Pain in the Bum People Who Answer Classifieds

This is the first time I've posted anything on the online classifieds. I have two top-quality items in perfect shape - stored indoors and barely used - that I am asking about 1/3 price of new (a Kettler scooter and tricycle).

How come there are so many flaky people out there? I've had five people say they definitely want one of the items, via email, yet three have completely zoned out. We'll see about the other two... Granted, I posted the items late last night so this is the first day, but still!

Come on, if you want the item, what is the problem? One woman told me it was too far to drive to come get the scooter, and she's fifteen minutes away. (Definitely, we aren't in Texas any more.)

Anyway, I'm certain they will sell, but I'm thinking maybe it's not worth the hassle and next time I'll once again call Big Brothers Big Sisters to come pick up the items.

Anybody have similar experiences? Words of encouragement?

Before Christmas I advertised a weight gym for sale on a local sellers site in Winnipeg. I had a few enquires that didn't go anywhere. People emailing and asking for the address that they could come and see the item.

I'd email them back and give them the phone number and tell them to call me the day they want to come and see it and I'd give them the address then. All but one person never bothered to contact me back. The one person who did came down with her father to look at it, left me a deposit and later that afternoon came to pick it up and pay me the balance due.

So there is hope Keep your chin up

Thanks for the encouragement, Linda!

I think the problem is that I want to be fair and sell them on first-come, first-served basis, but then when people no-show, or change their minds, it's very frustrating.

Now I have someone who wants me to hold the tricycle until Sunday, and someone else who wants both held until Monday. Ugh.

I'm just going to tell everybody to get here as soon as they can. Ugh, what a pain.

I've posted on Craigslist and the local Freecycle forums. Whenever I've had multiple responses, I politely tell the ones that come later that someone had claimed it and will pick it up by a certain time. But if they do not show up, then I will contact them to see if they are still interested. I don't give them a minute longer than what they replied to in their e-mail.

When I gave away a dishwasher on Freecycle recently (it was probably 15 years old and couldn't really be sold), I had 5 responses and I didn't pick the first one because the 3rd one down seemed to be going to the most needy person, and the response seemed the most sincere. That person picked it up the same day.

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Thanks for the encouragement, Linda!

I think the problem is that I want to be fair and sell them on first-come, first-served basis, but then when people no-show, or change their minds, it's very frustrating.

Now I have someone who wants me to hold the tricycle until Sunday, and someone else who wants both held until Monday. Ugh.

I'm just going to tell everybody to get here as soon as they can. Ugh, what a pain.

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Don't hold anything without a deposit!!! If the person can't come and look at it for 2 or 3 days, and someone comes along and buys it before they can even look at it, that's their problem not yours.

You have an item to sell. Let people come look at it and sell it to the first person who comes to the house and wants to buy it.

Only hold it for someone who has given you a NON REFUNDABLE deposit!

If someone comes to look at it and they tell you that they will be back in a couple days to buy it but won't leave you a deposit, let them know that your goal is to sell the item and that you are going to continue to show it in the meantime.

If someone has come to look at it and has left you a deposit with a promise to come back to pay the difference and take it away, consider it sold.

Yup! definitely don't hold anything without money. Think of yourself as being temporarily in business. If you're holding the items for one person and someone comes along and buys everything, well, that's not really your issue if there was never any deposit.

I ran a local advertisement for a futon that I had. The futon was in great condition and the mattress was less then a year old. I only received a few phone calls on it (this was before I found out about Craigslist), but the first woman didn't even realize that I was in a different area code when she called. When I told her where I was she said it was too far, so that ended that. My second call about it however was successful, I got the price I wanted and they took it away.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll sell them this weekend!

Thanks for the information!

I'm now telling people I can't hold the items for them. Some of the people live "up island" in little communities. Shopping here is GRIM, and they will have to drive 1 - 2 hours just to get here, so that's why they want me to hold the item(s).

One person is trying to ask a friend who lives here to come buy both items for her.

What a pain.

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I'm now telling people I can't hold the items for them. Some of the people live "up island" in little communities. Shopping here is GRIM, and they will have to drive 1 - 2 hours just to get here, so that's why they want me to hold the item(s).

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I used to live pretty far out in the country and never bothered dealing with people who wouldn't hold an item for me long enough for me to drive to there home. Does me no good to travel 2 hours just to find it gone and gas is too expensive to take the risk that the item is gone.

In all fairness to these people, give them a time limit and tell them that it is up for grabs after that time. But don't give them days, give them the time it takes for them to drive to your home.

Yay, I sold both items to the woman who lives two hours away. She had someone come buy them for her.

So... let's see, what should I sell next?