ad respondents . . . vent

[gardenmom5]

I've spent my afternoon listing a few items - including a couple *very nice* cashmere jackets I bought on clearance (1ds decided he didn't want them.   when he moved out - months after I gave them to him so I couldn't return them even though they still had their tags.) - he was supposed to have a "business casual" wardrobe . . .  (he decided engineers only need plaid shirts and khakis . . . . ). 2ds, dh, and dsil would all love those jackets if one of them fit them! (they were whining about it when I bought them.)

get a response from someone - I really want it.  ok, when do you want to meet?  oh, I can't afford that much.  my husband has been out of work. . yadda yadda. . . . . I can have sympathy (we're dealt with prolonged unemployment  incld at Christmas with little kids), but I'm not giving it away.

same with an old note 3 phone I *finally* got around to listing . . . . . 

[SamanthaCarter]

I feel you. I’ve tried listing things only a handful of times over the years resulting in the same drama. 

We have stuff I could list and sell and just can’t even because my experience tells me I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with people. 

It’s weird how listing stuff brings out the people with no jobs and/or transportation and/or mobility. 

Edited November 21, 2019 by SamanthaCarter
Ps- yes, it would be kind of weird for an engineer to regularly dress for work in much other than plaid shirt/nice polo and khakis. The only time I see them up the style is big customer or supplier meetings.

[HomeAgain]

I have decided I hate listing and I hate buying.  The last time I tried to buy from someone locally I asked her to give me a time and place to meet, that my schedule was flexible.  I got a place, no time, no date, even after asking twice.  Then a month later she got around to asking if I was still interested.  Uh, no.  Not from you. 
Selling is just as maddening.  It's like people forget how to communicate.  Being rude, asking me to come down half on an already very low price....I honestly don't care very much about a person's story unless it's something that directly affects the sale.  Sob stories don't.  Having a bit of integrity seems to be a dying trait.

[theelfqueen]

We were buying a car recently. I asked sellers to meet us at my mechanic's shop to see the car. I got a few people who were just weird in their responses " I can meet you at x time but only at "place near my house" or I cant meet you at any of the times suggested, no counter suggestions.. I just stopped looking at their car at that point. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Those jackets sound nice. Are you allowed to share photo and measurements here? 

[alisoncooks]

Yeah, selling on local pages always brings out the sob stories. Sheesh, if I could afford to practically give my stuff away, I wouldn't be going through the hassle of trying to sell it online. Seriously. 

(And I'm not heartless, but I believe most of those stories are scammers or low-ballers and I don't have patience for that.)

[Scarlett]

I saw  a post on a local site this week.....A girl selling some baby items.  "Only reason I am selling them is to buy food.  I am expecting another baby in January".  She may as well stood in front of wal-mart with a 'Hungry-please help' sign.  It did tug at my heart strings a little....but there are so many scam artists out there.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, theelfqueen said:

We were buying a car recently. I asked sellers to meet us at my mechanic's shop to see the car. I got a few people who were just weird in their responses " I can meet you at x time but only at "place near my house" or I cant meet you at any of the times suggested, no counter suggestions.. I just stopped looking at their car at that point. 

I had fun with one guy who not only lowballed me (for a small item), he wanted me to drop it off where he works. . . . 

I increased the price from my asking price, and I said "I can drop it off at __ time".  (I would be driving past at that time.).  he wanted me to come by hours later.  I ignored him.

the most absurd car offer I received this summer (sold three cars) - was a trade for an 18' trailer. . . . .  

[gardenmom5]

17 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

I saw  a post on a local site this week.....A girl selling some baby items.  "Only reason I am selling them is to buy food.  I am expecting another baby in January".  She may as well stood in front of wal-mart with a 'Hungry-please help' sign.  It did tug at my heart strings a little....but there are so many scam artists out there.

beggers can make good money, tax free. - there are scams around here where they drag their kids with them. (one was reported as the kids seemed drugged to make them "sleep".)   they've been followed and all work together with a van dropping them off and picking them up.

best bet is always to give to agencies that directly help those who need it. - they vet them, that they actually need it.

[gardenmom5]

1 hour ago, SamanthaCarter said:

Those jackets sound nice. Are you allowed to share photo and measurements here? 

42L and 44L.

[Scarlett]

5 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

I had fun with one guy who not only lowballed me (for a small item), he wanted me to drop it off where he works. . . . 

I increased the price from my asking price, and I said "I can drop it off at __ time".  (I would be driving past at that time.).  he wanted me to come by hours later.  I ignored him.

the most absurd car offer I received this summer (sold three cars) - was a trade for an 18' trailer. . . . .  

Yep.  I have plenty of people in my life that I know need help....

[SamanthaCarter]

Thanks Garden mom. I thought it might be a long-shot Christmas gift, but alas the size doesn’t work. 

[SamanthaCarter]

Garden Mom, that’s a great idea for the “can you take $1 and deliver?” responses. Add an exorbitant delivery fee and give a tiny window of availability for delivery. 

And refer sob stories to legitimate support agencies. 

[mom2scouts]

On 11/21/2019 at 8:35 AM, SamanthaCarter said:

I feel you. I’ve tried listing things only a handful of times over the years resulting in the same drama. 

We have stuff I could list and sell and just can’t even because my experience tells me I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with people. 

It’s weird how listing stuff brings out the people with no jobs and/or transportation and/or mobility. 

Once when my husband was unemployed, I decided to sell anything I could. I had an agreement to sell a large box of children's clothing for a very cheap price. When the woman showed up, she started telling me this sob story about her husband being out of work and it was obvious she was trying to get me to drop the price. My dh was in the garage on a weekday afternoon pulling apart metal to sell to the scrap yard and I pointed to him and said, "Yeah, my husband's unemployed too. That's why I'm selling stuff!" and that ended that. Almost everything I tried to sell after that also had a poor unemployed family story too. I started wondering if everybody in my entire town was unemployed.

[gardenmom5]

2 hours ago, mom2scouts said:

Once when my husband was unemployed, I decided to sell anything I could. I had an agreement to sell a large box of children's clothing for a very cheap price. When the woman showed up, she started telling me this sob story about her husband being out of work and it was obvious she was trying to get me to drop the price. My dh was in the garage on a weekday afternoon pulling apart metal to sell to the scrap yard and I pointed to him and said, "Yeah, my husband's unemployed too. That's why I'm selling stuff!" and that ended that. Almost everything I tried to sell after that also had a poor unemployed family story too. I started wondering if everybody in my entire town was unemployed.

I think there is something that when you're broke, you're more likely to look at other sources to find items to meet your needs.  I look back and remember the days when I would hit thrift stores on a regular basis hoping to find something.  or "free" ads, etc. I do remember what is was like to be flat broke with an unemployed husband and a bunch of little kids. I also encountered people who would easily take advantage of someone to get ahead.

now . .  I don't have time, and I have the money to buy an item if I need it. ( three of my kids are employed fulltime in "real" jobs and can buy what they need. - the other one is still in school, and is learning about handling money and student loan distributions.)

[*****]

I hear you, yes, I think people have changed, especially in the last 5 years. I don't know why they don't understand that we have paid for things and to recoup some of that money would be nice!  I used to sell things all the time on craigslist, but now, yes, many responses have been the same as yours.  

We have a local virtual yard sale Facebook site.  I don't do Facebook, but it seems like people are all the time making or requesting to purchase, and it doesn't sound like quibbling, but rather, "I'll take it!".  Maybe because we are in a small town. Maybe try one of those if you haven't already.  

[May]

I’ve pretty much stopped selling stuff for all the reasons given above. The last thing I sold was two furnace filters. Each filter was about $15 and I sold 2 for $5. If they didn’t sell within a day, off to the thrift store. Sold within an hour and had a porch pickup so I didn’t even have to be here😊