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AIBU?

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A marketplace one - AIBU to want the deposit back on faulty item?

12 replies

tyle · 01/10/2025 09:35

We bought a second hand wardrobe unit off marketplace. It was £300 and looked ok quality. We paid a £30 deposit to reserve it. We agreed we would dismantle. Paid £70 to hire a van for the day and drove over an hour to get there. Wardrobes looked good so they got us to transfer the remainder before taking it apart. Then the trouble started.

When the previous owner put it together, they broke the screws. The heads were completely stripped on several. It was impossible to take apart and way too big to get out of their house in one. We spent two hours trying all sorts to dismantle it but couldn't because so many of the screws couldn't be removed.

We told the owners we are sorry but we can't get it out. They were not really happy and said they had lots of buyers for it so we would lose our deposit but they would be fair and transfer us the £270. So we gave up and agreed and left. We are £100 out of pocket and half a day of our time because the item was faulty. AIBU to think they should have been apologetic and gave us the deposit back?

They wanted us to pay £100 to call out a carpenter!

OP posts:
PumpkinSeasonOctober · 01/10/2025 09:39

For that much money you could have went to IKEA.

parietal · 01/10/2025 09:39

The wardrobe would have been fine if you hadn’t needed to dismantle it. And that if your risk.

tyle · 01/10/2025 09:40

parietal · 01/10/2025 09:39

The wardrobe would have been fine if you hadn’t needed to dismantle it. And that if your risk.

But the wardrobe wouldn't get out of the house?

OP posts:
Idontjetwashthefucker · 01/10/2025 09:54

£300?!!!

tyle · 01/10/2025 09:56

Idontjetwashthefucker · 01/10/2025 09:54

£300?!!!

It was a very large unit of wardrobes - 3.5m long

OP posts:
tyle · 01/10/2025 10:58

Should I try and get the deposit back?

OP posts:
tyle · 01/10/2025 13:24

or just suck it up

OP posts:
BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 01/10/2025 13:50

Deposit was for them to hold the item for you
They did so they fulfilled the contract of that

You could have said "we'd like to check the item before arranging to collect"

tyle · 01/10/2025 14:11

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 01/10/2025 13:50

Deposit was for them to hold the item for you
They did so they fulfilled the contract of that

You could have said "we'd like to check the item before arranging to collect"

No - the deposit was to reserve a non-faulty item.

OP posts:
Greggsit · 01/10/2025 14:21

I don't think you've a leg to stand on, really. You inspected the item and were happy to pay the remainder. You could have nipped out to a hardware store to get screw extractors. It's not their fault you couldn't take it away.

tyle · 01/10/2025 14:22

Greggsit · 01/10/2025 14:21

I don't think you've a leg to stand on, really. You inspected the item and were happy to pay the remainder. You could have nipped out to a hardware store to get screw extractors. It's not their fault you couldn't take it away.

We had one - the bolts/screws wouldn't budge, even with an extractor kit. The owner couldn't get them off either.

OP posts:
Dbank · 01/10/2025 14:30

It was unfair if the didn't mention that the screws were damaged, and I agree they should have returned the deposit.

Personally, I would refunded you and been very apologetic for wasting your time.

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