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Women left on hook after buying nonworking appliances

Women left on hook after buying nonworking appliances

Stephanie Zepelin | News 8 at p.m.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — If you buy something, it should work. However, things were not that simple for a couple of women who say they got scammed on an online selling site.

Sometimes things are not what they look like from the outside. Refrigerators will look just fine, but do not actually work.

“Well, it definitely has lights on, but I’m not looking for a light source, I’m looking for a cold source,” said Julie Winbun of the fridge she bought on OfferUp.

She saw a fridge for sale on OfferUp and Facebook and felt confident it was a good buy because the seller also had a brick-and-mortar store. She paid $400 to buy it and have it delivered, but it was not cold. She waited to see if it would get cooler overnight, but said it did not.

“I looked at the paperwork inside; I started calling the manufacturer; gave them the model, make, serial number; they’re like, ‘we scrapped that fridge, it’s not fixable,’” said Winbun.

Winbun said the seller, Goods and More, would not give her a refund or fix the fridge, so I-Team 8 went to get answers.

Goods and More sold appliances online and in a shop on the west side. I-Team 8 went to the store, but the man working there insisted he was not the manager. He suggested we call the number on the sign out front, so we did. We called them numerous times over several weeks and left voicemails.

While waiting for a call, we found Cindy Luellen. She was looking for a new oven, and you can probably guess what happened.

“I asked him if everything worked and he said, ‘absolutely, like-new and comes with a thirty day warranty,’” said Luellen.

Once she installed it in her kitchen, her new oven would not get hot. Luellen said she could not get a refund from Goods and More for the oven.

“It took me three weeks to save the 150 to buy the oven,” she said. “I really want a working oven. I like to bake for my kids and grandkids a lot.”

The man who sold her this oven never called us back, but we did not give up. We went to the store several times, but no one was there. When we finally got inside, a man working for the shopping center says the owner of Goods and More skipped town. Winbun, Luellen, and the other customers who bought nonworking appliances are left on the hook. Both women says they should have recognized the deal was probably too good to be true.

Before you make a big purchase, consider checking the sellers’ Better Business Bureau accreditation. Goods and More is not accredited and has an “F” grade.

You can also ask if they’ll let you see the appliance first. Make sure it’s turned on and working properly. Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp let people rate or report sellers if there is a problem.