erik094509
New Member
Around February 22, 2012 I purchased a dirt bike off of Craigslist, the model year was a 1998 or so I was told, that's what it said in the Craigslist add and I had no reason to question that, (this is important later). I exchanged information with the seller and arranged a time to look at the bike. A friend and I went and looked at the bike, It was what I wanted so I bought it. I had it for a few months until I needed money for school so I put an add on Craigslist to sell it, I advertised it as a 1998, a few days later on Friday August 10th 2012 I sold it to a man who came to my house looked it over started it and decided he would take it, we shook hands and the deal was done. The next day the man I had sold it to via text messaging informed me it happened to be a 1989 model year, in the state of Wisconsin dirt bikes that are not street legal and driven off road only do not have titles. I ask him how he discovered it was a 1989 and not a 1998. He replied by running the serial number engraved on the frame. I never knew this, nor was I aware it could be done. I stated in a text message I was not the type of person that would do this or purposefully misrepresent the motorcycle for sale, I stated "I feel bad, I guess I would buy it back from you if that's what you wanted to do". I then thought about it and realized that there is no way of knowing what has been done to the bike since it has left my property, and now that he is mad at me if I were to take the bike back and refund him his money and then if the bike then was truly damaged I would loose a lot of money having to fix it. I thought shaking hands meant a deal was a deal, and all Craigslist sales were buyer be ware. I have also offered to refund him $500 and have him keep the bike just to get off my case but he is dead set on getting his money back. He now wants to take me to small claims court to get his money back, I have considered taking the bike back but if it is damaged again I would loose out having to pay to fix it as well as giving him his money back. He lives in a different county so if this were go to small claims court I think he would have to file in my county but I'm not sure, also I had advertised the motorcycle in his county on Craigslist for sale. I really would like to avoid going to court but if that's the way it has to be, that's the way it has to be. Any useful input would be appreciated.
Thanks
Thanks