Clayton’s Weblog

So I noticed this CL ad on Saturday evening, and immediately mailed the seller to find out if it was still available, thinking it definitely wouldn’t be. She mailed me back this morning saying it was available, and I could come see it/buy it any time between 3pm, and 9pm, so I mailed her back asking for her address and making sure it’d be ok to be there at 3pm.

She mailed me and said 3pm was fine, and gave me her address, in NW DC (about 20-25mi from our house). I headed out around 2pm and managed to get parking around 2:45 a few blocks from her apt. I sat down on a bench a house or two down from her place to wait until 3pm. Around 2:50, I see a family wheeling a Burley trailer out. I initially figured it must be the seller but when they started loading it into their Honda Element, I had a sinking feeling and went up and rang the call button for the address the seller gave me. As you’ve probably guessed, she sold it immediately before I got there, even though I thought I had made an appointment with her.

Needless to say, I was pissed. These trailers sell for $300-350 new, and regularly sell for over $200 used, so a $75 price was insanely good. On top of that, I basically wasted a trip into DC.

So when I got home, I had the following email from the seller:

I’m terribly sorry. I had 2 Clayton’s scheduled to come at the same time! Please send your mailing address; I’d like to reimburse you for gas.

Obviously she feels bad that she screwed up, but we’re only talking about $6 in gas. The biggest cost is the two hours I wasted going out there and back, and the fact that I’m still looking for a trailer.

Well, and only 0.06% of the US population has the name Clayton. I’ve never met another person named Clayton.