Inconsiderate buyers

[wdfifteen]

There is a thread here someplace about this. I think it was posted by Fred, but I couldn't find it. Sorry for the new thread.

So I happened to mention in a message board that I have some old Porsche parts in the attic of my barn. Some guy PMed and asked do I have a specific part. I told him yes, but it was buried in boxes of parts in the cold attic of my barn and would be a real pain to get to and maybe next spring I can do it. He claimed he was very interested in it, needed it right away, and wanted a picture.
So I went out to the barn in 30 degree rain/snowing weather with my light and camera, moved a car out of the way to get the ladder up to the attic, dug the part out of the pile, and froze my ass off getting a photograph of it for him.

I sent the picture to him four days ago.
You guessed it.
No reply. Nothing. Not even a, "Thank you for looking but not interested."

[WPOZZZ]

It goes both ways. I got ghosted by a seller. Lots of flaky sellers and buyers. It is a paradigm shift.

[Cajundaddy]

Lotta those guys out there and after all your trouble, they want to grind you on the price or just disappear because they found it elsewhere.

I am more than happy to dig out a part if I can find it easily but rain, snow, sleet, or an hour of attic hunting... Nah. Some guy I never met gives me the full court press to find a part for him I will simply wait 3 hours and email back: "Sorry man, I looked everywhere but couldn't find it."

Life goes on.

[Bill Douglas]

Someone emailed me and wanted an original SC steering wheel. I sent him the wheel (I paid shipping so the steering wheel was almost free) and good will gesture of "If it's not as good as I've said it is send it back, otherwise this is my bank acc.."

Prick sends it back saying he doesn't really like look of the original and was looking for an aftermarket one.

Argh.

[ckelly78z]

I got the full court press on a Porsche 944 I was selling, wanting pictures, and descriptions of all reciepts, pictures, and explanations of stone chips, a tire tread depth gauge on all 4 tires, and a picture of their date code. I think about 100 texts back and forth on a $4500 car. He shows up, and picks the car apart by finding minute flaws, then offers me $3000. I obviously say "No". He leaves and calls about an hour later wanting to trade even up for the 1995 chevy conversion van he was driving....I think I told him to F--- off. I sold it a week later for full price to someone who is STILL happy with it.

[Chocaholic]

Have bought and sold several things on the ADV forum. See this (and experienced it) many times. Detailed questions, specific pictures, etc...then nothing. Very frustrating.

[cabmandone]

Welcome to the world of sales! I was visiting my brother last fall and planned to stop by a friend/customer's house on my way home from VA. I got a call from a customer who "really wanted" the machine I had listed for sale. I cancelled my stop at my friend's home and went straight home so I could get the buyer an invoice. A few days later he mentions that he didn't like the terms of loan from the finance company he contacted.... blah blah blah. Long and short of it. I'm not jumping through hoops for buyers. It NEVER pays off.

[vonsmog]

Or the guys who low ball you, or their first question about an item is "can you do any better on the price" I just sold a "barn find" Jaguar Mk 2, which I was asking only $2500 for. Sold it for my asking price, yet a few ask right of the get go, what is the least I will sell for. Even had one guy from here say he wants it bad, and was a big Jag guy. Then starts complaining about having to pay for shipping it and all. Then offers $1200 like he is doing me a favor. I told him, that is not an offer, its an insult. I could part the car out for over $6k! I have sold about a hundred cars and have seen all kinds of buyers. Like the guys who say they have been looking for a while for this exact model. Then you ask, how long have you been looking, and they reply "oh, about 25 years"! I'm sorry but if you can't find what you are looking for in 25 years, you are not a serious buyer!

[legion]

I especially love the ones that want to beat you up on price before they take a look. I don't consider you a serious buyer unless you show up in person or pay for a PPI, and I don't negotiate on price until you are a serious buyer.

My all-time favorite was the Pelican who filed a complaint with eBay over an $8 part that I charged $5 shipping on. It cost me $4.99 to ship, so I refunded 1¢.

[Rusty Heap]

Originally Posted by legion

I especially love the ones that want to beat you up on price EVEN BEFORE they take a look at the item.

This X 10

I can understand if they're honest and state up front, "This is all I have, can you work with me"

My get even with the low ballers is to jack up the price even more for my second offer, just to get a rise out of them.

[vonsmog]

Originally Posted by Rusty Heap

This X 10

I can understand if they're honest and state up front, "This is all I have, can you work with me"

My get even with the low ballers is to jack up the price even more for my second offer, just to get a rise out of them.

I do the same, when they ask, "what is the best you can do" I add a few hundred to the price, then watch their face. Then say you asked what was the best "I" could do, not what was the best "you" can do.

[996AE]

Sold my last car through consignment dealer

Dont like dealing with this

Worth the 5k

[asphaltgambler]

I'm fairly experienced with this. As said above, it goes both ways. If I'm selling something(s) I get it out, clean it, take nice pix with no background. Simple, short descriptive wording. Basically as a seller you should present 'it' where all questions are answered.

Then I wait and expect scammers & idiots but reply with patience. I had 1 guy that emailed/ texted and called endlessly on a Ebay listing I had that was @$8k. He had great feedback, lived a few states away. So end result was he won and then no deposit. Sent an email......cricket's. I call him next morning, says he's tapped out, no money and admits the whole process to him was like getting a drug high.....I s**t you not, that's what he said.

I relisted it and did sell later to 2nd bidder.

2 words on both sides. Be prepared and be patient.

[legion]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

Then I wait and expect scammers & idiots but reply with patience. I had 1 guy that emailed/ texted and called endlessly on a Ebay listing I had that was @$8k. He had great feedback, lived a few states away. So end result was he won and then no deposit. Sent an email......cricket's. I call him next morning, says he's tapped out, no money and admits the whole process to him was like getting a drug high.....I s**t you not, that's what he said.

I relisted it and did sell later to 2nd bidder.

2 words on both sides. Be prepared and be patient.

I hope you filed a complaint with eBay so that, at the very least, you didn't have to pay fees on an auction where the buyer never paid.

[petrolhead611]

I advertised a small piece of furniture on a local Freecycle site .
One nuisance asked me to email photos from all sides and send exact measurements this on a free item. I told him to come round and collect it and he could then photograph and measure at his own house.Never heard another word from him. I gave it to a charity instead. Advertised an old but good single bed on same medium and ended up having to completely dismantle it( 15 minutes work)so that it would just fit in the collection vehicle. I am done with Freecycle.

[sammyg2]

Many moons ago I advertised a 10' diameter trampoline, the fancy one with safety netting etc.
FREE, MUST PICK UP

I got a call almost immediately asking if it was still available and would I hold it for him for a week. I told him it was free, so first come first served. not holding anything.
Never heard from him again.
another guy showed up and wanted it but he had a mini-van.
He asked if I could spend an hour taking it all apart for him so it would fit in the van. nope, sorry. Bye.

Next guy showed up with buddies and quickly had it apart, loaded up, and offered me a $20 because it was in such good shape.
I said thanks anyway, have a good day.

haven't advertised anything for sale or free since that I can remember. I'd rather give it or throw it away.

[legion]

I don't do free either. People tend to value your time in accordance with the value of the item you are selling, so if it is "free", there is a segment of the population that thinks that means they can inconvenience you at will.

A few years ago, I (almost) gave away some garment boxes from a recent move. I think I paid something like $30 per box and I had four of them. At that point, I never planned on moving again and they were taking up space. I listed them for free on an internal work website. One lady contacted me immediately and had to have them ASAP. I arranged to take the four boxes to work and meet her at her car after work the next day. The next day comes and I bring the boxes to the appointed place at the appointed time after work. After waiting 15 minutes, I call her (as I have her information through work). In a jovial voice, I ask her when she plans on meeting me as I have been waiting for 15 minutes. She simply replies: "Why are you bothering me?" FU lady.

[Baz]

I hate selling. Guess that's why I have so many things here consuming space!

As a buyer.......I'm what you want.

Make contact first to make sure the item is still for sale. If so, when can I come look at it. In many cases I will tell the seller I want at their asking price and when can I come pick it up?

As far as negotiating the price......if I intend to do that (and I don't always do it), I won't until I'm there looking in person and talking to seller. I only do this if I feel it's justifiable, BTW. Then I'm holding cash in my hand and ask them what they will take for it right now. IF they are flexible - that is their opportunity - and mine as buyer too.

[GH85Carrera]

Back when I commuted to work, I worked in a building in a commercial area. We would put all sorts of junk out front on the curb next to the dumpster. I got rid of two old toilets, and even a 60 inch wide solvent based printer that the factory service rep could not get to work. Push it out front, and people would take it.

We had some "office" furniture that was left over home furnishing from the 70s. Gold over stuffed chairs and those were gone before we got back into the building. Anything of any sort of value was hauled away to with zero hassles.

Now we have large trash pickup once every other month. The city will haul off stuff like old appliances or water heaters for free. It helps keep the azzholes of the world from dumping them on the side of the road. The junkers will roll through the day before and at dawn the next morning loading up stuff. Power to them, it is better than going to the landfill with it.

I can get rid of large crap for free, and zero hassle.

I have several old iPhones I need to list on Ebay and I just can't bring myself to mess with it yet.

[Bill Douglas]

I don't sell anything online (ebay sort of selling) unless it's worth over one or two hundred. I take the items to the dumpshop and they deal with them.