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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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 Sad 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 Hmm

OP posts:
Ladyoftheloch · 29/01/2019 06:57

He won’t care, and he also hasn’t don’t anything wrong. He’s just a better negotiator than you. It was a deliberately low offer, but you weren’t obliged to sell to him. Unless he was aggressive or threatening, he was entitled to push for a price drop.

I don’t know if it’s comforting or not but I don’t think anyone would have paid £15 for it. Ikea furniture doesn’t sustain any kind of value. On my local group you see quite sizeable pieces going for £5 to £10. So you might not have been ripped off at all, as you might have struggled to find anyone willing to pay more.

Ladyoftheloch · 29/01/2019 06:58

Sorry, I think my message comes across as harsher than I meant it to! Apologies if I sounded like a dick Flowers

LellyMcKelly · 29/01/2019 07:02

So it was missing a part and has scratches on the legs? You did well to get £6. Most cheap IKEA furniture has practically no resale value at all.

allthatmalarkey · 29/01/2019 07:04

You were lucky to get £6 for that.

allthatmalarkey · 29/01/2019 07:05

Well done, good negotiating.

Subtlecheese · 29/01/2019 07:07

Immaculate condition? With scratches and a bit missing? It was second hand and in a used condition for a cheap desk you did ok.

Romanov · 29/01/2019 07:12

He's not going to come and give you more money

You're not £19 down, you accepted less than you thought it was worth,

CupoBlood · 29/01/2019 07:16

Please don't message him

Ethel36 · 29/01/2019 07:17

Don't message him. Just learn from it. Say no thanks I'll let you know if i change my mind. From the description I would have thought a tenner was fair.

category12 · 29/01/2019 07:23

Don't message him, it'll achieve nothing and may get aggression back.

i think you overvalued the desk.

He shouldn't have been so pushy, if he made you feel intimidated.

Lweji · 29/01/2019 07:23

I once got such a desk on Freecycle...
In any case, it only cost you £9 from the asking price, which was going to be lower on negotiation anyway.
It's a business lesson for you at less than £9.

ColdFingered · 29/01/2019 07:24

Yes, I got for free a lovely office desk with drawers, to match the one DH has (and which was supplied by the company he works for, at a cost of £100 new).

I'm just amazed at how little value everything has second hand. I rarely buy new furniture - just find what you want in Ikea, for example, and save a search on ebay. You can normally pick up what you want for peanuts, and ready assembled!

Miane · 29/01/2019 07:28

He didn’t rip you off.

You didn’t have to sell it to him, you could have said “no £6 isn’t enough” and politely showed him the door.

He persuaded you into selling it, clearly his negotiation skills are better than yours.

But you weren’t ripped off.

Just think of it as a lesson for next time.

BooksAreMyOnlyFriends · 29/01/2019 07:31

Second hand stuff in mint condition - ie still boxed/labelled can only really expect to get 60-70% of the original cost so something 'used' but good condition a lot less than that. I think you got about the right amount. Particularly as he collected it and you didn't have to pack and post it.

Forget it and move on Smile

MidniteScribbler · 29/01/2019 07:33

Immaculate condition. Well except for the scratches and the dodgy leg. Use your 6 pounds to buy a bottle of cheap wine and be thankful you got the space back and didn't have to haul it away. Secondhand Ikea is essentially junk.

PattiStanger · 29/01/2019 07:34

Maybe it depends where you live but I've bought and sold stuff for much more than £10-20 including ikea furniture on facebook, my local group has loads of expensive stuff on it

In this case I think you were expecting too much and it sounds like the buyer knew what he was doing, just be a bit more savvy next time

kaytee87 · 29/01/2019 07:36

A £25 desk with scratches and a missing part isn't worth £15 second hand IMHO.

This.

AnastasiaaBeaverhousen · 29/01/2019 07:39

Bloody hell. £20? Get over it.

ColdFingered · 29/01/2019 07:40

Maybe it depends where you live
I think this is true. I live in south-east England, so a high population density. It's always easy to find what you want at a very good price, or free, as long as you're not in a huge hurry.

Screamish · 29/01/2019 07:40

Please don't message him, he will think you're unhinged!

With kindness you are way overthinking and overreacting here, you are in no way £19 down! As many PPs have said second hand furniture isn't worth much anyway.
Chalk it up to experience and move on

PinkGin24 · 29/01/2019 07:45

YABU to messGe him. He doesn't guve a shit if you thibk you got ripped off. He thinks he got a good price and you agreed to that price.

What is unreasonable is everyone trying to tell you that you are unreasonable for wanting the original price. You aren't. I sell alot across Facebook, Sphock, Gumtree. I stick to my guns on what prices I think are fair and people buy eventually. I am sure people would day the prices I sell at are too high but people buy the stuff.

Lifeofsmiley · 29/01/2019 07:58

I think you should message yourself and remind yourself not to be such a pushover.
I can’t imagine him rehearsing it, some people chance there arm . Just be glad you’ve got rid of it.

BettyDuMonde · 29/01/2019 07:58

Ikea delivery is about £35 minimum from the online store!

ResistanceIsNecessary · 29/01/2019 08:04

Don't message him as he hasn't done anything wrong - he's simply turned up, haggled with you and bought the damn thing! You didn't have to accept the offer.

The issue of the smaller desk on the website is a red herring. The item you were selling was not "immaculate" because it was scratched and missing a balancer. Like PP I agree that you've done well to get anyone to pay money for it at all.

You've made £6 for something that would have otherwise ended up at the tip.

SoupDragon · 29/01/2019 08:07

so he could get a brand new one delivered for £18.

Where does Ikea deliver for £2?

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