The Trials and Tribulations of CL/Facebook/etc.

[glasshand]

Just thought I'd start a thread on the nuisances associated with buying and selling used stuff, because who doesn't like to complain? The wife and I have been selling off some stuff lately, which has generated ample material.

My favorite of late: person is interested in an item, asks if it's still available, then..."Do you ever come to New Jersey? I want to buy it but I can't cross the Hudson." Emphasis mine. Can't cross the Hudson? What are you, a fucking vampire? You're out on a bail bond and can't leave the state? You suffer from thalassophobia?


As it so happens, I do have reason to go to New Jersey, but I'm going to meet this person in a public place, carrying a head of garlic in my pocket, and ready to escape by boat...

[mozz]

Craigslist I give about a 50% chance of the person actually showing up. Though lately if selling electronics they have been there on time.

[nomadh]

I have very good success with craigslist, mostly music stuff and my wife does a ton of ebay with clothes and CL with animals. We have mostly very good dealings with all. Selling some mic stands recently. I'd got about 4 or 5 interest emails that were hit or miss but partly my fault as it seemed I would get busy and not check email on a weekend for 2 days so they may have bought elsewhere . So I try and have some understanding that this isn't anyone's job typically and both the buyers and sellers are just doing this , on the side, if there isn't an emergency, and work didn't swamp them that day, and the wife didnt pop up with something , and if there wasn't a kids game you forgot you had to go to. Its what you put up with to get a deal or something unusual.
And sometimes there something I'm moderately interested in, but don't really need , or even really want to buy, but at a deal and maybe I could love it, but its in north county and 50+ min away. I ask if they work or get somewhere more central where we could meet. Other wise I'm just not that interested. Sometimes it works out. Other Times I save money and have less stuff underfoot.

[honyock]

I no longer travel for Craigslist sales, I used to be nice, but I have been burned a couple times. With no recourse it isn't worth the frustration.

Often get people asking to ship stuff, I just point them to my Reverb store. The discount for shipping will often cover any sales fees, so I'd rather have the piece of mind of the shipping protection (although I am hesitant to trust the new Etsy overlords vs. CME)

[mark_morton]

I always add a little something in the ad of along the lines of:
"Will only meet at certain guitar centers." I'm in Houston so I have three locations relatively close to me.
"Consult your wife about your finances before contacting me." I've had multiple guys mention that before.
"No shipping or delivery."
Seems to work just fine. I used to waste a lot of time emailing/messaging back and forth just to not sell the item.

[glasshand]

"Consult your wife about your finances before contacting me." I've had multiple guys mention that before.

That reminds me of one of my other "favorite" stories. This guy contacts me about an amp, and he seems really interested. He has a bunch of questions, and there is a good bit of back and forth as we try to work out a time for the sale, which we finally do. Then, something like an hour before he is scheduled to show up, he says "Sorry, I forgot I was taking my wife to a Celine Dion concert tonight" AND I NEVER HEAR FROM HIM AGAIN.

[JeffBeck]

I don't know how many times I'll get a "is this still available" message, I'll reply and never hear another peep.

[Rollin Hand]

"Consult your wife about your finances before contacting me." I've had multiple guys mention that before.

That reminds me of one of my other "favorite" stories. This guy contacts me about an amp, and he seems really interested. He has a bunch of questions, and there is a good bit of back and forth as we try to work out a time for the sale, which we finally do. Then, something like an hour before he is scheduled to show up, he says "Sorry, I forgot I was taking my wife to a Celine Dion concert tonight" AND I NEVER HEAR FROM HIM AGAIN.

He is dead.

[adad]

I got my first negative on ebay in 18 years. I have had two negatives since 1998. Both have been from buyers who never contacted me at all. All you have to do on ebay to ask for a refund is to press a button. Please help me understand the logic behind Ebay allowing negative feedback without giving the seller an opportunity to make it good.

[mozz]

You can reply to feedback left, or at least it used to be that way. The system they have is all screwed up. I can't imagine how high my actual feedback would be if it was mandatory to leave a response. I'm over 1500 and that's about 50/50 buying selling since 1998. I can bet it would be closer to 3000.

Try to even find this blocked bidders list. I bookmarked it a long time ago, i'm sure it's buried now. Someone gets cocky or snotty, they go here so they never buy from me again.
https://offer.ebay.com/ws2/eBayISAPI.dl ... blocklogin

[rrobbone]

I've had remarkably good luck on all the classified platforms. I don't really use them all that often, but last week I scored a complete surround sound system for ten bucks.

I stick around Etsy, Reverb, and the local classifieds run on a local tv station's website. Craig's is dead here due to that tv station, and I wouldn't touch Ebay with a ten foot PayPal card.

[adad]

I already blocked the lady. My block bidder list is long. I'll block a bidder if they give me any kind of funny feeling. Also posted a response to the feedback though it took a while to find the link to do that. Made me feel ebay gives you that option but doesn't like you to use it.
Also contacted Ebay and gave them my opinion on the whole thing. They just gave me a bunch of "we are sorry" and no one could explain the logic behind this feedback rule. I have listed nothing of value since it happened. My own private protest. Sell on Reverb or locally for a while. At least they wont get my selling fees.

[rrobbone]

(although I am hesitant to trust the new Etsy overlords vs. CME)

I do a large portion of my business across Reverb. So far, so good. The only difference I noticed in the change to Etsy to this point is slightly better shipping rates. If it starts to go south, I'll let the forum know!

[Houblues]

I don't know how many times I'll get a "is this still available" message, I'll reply and never hear another peep.

I really don't understand anyone's rationale for using this as a conversation starter. As far as I am concerned, there are only two reasonable responses which will move us to a sale:

Either - Some version of "Tell me about the item"

or - "How can I contact you to discuss the item"?

The "Is this available" response is a waste of time for both parties and doesn't move the interaction forward. What am I supposed to say in response - "Yes"? Then what?

And I am most definitely not interested in someone shooting me a response that is 60% of the asking price, which was set as the result of research to begin with. When that is the first response I interpret it as a sign the person isn't a motivated buyer and is most likely looking for something to flip. Those conversations immediately get muted.

[Milkman]

Posted my mom’s adult tricycle today because she’s just not going to be able to use it again. I was asking a pittance - $30, because if you post free stuff, the vampires come out to simply resell or recycle. The first response was a guy buying for his mom. When he arrived, I told him there was no charge - I had gotten the bike for free, and he should give it away when he no longer needed it.

[adad]

I have been putting stuff on Offer Up.
99% of the time:
"is this item still available"
I reply "yes"
Then nothing. Crickets.

The easier it is to contact you with no commitment or contact info, the easier it is to disappear.

[honyock]

(although I am hesitant to trust the new Etsy overlords vs. CME)

I do a large portion of my business across Reverb. So far, so good. The only difference I noticed in the change to Etsy to this point is slightly better shipping rates. If it starts to go south, I'll let the forum know!

one thing I have noticed is that I seem to be getting dinged on dimensions despite measuring them before I ship stuff, despite using the exact same dimensions that CME used to ship me the exact same box...

[glasshand]

I don't know how many times I'll get a "is this still available" message, I'll reply and never hear another peep.

I really don't understand anyone's rationale for using this as a conversation starter.

FWIW, I think Facebook makes that your only option for starting a conversation with a seller on Marketplace. It's stupid, but there you are. Other platforms, I dunno.

I guess some people are just shopping around and hitting the "is this still available" button is a very minimal investment. What gets me is the people who get into a long discussion with you and then ghost. Look, if you decided after all that the item isn't for you, fine, but politeness would suggest that you say so.

On the flip side, I'm annoyed by sellers whose only description of an item is "FOR SALE". No shit it's for sale, that's why it's in the "for sale" section.

[Houblues]

I don't know how many times I'll get a "is this still available" message, I'll reply and never hear another peep.

I really don't understand anyone's rationale for using this as a conversation starter.

FWIW, I think Facebook makes that your only option for starting a conversation with a seller on Marketplace. It's stupid, but there you are. Other platforms, I dunno.

That's the default suggestion but you can actually use whatever you want.

[Mossman]

I've had an amp for sale on CL for a while. I usually price items a little higher than what I'm actually looking for, because if there was ever a day that a Craigslist buyer didn't start his haggling with an hilariously low starting offer, I think the Earth would crack open, and pigs would come flying out of the frozen depths of Hell.

I have it posted for $180. New price was $250. Average used selling price about $150-$160. This weekend, I got an email asking:

Hello. I was wondering if you still have this and what's the least you would take for it?

$120 American cash dollars? (emphasis mine)

Happiness and Peace,

Corey


Ok, first of all; I can't stand it it when somebody asks me: "what's the least you'll take for it?" or "what's your lowest price?" For crying out sakes, man... just make an honest offer! Don't ask me to shoot MYSELF in the foot!

But then he also made a low-ball offer...

I was going to ignore it, as I usually do with low-ballers, but later that day for some reason, I emailed him back, saying: "I'll meet you half-way... $150 and it's yours".

He replied: "Great, I can meet you in the valley tomorrow, any time after 10 am. I'll bring $140."

I said: "Ok, but you better bring $150... You asked for my lowest price and I gave it to you." (plus I had no doubt that if I went to meet him, he'd say: "Aw man, I only have $120", and expect me to let it go for that, just because he's right in front of me).

Then he hemmed and hawed about how it costs $220 at Sweetwater, and admitted that $150 was a fair price, but he's basically going to be a dick over TEN DOLLARS, and asked that I keep him in mind if it doesn't sell at $150.

I didn't respond.

I hate it when people assume that I'm desperate to sell an item, and think I'll dance to any tune they call. I also hate it when you ask a fair price for something, and that's not good enough... Like, it wasn't enough that he got the amp for a decent price, but he wanted the shirt I was wearing too!

[Milkman]

I’ve got some yahoo right now asking about a bike seat I have up for sale. He just asked me the old “what’s the lowest you’ll go? question.

I’m either going to ghost him, or reply “what’s the highest YOU’LL go?”

Why don’t people know how to do this?

[glasshand]

I’ve got some yahoo right now asking about a bike seat I have up for sale. He just asked me the old “what’s the lowest you’ll go? question.

I’m either going to ghost him, or reply “what’s the highest YOU’LL go?”

Why don’t people know how to do this?

You should do that! I've always wanted to do that, because, seriously, what a dickish question that is. I've had people say "it's called BARGAINING" but my feeling about that is, no, simply demanding somebody give you their lowest possible price without suggesting anything of your own is actually the exact opposite of bargaining.

[honyock]

if anyone opens with what is the lowest you will take, I just respond the price is in the ad...

[aullucci]

I was looking for a soundbar for the basement tv and found a decent looking Vizio for $100. This was FB, so I messaged him and told him I was interested and I'd like to try it out. I was good with $100 and said so. Crickets. Three weeks later he gets back to me and says he's had so many offers for the soundbar that he was going to relist it for $150, but if I came that day with $150 he would give it to me. I actually thought it was pretty creative, to cover his delay using the psychology of missing out, against other competitors, with the ticking clock. I almost said yes on impulse. But its only like 160 new and used ones go for just about 100 all the time, so I passed. But there's lots of little games those buyers and sellers play to try to put you in a more favorable (to them of course) state of mind.

[Houblues]

I’ve got some yahoo right now asking about a bike seat I have up for sale. He just asked me the old “what’s the lowest you’ll go? question.

I’m either going to ghost him, or reply “what’s the highest YOU’LL go?”

Why don’t people know how to do this?

You should do that! I've always wanted to do that, because, seriously, what a dickish question that is. I've had people say "it's called BARGAINING" but my feeling about that is, no, simply demanding somebody give you their lowest possible price without suggesting anything of your own is actually the exact opposite of bargaining.

I'll admit that it is somewhat tricky territory, but my basic thoughts align with yours. If their ideas on price are so much different than what's in the ad, they're trying to buy above their means and should be responding to other ads, not mine. I don't have a problem with someone who starts out by asking about the item and eventually comes around to asking if there is any negotiating room in the price. That is mostly to be expected.

But when the first words out of the gate are simply a lowball offer (No "Hello" or anything else, not even a dollar sign before the number), I do take that as dickish. I assume the rest of the transaction will be equally problematic, and don't reply. If they can't respect me, I see no reason to offer in return what they don't value.