What Would You Do?

[MikeW]

I have a feeling this is gonna get mixed reviews....

Bought a laptop a few years back, brand new. It's now a few years old, has a few knicks and what-not. All-in-all still a good, working computer except it wont access internet. Best Buy and a few local places quote me $150. I'd rather sell it for that much.

Local guy wants to buy it. He looks at it, plays with some menus, gets it to access his local network but it still wont read his wi-fi card. He says "Fuck it, good enough."

I tell him I still have to get my music and pics off and we agree to meet later for the exchange. $100, cuz it needs a little work and what-not.

I text him to meet up. He says, "I gotta work late but my gf's home. You can meet her and she'll give you the money."

I go, give her the laptop, she hands me a wad of cash. Outside bill is a 20. I dont count it right there, I wait til I get back to the car.

$300.

First thought is, "Maybe he couldnt, in good conscience, give me so little." Well, this morning, he texts me, "Dude, my gf gave you WAY too much! I need that extra $200 back. When can we meet up??"

I havent replied.

The good guy in me says give it back. Look like a good guy. Maybe he'll throw a few bones my way.

But the buyer/seller in me says, all transactions are final. It's your fault you didnt count the money AND let your gf do the deal.

Im not a dick though. But Im also not a door mat. If the roles were reversed, yeah Id want the $200 back and Id be hella greatful if he gave it back but that's not my luck. With my luck he wouldve laughed and told me tough shit and I woulda been out $200.

Thus my quandry...

Do I give it back and look like an awesome guy and chance my good deed going unrewarded?

Or do I let this be a lesson to him and make him learn from his mistakes?

[JoshM]

Give it back. Karma.

Give him $20 less ($180 total) for your gas and time.

[MikeW]

Ive thought of either doing that or making him come get it from me. From work, his place is like a 10 or 15 minute drive. From home, it's like 30. Twice now Ive been to his place. I feel like if he wants it back, he can come get it from me. That's the one thing Im pretty firm on.

[JoshM]

Fair enough. Keep $20 as an "inconvenience fee".

... and you definitely should have made the poll public.

[Tippey764]

I'd do exactly what Joshm said. Everyone makes mistakes.

[Hopeless]

Give it back. Karma.

Give him $20 less ($180 total) for your gas and time.

this...

plus i have friends that with your phone number and a harddrive full of deleted (possibly private/personal) information that is potentially grave-diggable, would probably have a bit of fun with it had they been screwed out of 200$.

to me, something as petty as 200$ isnt really worth what might come back from it.

[Leung]

i too would return it minus 20 bucks. make him come to you since you had to go to him to sell the laptop.

[MikeW]

this...

plus i have friends that with your phone number and a harddrive full of deleted (possibly private/personal) information that is potentially grave-diggable, would probably have a bit of fun with it had they been screwed out of 200$.

to me, something as petty as 200$ isnt really worth what might come back from it.

This is my biggest fear. I uninstalled pretty much everything and deleted everything but he seems to know his shit. And I be worried he could undelete it or find it and do some damage.

Should I just give him back $180 or TELL HIM im keeping $20?

[Leung]

This is my biggest fear. I uninstalled pretty much everything and deleted everything but he seems to know his shit. And I be worried he could undelete it or find it and do some damage.

Should I just give him back $180 or TELL HIM im keeping $20?

i'd just tell him you spent it on gas going home the other day.

[deevergote]

The sale was for $100. You have no right to keep that $200. While the girlfriend was stupid for handing you so much, and the guy should have been there to make the exchange himself... you still should have counted it. What if it was $60? Would you go back for the extra $40 that you had agreed upon, or would you just chalk it up to a mistake?

It's $200. You were given 3x the agreed-upon amount. It's no small matter. You're not being a nice guy by returning it, you're just giving back what is his. If you keep it, you're a thief.

[MikeW]

Why you gotta say it like that, Mike?

I wouldnt go so far as to say I feel like a thief. But there is part of me that says I need to give it back. I just think there should be a lesson here. What if I werent a nice guy? What if I laughed all the way to the bank? Literally? I could be like that. Albeit not my style, but still. I know it's not my place to teach him a lesson but I want him to know, especially if I might see him again, that he needs to handle these things better and with a little more care and responsibility.

[deevergote]

What lesson will you be teaching him if you keep it? Don't trust people?

You know you're not supposed to have it. He knows you're not supposed to have it. Knowingly keeping what belongs to someone else without their permission is stealing. If it was a smaller amount, like $20, then perhaps you could claim ignorance. But $200? You owe him $200 or 2 more identical $100 laptops! Or one hell of a reacharound...

Especially since he contacted you about it. It's not like you're keeping it thinking he's unaware (still wrong), or that he intended to give you 3x the agreed price (which would be naive, and you'd KNOW that wasn't the case... but at least you could lie to yourself then!)

And Hopeless has a VERY valid point. He has your phone number, and it's not impossible to retrieve data from a deleted hard drive. He could potentially make your life very miserable... more than $200 miserable.

[MikeW]

Can I just give him the reacharound...?

I know. I just got all excited and was all "WooHoo!!" when I counted it. Giving it back hadnt even crossed my mind til i got his text. Then I was like, "Ah, crap. Now I gotta look like a nice guy and give it back." Lol.

I feel like he at least owes ME a reacharound for returning it, lol.

[deevergote]

I'd say a reacharound would be sufficient repayment for your time and gas spent to correct his mistake.

You could always tell him to come to you if he wants his money.

[MikeW]

That's the plan. I'll give it back but he's gotta come get it.

And give me a reacharound.