My first craigslist burn

[warjohn]

Bullspit. According to your words, you told them you would be there in 20 minutes if they held the saw. If you were not there in 20 minutes, then they would be under no obligation to hold it longer than that. And you're telling us that between the time you called him, someone else showed, looked at the saw, and bought it? All within 20 minutes? I know I said I wouldn't dispute the 20 minutes, but man, you're stretching it. Furthermore, if the 20 minutes was irrelevant, why were you asking to see his stopwatch?

Ny comment that they refused to show me the stop watch was my poor attempt at humor. Not everyone is as funny or brilliant as a spacemule. There was no stop watch that I know of. What I was simply trying to point out was time really had nothing to do with it. The seller simply took the first money they were offered which is a very common practice. I could have gotten there in 10 minutes and lost out to someone that got there in 9. Neither I nor the seller ever mentioned how long it took me to get there. Every time I go to look at something on craigslist I know there is a chance someone will get there and buy it before me. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

 

[justtools]

As far as the "firm" people go, that kind of selling always annoyed me. Putting "make offer" without a starting price annoys me as well.

It's customary, around here anyway, to bargain on used equipment. The seller will start something above his "got to have" price, and good friendly ####ering is used to determine a selling price. Putting "firm" alienates many potential buyers, and is not a good sales tactic.

Space, putting firm on the price seperates the buyers and resellers. Most people who are looking for their own personal item will pay a fair used price. I dont need to sell an item in 10 minutes. If it sells in 2 or 3 days thats ok. Everyone reading this will buy a like new ms440 for 200. Raise the price to 500 and only the ones who want one for themselves will pay the price. There is no profit in reselling a saw you paid that much for. If someone wants to negotiate do it on the phone. You dont waist everyones time. Show up at the door and make a lowball bid I may have to ESCORT you off the property. I state the firm price in the ad and on the phone. Spacemule you would buy nothing from me and thats ok. If I knew I sold you something. I must have priced it to cheap. I do not wish to waist my time getting offers from others who wish to flip my item for a buck. When sellers like me put firm in the ad it keeps guys like you from responding! ( a good thing) I am going to sleep a little better tonight Knowing I have been doing it right.

 

[Cantdog]

Ny comment that they refused to show me the stop watch was my poor attempt at humor. Not everyone is as funny or brilliant as a spacemule. There was no stop watch that I know of. What I was simply trying to point out was time really had nothing to do with it. The seller simply took the first money they were offered which is a very common practice. I could have gotten there in 10 minutes and lost out to someone that got there in 9. Neither I nor the seller ever mentioned how long it took me to get there. Every time I go to look at something on craigslist I know there is a chance someone will get there and buy it before me. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

Again Warjohn, not trying to give you grief but if you are the one heading to the deal, instead of calling your friends I would have called the seller once I was on the road to reaffirm I was on the way and was very interested in the item. The more communication you have with the seller the more he/they will believe you're for real. If you just say "OK I'll be over in 20 minutes or so" then the next guy calls and says "I'll be over in 10 with the cash" you will probably lose. However if you had called 10 minutes out and reaffirmed your position in the pecking order he may have given you the benefit of the doubt and allowed you a chance at the item. One call doesn't cut it, if you want your place in the dealings you have to be assertive and take command of the situation. If you've called a couple of times and have reached an understanding with the seller it is very rare he will sell it out from under you. Most people don't want to look like a greedy schmuck. But nobody wants to pass up selling the item to one person because they waited to long for someone who never showed. I have made literally hundreds of deals over the phone and convinced the seller I was who and what I said I was and asked them to hold the item until I could get there. I agree with most of what Spacemule has offered in this discussion however I disagree with his assertion that by being the first to call and asking the seller to hold it for me that I am asking for something for nothing. That said, if I want them to hold the item I have more or less agreed to purchase the item. That means that I know what it is worth and the price must less than that. Enough of a difference so that even if I have to put some money in it I'm still OK. I don't by things to resell, so when I enter into these situations I play for keeps. As I said in an earlier post, sometimes I have to drive clear across the state to purchase something and I need reassurance that it will be there when I arrive and with adequate communication most folks understand that and will try to accommodate me. Of course I'm talking me leaving immediately if I can't then we agree that I will call when I do have time to travel there and see if the item is still available, sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.

What I'm getting at is, I've done this a lot and you just have to get across to the seller you are (1) serious (2) for real (3)you know a fair amount about the item HE is selling. (4) you are willing to stay in frequent communication with him (5) If he has told you the truth about the description you will in fact purchase said item. You adhere to these five rules and it will be very rare that you lose out on a deal.

Good deals go quick. So-So deals are around for awhile. Bad deals are always there. If you want the good deals you have to be smart, friendly and quick. IMHO!!

 

[MuleyJ]

That's what I love about you space, you can babble endlessly about this and that and never actually manage to say anything relevant. The only thing asked for was for both parties to honor their word. However unreasonable the agreement may seem to you, that was what was agreed upon by both parties. That is what is relevant. You can ask for a pink fluffy elephant in exchange for holding something for someone, nobody cares. What you think the deal should have been, or what you think the seller should have agreed to, or what you think is fair is completely irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that the seller agreed to do something of their own accord and chose not to honor their word. Feel free to justify away, those facts (according to warjohn of course) will not change. Is there anything else you did not say? I am sure we would all be interested in hearing what it was not.

 

[046]

there's some really great folks on craigslist... but there's also a bunch of baldface liars. which percentage wise are greater than one would think.

sellers who let several folks drive there at the same time are low life. they know someone is going to be pissed.

had the same thing happen to me... after driving 30 minutes to buy a troybuilt horse, only to have someone beat me by 2 minutes. believe me I told the seller he was a worthless SOB...

now when I'm getting ready to make a long drive to pick something up. I'll question seller if anyone is already on the way? no way I'm driving if someone else is already enroute.

the one's you cannot avoid getting burnt are the baldface liars who lie about condition of what they are selling.

the other day drove 40 minutes with a trailer to pickup a dog run... quizzed her carefully about condition and got exact measurements. she claimed dog run was in good condition.

got there .. dog run was rusted clean through in several places. it was a piece of #### and she knew it. 40+ minutes and pulling a trailer to pickup dog run. wasted 2+ hours of my time... which she didn't give a #### about.

 

[belgian]

The only thing asked for was for both parties to honor their word. However unreasonable the agreement may seem to you, that was what was agreed upon by both parties. That is what is relevant. You can ask for a pink fluffy elephant in exchange for holding something for someone, nobody cares. What you think the deal should have been, or what you think the seller should have agreed to, or what you think is fair is completely irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that the seller agreed to do something of their own accord and chose not to honor their word. Feel free to justify away, those facts (according to warjohn of course) will not change. Is there anything else you did not say? I am sure we would all be interested in hearing what it was not.

My point of view exactly. I"ve been in business for a long time and absolutely despise folks whose word is not worth a dime. You break your word with me and you are classified for good.

The seller in this case gave his word that he would keep the saw for the buyer, so they had a deal. It doesn" matter imo if the buyer showed up within 20' or 30', that timeframe stays within reasonable limits.


I buy a lot of oldie saws and sometimes sell a few newer ones to finance the hobby. Experience has learned me that there are a lot of bad buyers and sellers, and that fellowship is growing by the day.

On the purchasing side :

get there fast if you want it ; people won't hold it for you even if you have their word. Always call before you leave to pick it up otherwise you might be driving for nothing.

Stay clear of buyers that say 'make me an offer'. They just use your offer to mark up the price. My motto is if you want to sell something, gather info and determine your selling price

on the selling side :

Lowballers who make ridicule offers....phony bidders that crawl back into their hole once you accept their bid, "firm" buyers who don't show up because they suddenly found a better deal, etc, you name it.

I don't allow bidding anymore on my ads...it's a firm price, take it or leave it. No bargaining on the phone. I seldom accept to "keep" items for the potential buyer, unless he pays in advance.

Like Jacob mentioned, in consumer to consumer business, you have to have a very thick skin nowadays. But, you also happen to meet very interesting folks that compensate for a great deal the bad encounters you make. It's so rewarding to do business with honoust folks. Think about that when you want to buy or sell something in the future.

 

[Plaka]

[snip]

the one's you cannot avoid getting burnt are the baldface liars who lie about condition of what they are selling.

the other day drove 40 minutes with a trailer to pickup a dog run... quizzed her carefully about condition and got exact measurements. she claimed dog run was in good condition.

got there .. dog run was rusted clean through in several places. it was a piece of #### and she knew it. 40+ minutes and pulling a trailer to pickup dog run. wasted 2+ hours of my time... which she didn't give a #### about.

Sometimes they're not so much liars as totally frickin incompetent. If they can't manage a couple of good digital pics I get a lot less interested. A hundred miles round trip for something sight unseen is pretty iffy. But in almost every case where I've been burned I had some responsibility: didn't ask if anyone else was on the way, didn't get good pics, didn't do good enough homework to know the thing couldn't be as described, didn't ask obvious (in hindsight) questions on the phone.... As long as I keep track of my responsibility I learn something every time. Dues, dues, dues...

There is something to telling someone, in a very, very soft voice, that you expect the ad description to be corrected by the time you get home.

Most people don't have a good understanding of how CL works and they worry someone else knows something that could cause them problems on the site. They're right.

A lot of people are good at tuning out someone who's PO'd and hollering, but they pay a lot of attention to someone who seems unstable, perhaps suppressing vast rage---and knows where they live. The right bit of street theater can be pretty satisfying.

 

[Rookie1]

Update. Ive now had 4,yes Im not kidding,4 buyers claim they are coming for mower but havent shown up. Number 5 is coming tomorrow during work to buy it. We shall see.

 

[warjohn]

Update. Ive now had 4,yes Im not kidding,4 buyers claim they are coming for mower but havent shown up. Number 5 is coming tomorrow during work to buy it. We shall see.

That puts in perspective a little. People just don't do what they say they are going to do. Belgian is right. I should have called the seller as soon as I was on the road and told them I was on the way.

 

[Guido Salvage]

Thought I would relate what happened to me over the past 24 hours. On Monday I saw a couple of Poulan saws (2.3's) advertised on Craigslist for $20 with the original manuals. The pictures showed decent looking saws, but they were about 50 minutes from me.

Responded via e-mail and asked if they ever got to Richmond where I live. The wife responded that she works in Richmond and could bring them with her today. In addition, since I had committed to buying them she pulled the ad!

Showed up today and met her in the parking lot at her job and exchanged a Jackson for her saws. Nice when things work out for everyone.

 

[Plaka]

Update. Ive now had 4,yes Im not kidding,4 buyers claim they are coming for mower but havent shown up. Number 5 is coming tomorrow during work to buy it. We shall see.

If you're getting a lot of flakes, raise your price. That gets rid of the people who aren't really serious but are just responding to "cheap".

Don't deal with anyone who won't talk to you on the phone. If they won't go past email, forget them.

If you talk to someone in the morning and they can't come 'till evening, tell them to give you a ring in the evening and see if you still have it. If they can't make it 'till tomorrow then call tomorrow. Usually they are never heard from again. Only the serious buyer will call...or, realizing they may miss out, will find a way to move immediately. If you're not available until tomorrow, you call them tomorrow... In any case count on no one until they have made a commitment, on the phone, to be there in a definite and fairly short amount of time. Just move on to the next. Real buyers move out and at least come look. The rest are flakes....and that's a LOT of them.

Don't give your address to anyone that can't make a definite commitment, on the phone, to be there in a fairly short period of time (hour or so depending on distance). Tell them to call back when they can actually leave the house to come check your item out. You're not holding anyone to a commitment to buy, only to look.

 

[belgian]

If you're getting a lot of flakes, raise your price. That gets rid of the people who aren't really serious but are just responding to "cheap".

Don't deal with anyone who won't talk to you on the phone. If they won't go past email, forget them.
If you talk to someone in the morning and they can't come 'till evening, tell them to give you a ring in the evening and see if you still have it. If they can't make it 'till tomorrow then call tomorrow. Usually they are never heard from again. Only the serious buyer will call...or, realizing they may miss out, will find a way to move immediately. If you're not available until tomorrow, you call them tomorrow... In any case count on no one until they have made a commitment, on the phone, to be there in a definite and fairly short amount of time. Just move on to the next. Real buyers move out and at least come look. The rest are flakes....and that's a LOT of them.

Don't give your address to anyone that can't make a definite commitment, on the phone, to be there in a fairly short period of time (hour or so depending on distance). Tell them to call back when they can actually leave the house to come check your item out. You're not holding anyone to a commitment to buy, only to look.

Dang Plaka, spot on !

and be patient if you want to sell something. Don't go lowering your price too soon.

 

[046]

excellent comments!!!

have NEVER actually SOLD anything to anyone without a phone number. folks that email a butt-load of questions will only waste your time. real serious buyers will send a phone number...

besides it's unsafe to agree to meet anyone without first verifying they are real via a phone call. Scammers will always use free email and never give out a working phone number.

the main disagreement with below is:

NEVER give out your home address!!!
always meet in a high traffic/ well lit public location.

have meet folks at convenience stores that's ended up in serious arguments because they were a real jerk. How would you like it for someone that knows where you live and be on his #### list.

public place because mugging on craigslist is a fact ... it's beyond easy to target someone with a known amount of cash/merchandise on their person.

well known cases of craigslist ads leading to folks getting robbed/killed at home. recently a couple responded a diamond ring ad on craigslist. couple showed along with two other thugs.... the husband ended up getting shot defending his wife.

again... only meet at a public location.. preferably packing heat
99.9% of folks are fine on craiglist ... it's that tiny percentage I'd prefer not to meet.

If you're getting a lot of flakes, raise your price. That gets rid of the people who aren't really serious but are just responding to "cheap".

Don't deal with anyone who won't talk to you on the phone. If they won't go past email, forget them.

If you talk to someone in the morning and they can't come 'till evening, tell them to give you a ring in the evening and see if you still have it. If they can't make it 'till tomorrow then call tomorrow. Usually they are never heard from again. Only the serious buyer will call...or, realizing they may miss out, will find a way to move immediately. If you're not available until tomorrow, you call them tomorrow... In any case count on no one until they have made a commitment, on the phone, to be there in a definite and fairly short amount of time. Just move on to the next. Real buyers move out and at least come look. The rest are flakes....and that's a LOT of them.

Don't give your address to anyone that can't make a definite commitment, on the phone, to be there in a fairly short period of time (hour or so depending on distance). Tell them to call back when they can actually leave the house to come check your item out. You're not holding anyone to a commitment to buy, only to look.

 

[Torin]

I have had good luck so far, both buying & selling. I don't pull an ad until it is sold, not just on the promise of it selling. I do believe that giving out an address can be risky, though sometimes it is necessary. I've needed my tractor to assist in loading a few items, not possible in a public meeting place. The best part about some of the stuff I've sold is, it doesn't seem to be the kind of items that scammers/thieves would respond to in the first place.
I found my wife's Clydesdale on craigslist.

 

[Rftreeman]

first come first serve, they probably told the other guy the same thing about "holding" them not to mention that the 044 was probably hot...

 

[banshee67]

Don't deal with anyone who won't talk to you on the phone. If they won't go past email, forget them.

so true!!!!!
craigslist is full of idiots who wana play email tag for days in a row, sometimes weeks, after the first email or 2, i will send them my phone number and tell them to call me, if they ignore it and keep emailing, i just ignore their text in their emails and respond with only "my number is xxxxxx, please call me" ... then they usually call, or disappear all together. more seem to disappear than call.
ive never sold anything BIG, that i couldnt throw in the back of my truck, so i always meet people at the local walmart 5 miles from my house, you never know who you are dealing with, and they might see something in your garage that they like

 

[Plaka]

so true!!!!!
craigslist is full of idiots who wana play email tag for days in a row, sometimes weeks, [snip]

If you have had any issues with ads getting flagged off, consider that some people may be harrassing you and trying to waste your time on purpose. The same goes if you have gotten angry emails from people complaining about your ads.