On being ripped off

Hey Jim (and group) Sorry to hear about your troubles. There are some really rotten individuals out there and advancements in technology just bring them nearer to us all. It was very kind of the group here to suggest that the seller was acting in ignorance, and to also suggest that you might have some legal recourse, but the sad facts are that you've been had, intentionally, and there's very little you can do about it except visit this gentleman at his abode and teach him what he needs to learn about old computers and the folks who collect and use them. Lesson One, "Introduction to Classic Computers," begins with jamming a piece of plywood right up the chute . . . I made a few phone calls today. I live in Orlando FL so I'll assume the "system" here is a typical one. Those living in rural areas or smaller cities might find that they can get better results due to smaller caseloads. The State Attorney's office (that's what they call them here, in most places it's District Atty.) actively discouraged me from filing a complaint when I called pretending to be the victim in this scenario. Reasons: small $$$ amount, giant backlog of cases. The County Clerk of Courts also made it clear that filing a civil suit in Small Claims would be a waste of time and money. The filing charge here is $100, and a $200 suit will be referred to arbitration, and will take a year or two just to make it to court, if it ever does. The Economic Crimes Unit of the Sheriff's Office said they are so inundated with bad checks that they won't even prosecute a bad check if it's less than $150, and since they don't know a computer from a compost heap, they wouldn't touch this one. The USPS rep I spoke with was sympathetic but said that they don't go after one-hit crooks. If 100 people complained about this guy then that might get their attention. So, it's on you. If it were me I wound hound this guy until he gave me back my $$$ just to get rid of me. If that didn't work I would make sure that I got $200 worth of satisfaction out of him, one way or another. Man alive, what a bummer :>( Keep us posted on this -- Glen 0/0