Giving away a bed - almost wished I'd just ditched it

[listsandbudgets]

Popped it on facebook for free and got a few requests.

Person one - cancelled at last moment as they didn't think it would look nice where they wanted to put it...

Person two to be fair said that she'd thought about it sorry to trouble me and she'd decided to get a double

Person 3 meant to be collecting in half an hour has just messaged to ask if it will go in his car - I responded that I don't know it's standard single bed size and now he's said it's a red vauxhall what do you think....

I know f*ck all about cars - don't even drive but have a vague idea there's more than one sort of vauxhall and I'm dan if I ow what being red has to do wth it....

No good deed goes unpunished

The last time I tried to sell furniture on Marketplace I got two messages from people clearly in another country (one on another continent) but telling me they were local. I ignored them both and within a few days their profiles had changed to different names, different photos - clearly scammers. Oh and one classic sob story from a woman in a city in the next county, offering half of what I was asking. I gave it away to a local charity shop in the end, who sold it for what I’d originally been asking and I’m glad they got the benefit.

I’ll happily buy off marketplace but I’m never selling on there again! (Yes I do see the irony in that statement.)

I was giving away some old and slightly broken garden furniture. Specifically said if not taken today will be going to the tip later on. Collection only.
I had someone messaged with a massive sob story about how they need it etc but could I deliver to somewhere in Surrey. I live in Northumberland.

It can be quite mentally draining! I hate the people who ask I'd something is still available, I reply with yes then silence. If it had gone, I would have updated or removed the ad!
I was accused of having stolen a bike on FB Marketplace. It was a bike DD had grown out of, the person said how shocked they were to see it on there and how upset their DD had been when the bike was stolen, they wanted my address to come and get it! I knew full well it wasn't stolen so blocked them.

This! Never mind your brick stories, those kind of things attract different people. Anything else I put on for £5 and then give it for free when it's collected.

I had this with a Henry hoover! Apparently theirs was nicked and the one I was selling was "100%" theirs.

"Red vauxhall" actually laughing.

Next time just contact a charity shop that deals in furniture and they will send a van round and collect it.

I don't bother anymore with FB Marketplace - if its something I can't sell on Vinted, I put it outside our house on a dry day and it's gone in an hour

Oh no I was thinking of listing a travel system & few other (expensive) bits & bobs for a newborn... 👀

Haha, I find selling on marketplace an entertaining sport nowadays.

My favourite is that they no show because they/a family member are in hospital. This happens with a good 50% of items I list and wins me a bottle of wine on our marketplace sweepstake.

Second favourite is the sob story (why they want it for free) as this gets me a sharing bag of Cadbury buttons.

Third favourite is the good old ‘will you take 25% of the value asked, hold it until pay day and deliver to some place 40+ miles away - for this my DH will do the ironing.

I listed a child’s scooter last week and was disappointed that the guy turned up when he said he would, paid what I asked and was polite. I owed my DH the unmentionable for that!

This is so true. The amount of people that say yes just because it's free, and they want to be able to claim it, with no need or want for the item, so then mess you around. Even if you say it's a fiver, it instantly filters out the nutters who can't resist saying yes to something purely because it's free.

Thats because They're worth about £2.00 each!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/video/news/video-1987178/Video-four-boys-bikes-carry-huge-sofa-impressive-feat.html

Give it away on Freecycle and put on the listing that they will need a large boot/van to transport it.

I feel all of your pain but I've had nothing but problems with sellers recently! I've been chasing a few people for items they've got listed in order to buy them, and then - nothing. Radio silence. Items are not marked sold, or removed. Just sitting there but no-one is answering their fucking messages!

I tracked down one woman through her FB page and emailed her separately to be told ' oh yeah, I had a load of messenger replies so I stopped reading them.'
"ok, sorry to hear that, when can I pick up the item?"
"Hmmm, I think my husband wants to keep it now. I'll let you know."
Cue a week of being jerked around by repeated emails while he made his mind up, only to finally be told they were keeping it.

I should add that when I buy something from marketplace I dont haggle, turn up with the cash and a van and am polite. I am the Marketplace unicorn!

I never sell or give away anything via fb anymore after numerous nutters have messed me about. It really gives you a depressing insight into the people living nearby. The scary thing is that all these weirdos can vote.

No good deed goes unpunished! I stopped selling things on FB long ago as the hassle of it is more than the money you get most of the time. It's definitely too much hassle to give stuff away for free.

Yes @OhshutupDerek your bricks were worth £2 a pop. So of course people were biting your hand off for them for free!

Agree OP. Put a fiver as the price as it weeds out the pains.

I think the best and daftest question I had was when I was selling a dog cage on fb marketplace. I listed it for £10, put all the measurements on and lots of pictures.

First question I received was "Will my dog fit in this?"

Well how the fuck would I know since I don't know you or your dog! 😂

The chazza shops that collect round here are really picky. I once rang about our sofa and three guys arrived, sat on it, bounced about a bit and declared it looked immaculate but was too saggy!
It was perfectly fine, we were only selling as we'd moved and it was too small. I put it on marketplace and the guy who collected it was delighted.

You have to laugh, or you'll cry and the sheer idiocy of people 😆

I too recently gave away a selection of garden toys on FB. Individual good quality pic or two, couple of sentences honest description per item. The word FREE in the title. Multiple "How much for the lot Hun?"s. And, "What condition is this in?". "Pretty good". "But is it in very good condition, sorry to ask". "Yes very good condition, a few marks as described and in listing photo". "What marks? Can you send me pics. I need one that looks new". "It's not new and doesn't look it, but good nick anyway". Then a few follow up Q's then chased me for answers once I'd given up. IT'S A MASSIVE 5YR OLD PLASTIC KIDS GARDEN TOY I'M GIVING AWAY FOR FREE WITH A THOROUGH DESCRIPTION ON THE LISTING, if you want a brand new one get yourself to fucking Smyths Toys!!! .<aannd breathe> 😆

"Name something that's red"
"My cardigan"

Family Fortunes vibes

Had same issue when offering a load of furniture to a cousin and a friend. Both messed me around over not being able to collect it for weeks (needed it gone as builder starting work) so in the end I had to pay a man with a van to deliver it to them (and still had grumbles).

When I had a second lot of furniture, I booked it in with a local charity shop and they collected next day. Never offering it/advertising it again.

Omg OP I totally understand your pain. So many time wasters and low ballers on there.