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What crime did he commit? He made a verbal offer to buy goods at a certain price, and then backed out. Did his word constitute a verbal contract? Those are n
by jemfinch 16y ago
What crime did he commit? He made a verbal offer to buy goods at a certain price, and then backed out. Did his word constitute a verbal contract? Those are notoriously difficult (read: impossible) to prove in court.
Whether or not what he did was moral, I know of no enforceable law he violated. She, on the other hand, entered a binding contract on eBay and then violated it. She could be prosecuted; he, as far as I can tell, could not.
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]
- dwwoelfel 16y agoHe committed fraud, which is a crime and a violation of civil law. Your characterization of his actions as "he made a verbal offer to buy goods at a certain price, and then backed out" leaves out the fact that he intended to back out all along, and that the lie was for personal gain. If he had intended to buy the tickets for $1,100 from her, he would not have first sold them to her for $620.
- jemfinch 16y agoFraud is deception with the intent of gain. By contract he already had the right to her $600, so he didn't deceive her for gain, but for equity. The woman would have difficulty establishing that she suffered consequent damages (an essential legal component of fraud) when she had already entered into a contract to perform the very same transaction.