Craigslist - bad seller

[jstep64]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georiga

After a divorce, my teen son and I moved to a new place in October. With a very tight budget, I decided to use the only extra cash I had to buy his bedroom furniture on Craigslist. Found a Craigslist posting and picked up the furniture the next day. Walked into the seller's home only to be greeted by three dogs and two rather large cats. Funny, not one word about any pets in her posting (not one word). While I was there, she literally made the animals a non-issue and never discussed anything about them. My reading of her actions was that if there was a problem then surely the seller would be obligated to say something before completing the transaction.

Got the furniture home and overnight the urine, feces, and cat smell marinated over my entire little house. My son and I woke up to the worst stench imaginable. I have sprayed, wiped, disinfected, and even ordered professional urine odor removal products on-line. Nothing has worked and my son is currently sleeping on the sofa. The disgusting odor is driving us insane and I am at my wits end.

I called the seller about it. Only then did she start explaining that her pets had run of the house and she did not control them. I asked why there was no mention of pets and their living arrangements in her Craigslist ad. Most sellers will include that information in case a buyer is allergic. Her response… she didn’t say anything because the cats (and I guess the smell) doesn’t bother her. She abruptly ended the call and now I’m mad. What can I do? I want this furniture out of my house and I want my money back (it’s all I had). Not to mention the disappointment my son feels.

[CraigFL]

Sorry, but I think you had your chance to check out the furniture before you bought it. Some people live differently than others not even realizing it so it was not her responsibility to warn you about something like that. I would consider having the furniture professionally cleaned.

[Gail in Georgia]

There is no legal requirement that someone selling anything on Craigslist has to mention they have pets. Ads on places like ebay MIGHT mention that the product comes from a smoke free or pet free home because these items are typically mailed to buyers who don't have a chance to physically check them out prior to purchase.

That's not the case with you. You went to her home, you saw the animals.

Gail