So this guy came to pick up a vintage cabinet I sold him. While loading it, he scraped it against my garage door frame, gouged the paint and wood. I didn't notice until he left. He's already paid and gone. What's the best way to handle this? I have his number and address from the sale.
Customer Issues
A customer damaged my property during pickup
Ugh, that sucks. Did you get photos before he left? If not, it's your word against his. Good luck.
Honestly, once they leave your property it's tough. You could call and ask nicely, but don't expect much. Chalk it up to lesson learned.
Wait, he damaged YOUR garage and you're worried about being polite? Call him. Tell him what happened and ask how he wants to fix it. If he ghosts you, small claims court is an option. But honestly, for a scraped door frame? Might not be worth the hassle.
Document everything now. Take pics of the damage, write down the time, keep any texts. Then call him. If he's a decent guy he'll offer to cove it. If not, you've got a paper trail.
This is why I always do a quick walkaround before anyome leaves. Learned that one the hard way.
Why didn't you check before he left? Not trying to be a jerk, but that's on you too.
Harsh but fair. Still, doesn't mean the buyer gets a free pass.
If it's just paint, touch-up is cheap. But if the wood is gouged, that's a bigger deal. Maybe send him a photo and say 'hey, this happened during pickup, what do you think is fair?' Test the waters.
Update: I texted him a photo. He says he didn't notice it happen and thinks it might have been there before. Now he's being short with me. I'm not sure pushing it is worth the aggravation.