Q: I sold an item for about $200 over the internet who never paid. Buyer is in a different state. Am I able to collect?
I sold an item for about $200 over the internet to a member on Reddit. Since I had never sold before I had no reputation so I agreed to ship item and wait for payment after they received. I only did this since the other member had a long history on the forum so I assessed a low risk. After they received the item they confirmed the received and then spent a week telling me they were having trouble transferring money from their credit / debit card to paypal. Then I noticed they deleted the account on Reddit. Now they have stopped responding to text messages on their phone. Is there any way for me to get them to pay up perhaps using a collection agency? Buyer is in different state than seller.
A: You can sue them, but that is not the same thing as collecting money. And there will be complications with suing them. And it will probably cost more to talk to an attorney about it than you will be able to afford. You could pursue the matter criminally, but that will likely not accomplish much.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
