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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To message him and tell him??

86 replies

Sony3203 · 28/01/2019 23:16

Long story short, I was selling an Ikea desk on Facebook for £15, originally bought for £25 and has only been used a little bit before going in the loft so apart from a couple of teeny scratches on the legs(not the desk itself) it is in immaculate condition. It was also missing one leg balancer hence the price drop. I had a guy come look at it tonight and he said he wouldn't give me any more than £5 as I'm asking for £15 and he found it on the Ikea website for £16(showed me a screenshot) so he could get a brand new one delivered for £18. He said how about I give you £1 more and make it £6 and was very quite pushy. So I just said ok, whatever. I am feeling so damn stupid and angry with myself right now as I feel ripped off. It didn't sit well with me so I went on the Ikea website and found both desks on there. Both the same except the £16 one is smaller hence why it's cheaper and yes I remember correctly that I didn't pay £16 for it and that I definitely paid more. I put the dimensions in the description on the ad on Facebook as well so am I in the wrong here?? I feel so stupid and ripped off!! Wibu to message him this : 'Just thought I’d drop you a message as I’ve been feeling really stupid thinking I got ripped off by Ikea. Looking at their website, I didn’t and I remembered correctly that I didn’t pay £16 for that desk as the one you showed us was a smaller version hence why I mentioned the dimensions in my description. I thought £15 was a reasonable price for the size and condition it’s in as it has hardly been used but oh well it’s done now I just wanted to message you and let you know because I feel pretty stupid right now.' He knows where we live so I'm a bit scared to message we have a little baby and I know it's only £1 but it could have bought her a nice outfit or something she needed. I'm basically £21 down and I'm so pissed off!!! Please someone tell me if I'm being over sensitive and should just move on? I just want him to know he was a d*ck basically and he ripped us off. He probably knew exactly what he was doing or even rehearsed it

OP posts:

Iloveautumnleaves · 28/01/2019 23:45

Use this as a learning experience.

It’s only worth what someone will pay, but I t’s only worth selling if you get what you feel it’s worth.

It wasn’t worth £15. Run of the mill stuff doesn’t retain its value once it’s left the shop, not even if it’s still in the original packaging. I wouldn’t have paid more than £10 for one that had been used - let alone with (admittedly minor) scratches and a missing balancer.

£6 wasn’t far off the max you’d get for it. For £6 I’d have kept it for the DC for ‘art’ or for the garden in the summer.

Just assume he made a mistake, it’ll bother you less.

Magenta46 · 28/01/2019 23:52

Just put it on Freecycle and forget facebook selling pages.

WhiteOrange · 29/01/2019 00:04

Live and learn. You didn't have to sell it for that price. Next time you will be more prepared to stick to your guns.

HeddaGarbled · 29/01/2019 00:16

It cost you £25 new and is now second hand and faulty. You were cheeky asking £15 for it. I love the way you say it was in “immaculate condition” ....... except for the scratches on the leg, and ..... oh, yeah, the missing leg balancer.

Sparklesocks · 29/01/2019 00:22

Nothing will be achieved so i would chock it up to experience and let it go.
Often when selling stuff on these sorts of sites you do get people who will try their luck and push the price down. If you’re not happy for it to go for less next time maybe if you add something like ‘not open to offers/haggling’ on your ad it might help, but generally you need to stand firm and if they’re unwilling to pay the asking then apologise that they had a wasted journey.

Celebelly · 29/01/2019 00:24

I see this a lot on our local FB selling page: people asking unrealistic amounts for bog standard, used furniture that isn't that far off the retail price. I always wonder who buys it and why.

Justaboy · 29/01/2019 00:40

We had some surplus office desks good ones they were hardely used in excellent nick.

Couldnt even give them away:-(

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 29/01/2019 00:45

It couldn't be 'immaculate' with scratches and bits missing...

You need to grow a tougher skin for selling so you don't get other people beating you down to a figure y9u don't want to sell for

Readytogogogo · 29/01/2019 00:58

I think £6 was probably about right tbh.

Aus84 · 29/01/2019 01:04

You need to think about it differently. You have $6 (AUS keyboard- don't have a pound key) and got rid of a bulky item from your loft.

StoppinBy · 29/01/2019 01:11

He was pushy and rude BUT I agree, a desk that was missing a leg and scratched and you got someone to actually pay you money for it... I am impressed!

PregnantSea · 29/01/2019 01:13

Definitely don't message him, it's too late now and you'll just make yourself look stupid and him feel smug.

From what you've said the desk isn't worth 15 quid anyway. I wouldn't worry about it anymore.

Limpshade · 29/01/2019 01:41

Please don't message him. Let it go.

To be honest, a £25 desk that's been kept in the loft, and has scratches and a piece missing, probably isn't worth £15.

I've sold pristine, virtually unused (and bloody expensive at the time) baby kit that's less than a year old for a third of its retail price. I don't feel great about it but that's the reality of resale today. I try to think of it as I've "gained X" rather than "lost Y": if I hadn't sold it, for whatever price, it would just be gathering dust for no money at all.

User758172 · 29/01/2019 01:42

You actually got money for that, and it was damaged? I’m amazed anyone actually bought it! IKEA is worthless. I just put it all on Freecycle to get it out of the house.

Consider yourself lucky to get a penny and move on with life!

WereYouHareWhenIWasFox · 29/01/2019 02:06

That was the short version?
A £25 desk is not worth £15 second hand, especially with scratches and parts missing. £6 sounds about right. But why complain after the event? You did not have to sell it to him.

mobyduck · 29/01/2019 02:43

Junk like that (and better) I put on Gumtree for free local collection! I'd rather someone gets value from junk like that than take it to the local dump.

Fancyacuppaluv · 29/01/2019 03:06

YABU if you think he will give a toss, what are you expecting, him to apologise and offer the £9? Honestly I think you were lucky to get what you did for it.
On the upside, you got a couple of quid for something you didn’t want/need.
As the PP’s said, chalk this one up to experience and forget it.

Rockmysocks · 29/01/2019 06:09

Let it go. You probably wouldn't have got more.

Consolidatedyourloins · 29/01/2019 06:14

So you were passive when he came for the desk and you're intending to send a message in which you sound even more passive? 'Just letting you this, just letting know I feel so stupid' just, just, just.

Chalk this one down to experience, stop being passive and stop using the word 'just' passively.

toomuchtooold · 29/01/2019 06:16

I've sold a lot of our old stuff on eBay and unless it's something that's hard to get hold of, I'd expect to get half price or less for something that was in perfect condition. The desk had scratches and a bit missing - if you were needing the money I can see why 6 quid is disappointing but I think you would have struggled to get more.

(Talking of stuff that is hard to come by - now is a really good time to sell maternity winter coats, as they disappear from the shops in December. I got full price for mine!)

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 29/01/2019 06:18

You never make good money selling on Facebook OP . The only stuff that sells is in the £5-£10 range

It’s fine and you don’t need a trip to the dump

And you’ll know for next time

Hazlenutpie · 29/01/2019 06:46

I think you were lucky to get anything for it. Move on.

Skittlesandbeer · 29/01/2019 06:50

It would cost me more than £6 in petrol & tip fees to get rid of it to landfill, or more than an hour to find a charity to pick up that kind of item (they’re getting very picky around here).

I’d actually feel ok about getting £6 in my hand.

The remainder of the money was the cost of the life-lessons:

Buying a desk you didn’t really need
Not looking after it properly (scratches, lost bits)
Letting yourself be steamrolled so easily

Don’t worry though, getting older seems to sort out that last one. I’ve never been a pushover, but now I just laugh out loud and don’t even get a tad offended when I get ridiculous low-ball offers. It’s their job to push the price down, mine is to do my research then hold my ground with a smile. Also, your kid will help you hone your negotiation skills once it gets older, just you watch...

Crossfitgirl · 29/01/2019 06:51

Just don't worry about it, be happy you at least got a little bit for it and get on with your day.
Not worth worrying about now :-)

Angrybird345 · 29/01/2019 06:53

You were hopeful at £15 firca danaged desk with a bit missing! Accept the £6 and move on.

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