Buyer is claiming termite damage after buying a vintage dresser and taking it home, and I'm pretty sure they're trying to scam me, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something

Question

*Tried posting on a marketplace sub which doesn't allow photos or links to photos for some asinine reason, so I'm posting here.

Google drive link for related images -

https://photos.app.goo.gl/aTYrD5QAcmfFH9nn9

The part that indicates that this is a scam to me is the fact that the pics they sent don't seem to match what I sold them whatsoever. The listing pics featured the full dresser, which sits FLUSH and FLAT on the ground as far as I can tell, along with interior shots of the drawers, which still had the green protective paper from the factory. This thing was *mint*.

The first pics he sent me along with his claim were super close and I can't even tell what I'm supposed to be looking at. When I told him to send me a shot from further away, as I see something else that doesn't look like it sits flush on the ground. I thought I was going crazy and looked at the full frontal shot from my listing and then the pic he sent me supposedly featuring the same dresser from underneath, and I don't see how they're the same. Mine was *flat* on the ground, and his image features multiple parts that are making me think wtf is this guy trying to pull.

This claim followed his second trip to our home to pick things up. The first trip they purchased a huge Armoire and a hope chest, both also vintage and in excellent condition. This second trip they purchased the dresser and two night stands. Everything solid oak or hard wood. All heavy as hell.

The whole time he insisted that all of this furniture was for his mother, who needed new furniture. But on the way out with the dresser, he wanted to look in other rooms and said "What about this room? What about in here or in there? Got anything else?"

He's CLEARLY a reseller and when I jokingly called him out on that, he seemed annoyed. I told him I didn't CARE if he was because he was doing me a favor clearing this stuff out for me and we were helping each other out, but he doubled down and insisted it was all for his mother.

I gave him extremely generous pricing for everything I sold. Way under market value, because we need things gone and some of these things are so heavy, usually you have to pay someone else to take it. So finding a buyer at any price felt like a win win. I sold the dresser for $150. It's vintage 60's and in excellent shape with only the original owner. I know it was worth more but we're clearing out a hoarder home and just want shit gone. So I figured I'd give him a deal be it for his mother or otherwise (I honestly don't care) and at least get something for it, and it would be one more thing out of the house. Even if his claim is somehow true, he got it for 90% off, if not more. And he claims it's all underneath, and he treated it. So problem solved IF it's true, right?

Lastly, he claims "a lot of termite droppings throughout the dresser". I looked through all the drawers. I included pics. I didn't see any droppings or signs of anything whatsoever. He saw it in person before he took it home. He didn't say anything when he was here.

I don't have much experience being gas lit, but my understanding of being gas lit is when someone tells you something you KNOW isn't true but they're so assertive about it, you start to wonder if you're crazy and missing something, and you start second guessing and doubting yourself.

So based on these details and the provided images, am I missing something? He didn't claim termite damage on any of the 4 other pieces. Just the dresser. The home has *never* had any issues with termites. Ever. It may be a hoarder home and it's a mess, but there's no termite damage.

He paid cash on pickup. There was no "contract" so to speak. My understanding is that everything sold on marketplace is "as-is". He looked at everything in person and was good enough with it to load it onto his truck and take it home. But now the "termite damage" is underneath where no one checked, with pics that don't look like they come even close to matching. But I just want to make sure I'm not nuts because I always try to see the best in people, as I try to be an optimist and glass half full kind of person when I can.

I did google this issue and there are results which indicate this *is* a common scam. But if it is, wouldn't he claim termite damage on everything? Or is he just claiming it only applies to the most expensive thing he purchased to make it seem more feasible?

Posted Jul 4, 2026, 6:33 PM UTC

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