Craigslist Nightmare (and why I will never buy another used Egg)

Let me start by saying that I own a used Medium. I like buying used items where possible (provided they are in excellent condition), as this generally result in savings and is also good for the environment. Truth be told, I also like the hunt for that incredible bargain.

I recently found an individual selling a Large Egg residing about two hours from my home. After protracted back and forth with the seller, I was assured the Egg was in pristine condition (as well as completely crack-free) and we struck an agreement on price (roughly half of the selling price of a new Egg). I made the drive down, gave the Egg a quick inspection, very carefully loaded it into my vehicle, promptly made the drive back home and unloaded it with utmost care. Upon unpacking at home and cleaning out the ash left in the Egg by the previous owner, I quickly discovered a microscopic seam in the bottom of the inside of the base. Hoping that my worst fears would not be confirmed, I turned the Egg on its side to see a large crack running from one side of the bottom of the base to the other. I was struck with panic. Once this subsided, I further inspected the Egg, dusting off much ash from the internals, and I also saw a large crack running the entire circumference of the firebox.

After sleeping on it (or perhaps more accurately, not sleeping on it!), I reached out to the seller and (sheepishly) flagged the issue, fully expecting that they would simply tell me I was out of luck (my backup plan being to sell the Egg as cracked at greatly reduced price and consider it a very expensive lesson learned). After much discussion with the seller (and in light of the assurances they had previously provided with respect to the condition of the Egg), they agreed to accept the Egg back for refund, such that they could get new parts and resell. I promptly made the two-hour drive to return the Egg and two-hour drive back home. I was lucky, as not all sellers would have been as honest and as willing to rectify the matter.

I learned two important lessons from the experience:
(i) never take sellers' assurances at face value. While misinformation can stem from either dishonesty or genuine ignorance (in the non-pejorative sense), the latter being the case in my scenario, it always pays to perform your own rigorous assessment. While I examined the Egg at the time of sale, there was much ash present on the components, completely masking all signs of cracks; and
(ii) the value of the BGE warranty cannot be overestimated. When an Egg cracks (and note that I say "when", and not "if", as I believe this is inevitable, as other members have noted), it pays to be able to cash in on warranty, if only to ensure that the Egg you may ultimately be selling is fit for sale. While this Egg was only three years old, it required a replacement base and firebox. I can only imagine the replacements required over the course of one's lifetime.

I now intend on purchasing a new Large directly from a dealer. It will be twice the price of the used one, but I am now a firm believer in the fact that the replacing of parts will be inevitable and when the time comes (and perhaps more realistically, comes and comes again), the warranty will more than pay more itself. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with the purchase of used Eggs, only that I now fully understand the potential ramifications of doing so as well as the corresponding value of the warranty.