What would I have been guilty of?
Discussion
I'm in the process of building myself a new house, limited budget so always on the lookout for a bargain. I do a regular trawl of eBay, Gumtree etc looking for cheap building materials which I might be able to adapt to my needs.
Yesterday I thought I'd found myself a bargain, a house builder with a load of excess stuff at the end of his build looking to get rid a a fraction of retail cost.
I spoke to him on the phone and all sounded fine so I set off with a trailer and a wad of cash last night only to find when I got there that it didn't seem so legit. It was a biggish site, not finished, and he was wearing the logos of a large national builder. It looked like he was a site manager for a big operation and was selling off some of his employers' stock as a little personal sideline.
Obviously I walked away, pretty disappointed that I'd wasted my time and fuel but I simply wouldn't get involved in something like that.
The reason I walked away was my own moral stance rather than the risk of getting caught, but I've been wondering since, what would I have been guilty of if I'd gone through with it? Theft, reset, or something else? Or wouldn't I have been guilty at all if I'd bought the goods in good faith from someone who I believed had the right to sell them?
Yesterday I thought I'd found myself a bargain, a house builder with a load of excess stuff at the end of his build looking to get rid a a fraction of retail cost.
I spoke to him on the phone and all sounded fine so I set off with a trailer and a wad of cash last night only to find when I got there that it didn't seem so legit. It was a biggish site, not finished, and he was wearing the logos of a large national builder. It looked like he was a site manager for a big operation and was selling off some of his employers' stock as a little personal sideline.
Obviously I walked away, pretty disappointed that I'd wasted my time and fuel but I simply wouldn't get involved in something like that.
The reason I walked away was my own moral stance rather than the risk of getting caught, but I've been wondering since, what would I have been guilty of if I'd gone through with it? Theft, reset, or something else? Or wouldn't I have been guilty at all if I'd bought the goods in good faith from someone who I believed had the right to sell them?
brrapp said:
The reason I walked away was my own moral stance rather than the risk of getting caught, but I've been wondering since, what would I have been guilty of if I'd gone through with it? Theft, reset, or something else? Or wouldn't I have been guilty at all if I'd bought the goods in good faith from someone who I believed had the right to sell them?
Basic rule of thumb is whether you had absolutely no way of suspecting they might have been nicked, and honestly believed the vendor was nothing but legit. If so, then you merely risk having the goods returned to their rightful owner, and having to chase the "vendor" for your money back.If you could or should have suspected, then you could be nicked for handling stolen goods.
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/item...
https://www.netlawman.co.uk/ia/selling-goods-non-o...
In the circumstances you describe, I'd agree it sounds fishy as anything - and I'd be talking to the builder's head office. If it's legit, then they'll understand and the deal may still be on.
brrapp said:
Or wouldn't I have been guilty at all if I'd bought the goods in good faith from someone who I believed had the right to sell them?
This.If you bought in good faith, but in your case you suspected foul play so had you gone through with it then you would likely have been guilty of something like handling stolen goods.
Edited by Green1man on Wednesday 30th August 12:27
TooMany2cvs said:
brrapp said:
The reason I walked away was my own moral stance rather than the risk of getting caught, but I've been wondering since, what would I have been guilty of if I'd gone through with it? Theft, reset, or something else? Or wouldn't I have been guilty at all if I'd bought the goods in good faith from someone who I believed had the right to sell them?
Basic rule of thumb is whether you had absolutely no way of suspecting they might have been nicked, and honestly believed the vendor was nothing but legit. If so, then you merely risk having the goods returned to their rightful owner, and having to chase the "vendor" for your money back.If you could or should have suspected, then you could be nicked for handling stolen goods.
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/offences/item...
https://www.netlawman.co.uk/ia/selling-goods-non-o...
In the circumstances you describe, I'd agree it sounds fishy as anything - and I'd be talking to the builder's head office. If it's legit, then they'll understand and the deal may still be on.
parabolica said:
It's possible they had a surplus of materials and he was authorised by the company to sell it, however if something didn't seem right then best to go with your gut, and yeah I would contact the company too.
Also possible that if it was one of the big building companies, the material might actually belong to subcontractors.You look to be in Scotland, so Reset. If something seems too good to be true, you need to ask why. If you can't prove some form of diligent checks, it's a rogue's bargain and you would be convicted. It shows on your record as crime of dishonesty, which to most will be viewed exactly the same as if you stole it yourself.
Good move to walk away.
Good move to walk away.
Technically it's handling stolen goods is it not? But as others said with an invoice of sale etc you at least cover your own arse. When i was a kid a good friend of my Dads would often bring us toys and stuff when he came to visit, A Scalextric set, stuff like that. He worked as a warehouse Manager for WHSmith at the time, proper stalwart of the village we lived in but it transpired he'd been stealing everything, not just for us but for his own kids as well. I guess my Dad could have been had up for handling the goods but it never came as far as implicating other people, he did his time for it.
mybrainhurts said:
I've got some spare tarmac, left over from patching the M1, if you're interested....
Many years ago I was a member of a sports club that was close to a major A road that was being completely re-surfaced. A major job with all the huge road-laying machinery, not a couple of dodgy blokes with a transit van. They offered to resurface re club's car park while they were in the area. So its not just the travelling community. This type of thing happens ALL the time, normally its not advertised on Gumtree the bits and bobs get sold to the site agents mates or dished out in return for favors.
I know the contracts director for a major shop fitter, the ground floor of his house is the marble that was over ordered to keep to program.
I know the contracts director for a major shop fitter, the ground floor of his house is the marble that was over ordered to keep to program.
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