses to enter into any discussion in the group PM, but also because he is so self absorbed, so self centred that he really does believe he's right and everybody else is wrong. He feels that he is the victim in all of this and that deadpan should put things right.
You may have guessed, this isn't really a bedtime story - not unless you enjoy sleepless nights, because this really is the buyer of your nightmares. Some of you with active sales received PMs from me suggesting you not deal with birneria - you should be oh so grateful that you've never sold him anything.
birneria has had his account restricted indefinitely - no access to PMs, no access to the sales area, so we're all safe. But deadpan is out £210/$290, if you feel like helping him out, PM him - or me (I have his PP address) - and make a donation.
If 50 people each send him £4.20 he gets his money back.
Or 20 people each send him £10.50, that would work too.
And also 10 x £21.
You all get the idea.
I have 100% faith in deadpan, if he gets his £210 back then he'll stop taking any more money, because he's someone you can trust, unlike birneria
I'll start the ball rolling, and send him $25 (£18).
Sleep tight - and choose your buyer carefully.
