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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that no one has ever had a weirder selling experience than this??

156 replies

curiousgeorgie · 10/04/2014 09:52

I'm selling off some of my baby stuff (sob!) and had received an enquiry about my baby swing. Well, I say an enquiry, it was a 3 word email.

Is it clean.

I replied that it was, and a lengthy conversation ensued as to where I was, how much the item was (£45), if I had any other baby items. I said I did, crib, Moses basket, pram, bouncer etc. mostly with a pink hood / pink lining / pink blankets.

Oh no. I need blue. Can you get blue.

Well.. I'm not a shop, so no. I have what I have, I'm afraid. The swing is cream though.

Oh no. I will have a look and make the best of a bad lot.

I thought someone was winding me up, or that I was about to be PayPal scammed but sure enough, yesterday afternoon, the most colourful dressed woman I've ever seen in my life pulled up in front of my driveway. And when I say in front, in mean, she drove as if to pull on to it, realised it already had two cars and was full, and stopped her car there. And got out.

DH went out to tell her she would be blocking the road so she told him to move the car. Because obviously my baby shop has valet parking. My DH pulled it into a space right outside of our house (on a mostly empty residential street) as she walked by me into the house.

I took her into the living room and over to the swing. She said 'no, no, I need the toilet first!!' Okay, you're pregnant, I've been there... It's just across the hall. So I wait and wait. DH comes back in and so does the woman's older daughter (maybe 10) who she had left in the car. She flops (literally the best description for it) onto my sofa and puts her feet up on the coffee table.

I smile at her and she glares at me. She is a little bit scary.

DH abandons me and the woman comes in, I show her the swing. She asks if I can lift it. I say, it's quite heavy but my DH can take it apart and put it in your car. She ignores that and asks me again if I can lift it. I said that actually I've pulled my neck so can't, but have in the past as I'm the one who built it and put it here. She says if I can't lift it, she can't lift it. So she'll have to think about it.

What else do you have to show me?

Clearly thinking this is some kind of state visit to my house, I graciously lead her into the dining room, where all my baby stuff is laid on the table. I tell her briefly what things are and what they cost. She points to my daughters ride in Mini Cooper through the doors to the kitchen and says 'I'll take that, this stuff and the swing' thinks hard... '£40.'

Um... That's my DD1's beloved prize possession that's about 3 months old. It
was also hundreds of pounds and not for bloody sale. I explain this.

But look at your house! (She says, gesturing to my very average, slightly untidy semi) you don't need this car. I need it. My house is small. I don't have a living room or a garden. Or a bedroom.

Fighting the urge to ask her where she intended to put my daughters car when she clearly lived in a kitchen with ensuite bathroom I said again that it wasn't for sale.

How much for the car? She said again.

I was patient, I explained again that it wasn't for sale and she laughed and said that she knew that, she meant the one outside. The blue one.

My ford focus? Well.. That's my car, that's not for sale either.

She was annoyed by this, and being annoyed must make her thirsty because she asked me for water. I got it for her (noting that her scary daughter had moved into my DD's playroom and was emptying all the Barbie dream house furniture onto the floor.)

She asked for the toilet again. She stayed in there for about 15 minutes. Her scary child moved onto toy story toys. DH looked at me through the window looking puzzled.

She came back. 'Right, you want all my money don't you. I've come a long way and I don't need this. I'll take these sheets. And the swing. £65.'

Old sheets cost around the same as a Mini Cooper I see. I took the money, DH packed up the swing and helped her to the car. Came back in and started to empty the toys out of the basket under the high chair.

What are you doing??

She said you sold her the high chair?? I was just taking it to her car?

What??! Shock I went outside and she sped off. Like she'd made a killing.

At 8am this morning she sent a message to ask how long until she could pick up my DD's car. I said about 6 years. She said okay.

Anyone had stranger?? I've got someone coming for a Bumbo chair today and I'm a bit scared! Wink

OP posts:
dustarr73 · 10/04/2014 17:30

Those are fair points treaclesoda but i think you have missed the most important one of all.Was she on glueGrin

BuzzardBird · 10/04/2014 17:45

She went into the loo to check if there was a loo brush Grin

Nennypops · 10/04/2014 18:01

Are you sure the money she gave you was not forged?

You do realise, don't you, that she will turn up on your doorstep in precisely 6 years' time expecting to take both dd's toy car and your own car away for nothing?

missingwelliesinsd · 10/04/2014 18:34

For some reason this story makes me want to advise you to change the locks on your house! Obviously that's an overreaction but then again...

wowfudge · 10/04/2014 18:42

Wow - sounds nuts. What's the betting she will turn up demanding a refund or some of her money back?

Discomama · 10/04/2014 18:45

Bloody. Actual. Hell! That really IS weird OP!!Grin

TheReluctantCountess · 10/04/2014 18:56

In future, don't let anyone in. Hand it over at the door.
In fact, I get dp to go to the front gate. Most people are happy about that because I have two loud dogs.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/04/2014 19:19

Just remembered, though this is nothing like as weird ...

A relative once gave me a load of electrical stuff for the charity shop - only I discovered they don't take electrics. So I put it out in the community centre I ran at the time and invited folks to help themselves for free, on the understanding that none of it had been tested

I later had a call from someone whose item worked okay but didn't match her current kitchen stuff. She wanted a refund ..... !!!???

Longdistance · 10/04/2014 19:21

Does your downstairs toilet have a window? If so, see if she's tampered with the lock mechanism or seals.

pigsDOfly · 10/04/2014 19:58

Completely nuts, but can't believe that if she was casing your house OP, as others have said, that she would actually have bothered to spend £65.

I imagine she would just have had a good look round and left. Obviously they were in desperate need of the Mr Potatohead eyes, but that's another issue.

Although spending so long in the loo is a bit bothersome. As Longdistance said I think I'd have a good look at the window lock in there.

honeybeeridiculous · 10/04/2014 20:08

This reply has been deleted

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QueenStromba · 10/04/2014 20:11

The paypal thing is a known scam. A common one is buy something on ebay, pay by palpal, collect it in person then open an item not received dispute and get your money back because the seller has no proof of delivery. The one she's trying is say you'll pay by paypal and then send the seller an email that looks like it's come from paypal saying that you have received a payment, collect the goods that you haven't paid for.

Coconutty · 10/04/2014 20:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AntoinetteCosway · 10/04/2014 20:32

Definitely check locks on the window in the downstairs loo if there is one.

aermingers · 10/04/2014 20:35

Do you know where all your car keys are? It sounds like they might have been doing some kind of distraction burglary.

It's really funny but scary too.

SylvaniansKeepGettingHoovered · 10/04/2014 20:46

How strange! What an odd woman. As I got towards the end I thought you were going to say she wanted to buy your house!

Maybe she did a poo in the toilet??

TheReluctantCountess · 11/04/2014 07:46

Would it be worth reporting her to ebay? If she has done similar a few times they might cancel her account.

RedPony · 11/04/2014 12:09

wow this woman is a nutter! I would definately report her incase she was trying something Shock

Floggingmolly · 11/04/2014 12:27

Why would eBay care? Op willingly let her into the house, and despite the bizarre behaviour; didn't at any point actually ask her to leave.
That's almost the weirdest part...

emms1981 · 11/04/2014 15:00

A woman came to my house once, pregnant and with 2 boys with her, a friend told her muy husband could fix her laptop. She sat in my kitchen at the table while her 2 sons ran round my house, helped themself to paper out of my bedroom! Made paper airoplanes out of it and chucked them out my bathroom window, went into my sons room pulled the duvets off the beds!, then jumped over my sons new trampoline spilling juice all over it, one had a shit in my loo and left it, she was here for about 2 hours and not once said anything to them. I said to my husband never let that woman or those brats in my home again!

curiousgeorgie · 11/04/2014 16:31

Well, I've got someone coming tonight for my pram.. Lets hope she's normal.

All communication so far very nice, (overly so actually, kisses?? Grin)

OP posts:
Odaat · 11/04/2014 16:45

Curious everyone kisses these days ! ;) ;)
Or (((((((hugs))))))
Its very odd.

Odaat · 11/04/2014 16:45

Not as odd as the nutter described by OP mind you ...

CurrerBell · 11/04/2014 17:02

I've sold a lot of stuff and have never had an experience like this!

She's probably not a master criminal, but she tried (and nearly succeeded) stealing your highchair, so she was certainly trying some kind of distraction technique and hoping to get away with it.

Imagine walking into someone's house and thinking all their stuff is yours for the taking...!

It sounds like she may have taken you literally on the car thing and is expecting to pay by PayPal so she can collect it in six years' time?! Seriously bizarre.

I personally make it a rule now not to engage with anyone who is rude or demanding in their initial emails... you just know they're going to be a nightmare. But this woman really takes the biscuit!

CurrerBell · 11/04/2014 17:04

Hope pram woman is nice, OP!