Bought a "carpet stretcher" off Facebook Marketplace for $50 and it was a total scam

So I saw this listing for a power stretcher that looked brand new, guy said he used it once and got out of the business. Drove 45 minutes to pick it up and when I got home I realized the head was cracked and the teeth were all stripped out. Tried to use it on a bedroom job yesterday and it slipped on every pass, took me twice as long. Has anyone else had bad luck buying used tools from random sellers online?

3 comments

3 Comments

paulw632mo ago

Man I just had a thought - that $50 price shouldve been your first red flag. A decent power stretcher new is like $300+ easy. I saw a guy selling one for $40 last month and when I showed up it was just the handle part with no head or tail section. He tried telling me the rest was "in the mail." These Facebook Marketplace tool flippers are getting creative. I think they know most people dont inspect tools close enough in a parking lot meetup.

the_blair2mo ago

The handle with no head or tail is wild haha. Reminds me of the time I bought a "complete" tool set and the guy handed me a milk crate full of random sockets with no ratchet.

theawest14d ago

Man that milk crate story hits TOO close to home. I once drove an hour to pick up what was advertised as a "complete carpet installation kit" and got there only to find a single rusty knee kicker with NO kick pad and a bag of half used tack strips. The guy looked me dead in the eye and said "just need a little elbow grease." Had to laugh so I wouldnt cry honestly. My own fault for believing a $40 "pro setup" was legit but I keep falling for it. Just last week I bought a "like new" oscillating tool that turned out to be a broken body with no blade adapter. At this point I think I just like the thrill of disappointment.