Here's the status report: I got screwed and it's all my fault for being so greedy! Here's the email exchange between me and the seller;
Robert,
I have something very important to tell you. I received an offer on the espresso machine for $3200. You were the first person to contact me, so I must give you the opportunity to match this price. If you are still interested in matching this price, then I will send you the machine immediately. Otherwise I must take the new offer. It is so much better than the price I gave you. If you are no longer interested in the machine, or are not interested in the machine for this price, I will issue you a refund.
Please inform me of your decision.
Sincerely,
Chris
On Wed, Dec 16, 2009 at 3:48 PM, Robert Harmon wrote:
Hi Chris,
Assuming my machine went out on time, do you have a UPS tracking number for it?
Is the La Marzocco Linea still available?
Robert
-----Original Message-----
From: KJA Wholesale [mailto:kjawholesale@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 12:42 PM
To: Robert Harmon
Subject: Re: Your Order - BELLE EPOQUE/DEL 2GROUP
Hi Robert,
Thank you for staying in communication. Your order is scheduled for pickup (with other packages) on Tuesday and should be delivered on Friday.
Thank you for your business. And we look forward to your future business.
Sincerely,
Chris
On Fri, Dec 11, 2009 at 9:10 AM, Robert Harmon wrote:
Good news - my bank decided I'm still solvent! My check cleared last
night, so once you get the Brasilia Belle Epoque on the UPS truck let me
know, OK.
Thanks,
Robert Harmon
Originally, I'd asked if someone here could look at the machine, basically to see if it was real and pack it and ship it to me (I wasn't going to do anything until its existence was confirmed). But I went ahead with the deal and took one in the shorts.
To date I've not received either the machine or my money back - and I really have no hopes of seeing either. If I'd followed my original instincts I'd have been OK, but I got greedy and tamped down my common sense and went ahead with the deal.
Let this be a lesson for everyone! Of the hundreds of Craig's List & eBay deals I've done, this is the first time I've been taken to the cleaners. I've always been so careful; checking the BBB, asking for references, getting invoices, etc (all of which I did this time). But when you want something badly enough it's easy to let your guard down.