As the Dryer Turns

I ended up not buying the washer and dryer from the couple in Belton.

After I looked at it and went home, I just had a nagging feeling in the back of my head. The couple advertised it as brand new, never used, tags still on it. I had a feeling that just wasn't the case.

The next day, I called the couple again to get the serial numbers off the set, claiming I was going to check the warranty information. They gave them to me and I tracked down the number for the corporate office for the makers of said washer and dryer.

Turns out, the washer was made in 2001, and the dryer in 1999. So much for being brand new. Also, the dryer had a record of having service calls on it. So much for never been used. The company doesn't even make these two particular models anymore.

I called the couple again and spoke with the husband, telling him everything I had found out about the washer and dryer. I didn't accuse him of being dishonest, but I said I had changed my mind about buying the set. I wasn't an asshole about it and neither was he. I mean, what could he say?

Truth be told, Paul and I both got the impression this couple weren't the brightest crayons in the box. Oh well.

I noticed they re-listed the washer and dryer on Craigslist again. Same price, however, the said it was "almost new" and only "used a couple times because it sat in a vacant house for a while."

That's what I thought. In the end, as my grandmother used to say, everything came out in the wash.