To think people really are CFers when it comes to second hand items?

[TheIckabog]

I am selling an item on a local selling page. It cost me £280 which included the main item plus some extras. The item is in ‘as new’ condition, all original box etc, in fact I think I only used it a handful of times. These items don’t come up very often as they are expensive but they are desirable.

Anyway, I’ve had lots of interest in this item and have had at least four people agree to purchase it, right down to arranging to meet up. Each one of them have then said they won’t take it unless I lower the price! Someone wanted to pay £80 and said they could get it for £200 new. When I refused to lower the price I got a load of abuse!

AIBU to think this is CF-ery to the highest degree? I’m not about to practically give it away and it’s unlikely that they would be able to get this item in such a excellent condition for any less.

I sell a lot second hand on local pages so I know about pricing items at a reasonable price to sell however I think that given it was £280 new and I’m asking £150 it’s a bit cheeky to then try and undercut by another £70!

@MissConductUS

This is so common there's a forum on reddit for it:

www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/

There are some real CF'er stories on there!

This subreddit is the motherload. Thanks for linking!

@MissConductUS

Sounds like was a troll. I would have just let him drive around.

Or given him the address of the local police station or mortuary.

haha yes!

I don't see a problem with saying something is as good as new, assuming that's the truth. If you specify that you've only used it X times, they know not to expect literally unused, but are still probably getting a "like new" item.

Ive been selling a lot second hand and after an episode last week I came off all the facebook selling pages

I put up 2 brand new wardrobes that sell for about £60 and put them up for £15 each as I just wanted them gone.

I was asked if Id deliver - I said yes for £15 and got told that was too much, then she said she'd possibly collect on Sunday. Heard nothing until Sunday morning when she said shed be round in 2 hours and wanted the wardrobe outside and ready to collect. I said no way Im out, as I hadn't heard any more I made arrangements. I got abuse as her dd was. going to have wardrobe and I was letting her down... bI told her that the abuse wasn't on and Id now give them away to the homeless charity - which I did.

I’m a bit of a push over when it comes to this to my shame. Until last year when I sold a play kitchen. The lady offered me £15 under what I had listed and I said no, she kept upping it until we settled at the amount I’d listed. She kept changing collection then when she finally came she pulled up and text me ‘outside’ and expected me to take it down. When I said no because by this time it was 8 at night and my children were asleep she sent her husband. He was really intimidating and tried to barter the price. Thankfully my DH got home and the guy inspected with a torch pulled out a wad of cash, gave me the asking price and left without speaking again. I won’t do that again. Some are just CF!

I did sell a few items easily on eBay, but had one person kept making offers, very low. I eventually messaged back "God Loves a Trier" and sold the item for the full asking price

Ooh I've been waiting for a thread like this to add my bugbear: on my local group, we get lots of people selling on items they've bought on the group because 'they weren't suitable' or whatever, but they always 'want what I paid for it' and list it at the exact same price they bought it for! I think it's so cheeky - by the time they've bought it it's at least second hand and you can't expect to sell it third hand for the same price.

I had a woman come to view a piece of furniture, at 11am on a Sunday morning. It was a small version of a bigger item which I had put in the title and the item description. The woman had previously messaged to ask for the measurements which I sent her and she said she'd like to view. She showed up late, said I had a lovely house - asked if she could look round (obviously not ) pronounced the item too small (why ask for the bloody measurements and show up anyway then? ) and left. I hate selling things on Facebook. My DSis had a nightmare selling her car with people messaging saying they'd give her £200 and they were on their way. She eventually sold it for over £800 so it was definitely worth more than £200!

I think I've annoyed a few eBay sellers by making a best offer. One guy was selling a table for £80, I offered £40, he counter-offered for £79.95

The thing is, eBay lets you set a minimum offer amount. So why let me offer £40? He should have set his minimum to £70 or something.

I got so fed up of the rudeness with free stuff that a lot of smaller items like bedside tables and table clothes, chairs and mirrors Ive plonked on the drive and within 3 days they are all gone. its much easier - Ive never seen who's taken the items, the last one was an old bike carrier that I put out 2 days ago - ive just looked and its now gone.

This week being dry for a few days is ideal as the stuff just goes outside and stays there until its gone - saves all the palarva of taking free stuff to someone, might as well just take to tip shop

@RIBlue

I sold my chest freezer on FB for 20 euro.I just wanted it gone.

The first fella said he was on his way,turned up 20 minutes later and took it.I was delighted.
Looked at a few more messages and others where asking me to hold on to it for a few days and they would give me 80.

If i had wanted it to sell for 80 i would have put it up at that price.

Dp went around to buy a dishwasher,fella was lovely and not to far from where we lived.

Dp was in there ages and he came out.Fella giving away a fishtank and a huge chest of drawers.Asked if we wanted them we said yes.

He even delivered and wouldnt take a penny.So not all doom and gloom.

I counter offered with - I have an offer for the full asking price and he's going to bid, she didn't bid and then when the other chap won the bidding she message to say she was gutted she lost out...

@honeygirlz

My DSis had a nightmare selling her car with people messaging saying they'd give her £200 and they were on their way. She eventually sold it for over £800 so it was definitely worth more than £200!

A friend had similar happen to her. She made the BIG mistake of taking on-street pictures. If you know the area, you would know where the car was parked . She had a very persistent "I'm coming over now" person , which really unnerved her!

I had a woman ask to buy my very expensive brand new pushchair (used just once) that I was selling for a quarter of what it cost. (£30). However, she lived 30 miles away. (45 minutes drive) and wanted to see it first. I had a dozen pics so she knew what it looked like. I told her fine, not a problem. She can come see it.

"No!" she said, "You're selling it! You need to bring it to me!"

A run a free only site too on FB with strict rules not to demand stuff. The number of people who'll rudely reply, "Mine!" Or "I'll have that" is crazy. And it's almost a guarantee that they'll demand delivery too. Of free stuff!

*for less than a quarter of what it cost. It was actually over £200

@Seeleyboo

I just block people like that. Don't even answer them.

I agree. But it's not just second hand items.

Friend of mine was selling her pedigree kittens some years ago (Burmese). These were beautiful kittens from health-tested parents - very well bred and cared for. She put her advert out when the kittens were 8 weeks old saying she was taking deposits and that the kittens would be ready to go to new homes at 12 weeks. they came with a "kitten pack" - 5l expensive biodegradable cat litter (plus a little bag of wee'd on litter from mum's tray ) a blanket, food, a couple of toys and they were fully registered, inoculated and microchipped etc. I can't remember what she was asking but I know they were expensive*, but apparently a reasonable price for the breed.

She had people e-mailing saying "I'll give you X hundred" well below the advertised price - say about half - Friend would reply - "That's very kind. X hundred what? Bags of crisps? Bottle tops? - you'll have to be more specific" and other people saying they wanted a kitten but they wanted it now, while it was tiny, and they got really abusive when she refused to let them go early.

She just blocked them - said she'd rather be left with all of them than practically give them away - and she certainly wasn't letting them go early, even when people offered to pay a bit more. It wasn't so much that people asked for a discount/ tiny kitten (anyone can ask) it was how horrible they became when she refused.

*I had no idea cats could cost serious money - all of mine have been "free to good home" ones and they were/are lovely

@ivykaty44

I counter offered with - I have an offer for the full asking price and he's going to bid, she didn't bid and then when the other chap won the bidding she message to say she was gutted she lost out...

@honeygirlz

Can you explain? Not quite sure what that means

@honeygirlz

I think I've annoyed a few eBay sellers by making a best offer. One guy was selling a table for £80, I offered £40, he counter-offered for £79.95

The thing is, eBay lets you set a minimum offer amount. So why let me offer £40? He should have set his minimum to £70 or something.

Not everyone realises you can set a minimum amount. It takes time to find your way around these things.

A best offer of £40 for an £80 item is taking the piss.

Even now that I've switched off best offers all together, I still occasionally receive messages asking if I'll accept offers, usually for ridiculous offers like the above. I switched it off for a reason.

I can’t believe people actually lay claim with ‘Mine’! Do they think they’re the pelicans in Finding Nemo?!

@tectonicplates I have never messaged anyone with an offer, but I really don’t think making any offers on Best Offers is taking the piss. It’s not my fault some sellers don’t know they can’t set a minimum amount, and they can always reject my offer.

@tectonicplates I’ve also forgotten to set minimum or switch off Best offer and I got some irate messages for buyers annoyed that I didn’t respond to their offers! eBay really pushes it.

[quote honeygirlz]@tectonicplates I have never messaged anyone with an offer, but I really don’t think making any offers on Best Offers is taking the piss. It’s not my fault some sellers don’t know they can’t set a minimum amount, and they can always reject my offer.[/quote]
Making a £40 offer on an £80 item is absolutely taking the piss.

We've got rid of a lot of stuff recently. Some we've sold, some of the stuff not worth a lot we've just offered as free to collect.

An ancient pine chest of drawers, which we'd painted. Free to collect. First three replies asked if we'd deliver to the other side of Glasgow. No we fucking wouldn't. Because it's a fucking freebie and my name isn't Ikea.

@tectonicplates it absolutely is not. I made my Best Offer as the system allowed.

I’ve never been offended by a low offer, it’s just business, I don’t take it personally.

My biggest peeve is people who respond to my Facebook Marketplace ads with interest, we exchange multiple messages about condition of the item, perhaps some price negotiation, etc. Then we start to arrange a pick up date and they ask where I am located (although I always put the postcode in the ad, very clearly). Then I give them (again) the postcode or address, and they say, "Oh, sorry, that is too far".