when you left the violin
with him?
>> I told him,
"Let me take the invoice.
I have purchased items
online before.
I can negotiate with the seller,
return it to them."
He said, "They will not
accept it from you.
They accept it from me.
Leave it here."
>> No, no, no.
>> "And I will return it
for you,
and I will send you the check."
>> Judge Judy: Okay.
So you were angry
with each other at that point.
>> I tried not to be angry.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
>> May I say something,
Your Honor?
>> Judge Judy:
Have you found the site?
>> I'm -- It's very slow.
>> Judge Judy: Well,
while it's spinning around...
>> Here it is.
Here it is.
I found the site.
There are many violins for many
different prices on this site,
made by the same maker,
from $329 to $999.
>> Judge Judy: Fine.
So they start...
And that's the...
>> They start at $329.
>> Judge Judy: Yeah.
So, if they start at $329
and he sold it to you
for $700, he doubled his money.
>> Your Honor,
this is my expert witness
if you allow him to talk.
When you look at the serial
number
and the name of the violin
and was it made in China
or was it a copy of,
this is what I have found
with the case and everything.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> But he didn't tell me
that he paid $499.
He told me he paid $700.
>> Judge Judy: Just a second.
It's nice to have
an expert witness.
It's not relevant.
You bought a violin.
He didn't give you
an oboe or a tuba.
He gave you a violin.
He's entitled to make --
He's not your friend.
He's entitled to make
whatever amount of money.
He's in business.
It's your responsibility
as a consumer
to test your product out first,
to figure out what it is
and whether it's made in China
or whether
it's made someplace else.
If you relied on him, however,
like you rely on...
You go to a car lot,
and they say, "You know what?
I'm going to sell you this car.
This is the sticker price."
Some people go
in to a car dealership,
and they look
at the sticker price,
and they have a very nice
salesman, and they say,
"Oh, I really like that car.
I'll take it."
Most people know that there are
automatic discounts on a car.
They go online,
and they can check and see...
My son told me the name of it.
They got tissue prices on a car,
but it's really the really
base price,
what the dealer
is really paying for it,
and you go in and you negotiate.
If you chose not to negotiate,
that's your problem.olin
come into your possession?
She comes to your house,
and she says to you,
"I'd like an invoice."
>> Yes.
And I didn't have my invoices.
>> Judge Judy:
And you don't have it,
and this is shortly
after she purchased it.
>> That's correct.
I didn't have my invoice forms.
I was out of my invoice forms.
>> Judge Judy: I don't care.
>> I apologize.
>> Judge Judy:
You didn't have the invoice.
>> That's correct.
>> Judge Judy:
So you had an argument with her.
She said, "Well,
I would like to see the invoice
because
I would like to return it."
She say that to you?
>> That's correct.
>> Judge Judy:
And what did you say to her?
>> "They have a 14-day policy
for the returns,
and the only way
I could get your money back
or some of your money back,
if I resell this violin
to other student of mine
or other client."
So that's what I offered.
>> Judge Judy:
On what date did you buy...
First of all,
get me on the site now.
Now you're on the site, show me
the 14-day policy return.
On what date
did you purchase the violin?
>> I believe I purchased
the violin
in the beginning of May.
>> Judge Judy: On what date
did you receive the violin?
>> The first week of June.
>> Judge Judy:
What happened on May 20th?
>> If you allow me,
Your Honor --
>> May 20th, he placed
the order.
He told he's going to place
the order.
And 1 week in May,
I was in Florida.
I was not here.
>> All that time that we were
waiting
for that particular violin
to come,
she was borrowing my violin,
and I never
charged her anything.
I never charge rent
or usage or...
It was just my free
will to help her out.
And at the time she ask
to purchase a new violin,
I gave her a choice.
I said, "There is cheap violins
for $20."
>> Judge Judy:
You can't buy a cheap violin
for $20.
You can't buy a cheap violin
for $20.
>> Well, there is.
If you allow me to show you,
Your Honor...
>> Judge Judy: Listen to me.
I'm not interested.
This is not about my becoming
an expert in violins.
I'm 74 years old.
I don't want to know
anything else in my whole life.
I got enough in my head.
All I want to do
is keep it here.
What I know about is contracts.
She bought a product from you.
She overpaid for the product,
in her mind,
because she didn't get as good
a violin as she thought.
That's too bad.
It's your violin.
Go sell it.
>> Fourteen-day return policy,
Your Honor.
>> Judge Judy: I'd like to see
that, please.
It's a contract.
Okay.
Well, it's certainly
beyond 14 days.
>> If he would have given me
right there,
I would have returned it.
>> Judge Judy: It's your violin.
Which is the violin?
>> This one, ma'am.
>> Judge Judy:
Could I just see it, Byrd?
I just would like to touch it.
Okay.
Well, that certainly
is a violin.
[ Laughter ]
Would you give this
to the plaintiff?
You have a violin.
Your case is dismissed.
We're done.