Expert: Marvinator - 7/28/2010

Question
Thank you in advance for any assistance you can offer.

I listed a travel trailer & sold it for about $6,000.  The buyer said he wired me funds for the trailer (it didn't go through because the name was wrong on the wire).  He picked up the trailer & registered it.  He then took the trailer home.

Then he stopped payment on the check to title the trailer.  He refused to pay me for the trailer - said he changed his mind.  He refused to deliver the trailer back to me - I had to pick it up.  

Meanwhile the title came to him, he signed it & returned it back to me.

I re-listed the trailer on ebay but was only able to get about $4,000 as a high bid.

My question is this - what is the best way to handle this?  Cancel the current transaction and take the buyer who changed his mind to court for the $6,000 & give him the trailer -or- give the trailer to the current best offer for $4,000 and sue the original buyer for the balance?  I would prefer to sue the 1st buyer for the balance, but I'm not sure if I have to deliver the trailer to him.

Thanks again -

Answer
You got your item back and are only out the listing fees.   Taking the jerk to court will cost you more than you can imagine AND you may not win.  

What I recommend is to take the current (albeit lower) offer.  Forget the guy who gave you the run around.  He ay have been a jerk, but you do have the trailer back.  (In the future, you will know to not deliver an item unless you have money - cold hard cash - in hand.)

Also, don't forget to file with eBay for return of the final value fees associated with the first auction.