This kind of shit really makes me want to punch out the old farts. This happens ALL the time. I was trying to sell a futon for $200 that’d been bought new for $600 because I needed to get rid of it. This old man and his MILF wife tried to talk me down in price by denigrating the thing he was buying. It was ‘too heavy’ or ‘are you SURE there’s no stains under the cover?’ and ‘there’s scuff marks all over the legs’. Then he rambled on about how it was for his daughter who just bought her first place or something. Then he magnimoniously offered me $150 for it. Bitch I said I wanted $200 for the futon, not $150! I didn’t want to listen to your mindless prattle and talk about what a piece of shit my $600 all maple super comfy futon was. Buy the damn thing for $200 and get out.
I worked for a while in a department store. There was a 60’s ish woman who would come in every few weeks and want to discuss in tremendous detail the exact effect she wanted to achieve with lace doilies on her dining room table, or lace antimacassars on her chairs. She worshipped lace. The way she talked about it was like it was a fact universally acknowledged that it was The Most Beautiful Thing in Existence.
She would have things put aside for her, or insist on elaborate arrangements as to how and when we were going to contact her about new stock that was coming in which she imagined was going to be exactly what she wanted. She almost never bought anything at all, and if she did she brought it back almost immediately, so that she could have another tremendously long discussion as to how it wasn’t exactly right and what she wanted that was different. Luckily being a guy she didn’t pick on me, but the female staff would literally hide behind stock fixtures to avoid being the one caught by her.
At least you have people actually showing up. I’m about 1 for 6 in people calling, saying they want it, making arrangements to show up on a certain day /time, and I never hear from the fuckers again. And in the meantime, I’ve been telling other people, “No, sorry, it’s taken.”
The simple solution, for this, is to take their phone number. People will call if they’re not coming, ***if ***you have their number. Think about it, it works with restaurant reservations, appointments to view apartments, etc. Insist on a phone number, it’s just that easy.
fluiddruid, I would be saying #1 (confirm in person what was explained in the ad - “so this bedding set does include a dust ruffle and an extra sham?”); #4 - ask if it’s still available because maybe in my excitement at finding the thing, I just wasn’t quick-witted enough to check the time it was posted; #6 - more than one call (I always call to confirm. Always. and sometimes stuff goes on where I have to re-arrange my schedule, I think maybe I shouldn’t buy that thing, well, I guess I can after all…and call again. to confirm.) … I know in a perfect world, you would list an item, somebody would show up right on time, silently hand over money, take the item, bundle it into the car, and begone. I think you ought to expect #1, #4, and #6 and cut them a little slack. People aren’t robots, they get flustered, they want to say something other than “here’s money, gimmee”, and sometimes dither and have second thoughts about making a purchase. The urge to chat a BIT about the thing for sale is natural… All your other points, I agree with, though.
people like this are just looking for someone to talk to.
ETA: I should clarify that I’m just stating my assessment. when I re-read my reply it seemed terse enough where it might sound like I’m passing judgment. I’m not at all.
My poor 19 year old cousin was trying to sell her mini fridge on Craigs list. She had it up for a very reasonable price and a couple came by and bought it. They drove off only to come back 10 minutes later and demand to return it for a refund because “It rattled in the car”. My cousin didn’t want to argue with them, she being just barely an adult herself and gave them their money and took back the fridge. I told her in no uncertain terms that they had no right to return it and once the transfer had taken place she had no obligation to give them their money, and that they were assholes from hell. I think she’ll be less timid next time.
Don’t feel bad, I’ve been trying to sell a spare sports-type wheelchair (kuschall) with missing footrests for under $50 for the last month or so. (A steal of a price, these things go for over $1k brand new.)
Lots of e-mails of curious people… then I get someone who wants to buy it to come out. They called their mother-in-law and they wanted one with footrests.
Its… like… in my ad it says “No footrests”! Herp-a-Derp. :smack::smack:
They wasted their gas for this? You’d think they’d be smarter.
So far, my Craigslist sales have been small items. Nobody comes to my home. Ever. They don’t even meet me in the neighborhood.
I live in Queens, NYC. I list that I can meet in Midtown Manhattan. Starbucks, etc. Meet, look at the item, either buy or walk away. Plenty of witnesses.
Last thing I sold that way was my old Droid phone. A young lady met me in Prét a Manger on 6th and 47th. Here I am, an older man meeting a young woman and we both felt at ease and safe. The place was teeming with people. She looked it over, and bought it. I let her leave and walk away before I even stood up.
It’s really the only way I will sell on Craigslist. Buying? Hell, I’ve gone to peoples’ homes to get an armoire, bookcase and so on.
