[..] After receiving the confidential information, you did not follow through on your end of the contract, and the person suffered damages in the form of decreased value of what he is selling as a direct result of your actions.
[...]
What the hell?
How did my expection to receive an PM to get the proof of ownership
decrease the value of what he is selling?
I didn't know accounts lose value for each PM sent... But that's probably because i don't buy/sell accounts..
The value decreased when you disclosed the confidential information.
Interesting point of view. I kind of agree here, despite these people being account sellers, was it really right to mislead them (and in a way, scam them?) as 2 wrongs don't make a right. Curious as to how other people think about this..
Sting operations are always double edged sword.
Sting operations are a) done by law enforcement with strict oversight, and b) do not allow law enforcement to steal (or attempt to steal) from others, nor do they allow law enforcement to commit other torts
If you want to look at what you are buying before being obligated to buy said item, you should not make an offer before seeing it.
An offer is not an obligation. In my state even when buying a house an offer is just an offer and can be withdrawn for any reason before you sign an actual contract. Let alone buying a bicycle on Craigslist and making an offer over the phone.
The offer does not expose a person to liability. In order for an offer to obligate the person making the offer, it will need to be accepted by the other party prior to the offer being withdrawn, or expiring.