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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Gumtree customers... does this enrage you?

55 replies

GLXi · 06/08/2021 13:51

So, I'm selling a pair of golden curtains. Never used so left in storage so decided to put it up for sale. Then, a buyer was interested. Asked about specifications and other information. I did put it up for a reasonable price at £40 yet she asked for my best price.
Agreed at my fixed price and was more than happy to collect the next day.

This morning, she arrived on time and I showed her the curtains. She examined then said it wasn't worth the money , then left.

Bloody hell! How much do people actually try to haggle down?

The exact same curtains retail from £50-£100 !

I understand that people are trying to get a bargain, but are people really pushing it this far? Anybody else had this or AIBU??

OP posts:

BlackberrySky · 06/08/2021 14:57

This sort of thing is part and parcel of selling, along with people not turning up, or asking for a reduced price when they show up to collect. It is one of the reasons I hardly ever do it any more.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/08/2021 15:00

@JingleCatJingle

Inteigued at the idea of a curtain warranty, what would that even entail?

Well. If it breaks? It's a product. If the curtain starts falling apart or getting loose stiches in few months, I am absolutely taking it back. Warranty attitude in uk is weird😁. Once a customer service couldn't really get over me using the warranty because bit started falling of my shoes after 5 months with only occasional wear 😂 I got new shoes.

Warranty isn't just for electronics 😁

SirGawain · 06/08/2021 15:26

If the shop price was £50 I’d want more than £10 off for losing my consumer rights.

eightyfourandahalf · 06/08/2021 16:00

She is a CF with too much time on her hands. Wasting your time is unreasonable. No one forced her to come in the first place.

At least she didn't take them, decided she didn't like them after all, and tried to return them.

Too many time wasters around.

eightyfourandahalf · 06/08/2021 16:01

People are even worst when you try to GIVE things away for free! I find it less painful to put a random price and sell everything than just giving things - unless it's a know charity who collects.

I just leave everything on the front steps and see in the evening if they have collected or not.

IceLace100 · 06/08/2021 16:07

If something is worth £50 new, I wouldn't pay £40 for second hand, even if the item is unused.

I think lots of sellers grossly overvalue second hand furniture and home furnishings. As soon as you have bought something new I think it loses at least half its value, even without being used.

The problem is sellers always have the original price they paid in the back of their mind. So they remember when they paid £1,000 for the sofa 5 years ago, and can't get their head around the fact it's now worth less than £50 (for example).

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/08/2021 16:08

I saw someone tryong to sell Ikea item for £20 more than new one is😂

eightyfourandahalf · 06/08/2021 16:09

It's always worth checking similar items on ebay and see how much they sell for, and keep advertising for awhile.

If the CF did agree to the price, but changed their mind, they are rude but nothing you can do!

eightyfourandahalf · 06/08/2021 16:12

I bought my last travel system for £1000 and a bit. According to a MN thread, it was outrageous to expect to sell it for a decent price, and don't get me started on the CF offering £50 for it

Sold it for £750 in the end, which I thought was quite reasonable after 3 years.

Just because some people expect everything for nothing, doesn't mean your items are not worth more. But check what is average.

GLXi · 06/08/2021 16:42

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Original poster

GLXi · 06/08/2021 16:45

I had another customer that was more than happy to pay £35 for a net curtain. There's the mix of satisfied and unsatisfied customers.

OP posts:

BlackberrySky · 06/08/2021 16:46

@eightyfourandahalf

I bought my last travel system for £1000 and a bit. According to a MN thread, it was outrageous to expect to sell it for a decent price, and don't get me started on the CF offering £50 for it

Sold it for £750 in the end, which I thought was quite reasonable after 3 years.

Just because some people expect everything for nothing, doesn't mean your items are not worth more. But check what is average.

I agree - if you have the space to hang on for a fair price for the quality of a higher end item it's worth doing. I had the same with my travel system - it was in really good condition so no way was I letting someone have it for £50! I sold it for the price I wanted but it took a couple of months.

Original poster

GLXi · 06/08/2021 16:46

However, the other customer was on Karrot.

OP posts:

Manzanilla55 · 06/08/2021 16:48

Some charity shops have lots of decent curtains going cheap so anybody handy with a needle really doesnt need to spend much money. I expect she was aware she could find good pairs for next to nothing.

TheFoundations · 06/08/2021 16:51

She's not done anything wrong. How other people have priced their items doesn't mean that a) she was obliged to buy yours or b) that they sold them.

People will judge for all kinds of reasons. If she came to your house, maybe she didn't like the smell? It could be something as random as that.

If you need a guarantee that everyone who comes to look will buy, Gumtree isn't the right place for you.

Original poster

GLXi · 06/08/2021 16:54

@TheFoundations

I took it out for her to see, not anywhere near my house since she could not find my location. The curtains were recently washed and ironed .

OP posts:

SquirryTheSquirrel · 06/08/2021 16:55

You're entitled to price the curtains as you see fit. Others are entitled to walk away if they feel they're too expensive. It's not unreasonable to view curtains, where the quality is hard to judge online, in person.

Neither of you have been unreasonable.

PercyPigAndMe · 06/08/2021 16:56

Oh I hate the whole lazy, misogynistic 'Karen' thing so for that alone you're being unreasonable

I think she's perfectly within her rights to look at the curtains in person and decide the quality wasn't there for the money you wanted. It's as simple as that isn't it?

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/08/2021 16:59

@GLXi

I had another customer that was more than happy to pay £35 for a net curtain. There's the mix of satisfied and unsatisfied customers.

Yeah. That's business, innit.

One person's rubbish, another person's treasure. Though that must have been some net curtain👀

TheFoundations · 06/08/2021 16:59

[quote GLXi]@TheFoundations

I took it out for her to see, not anywhere near my house since she could not find my location. The curtains were recently washed and ironed .[/quote]
You get my point though. I'm not saying your house smells. I'm saying that she might have taken against your tone of voice or have something against people who drive the car you arrived in.

SchrodingersImmigrant · 06/08/2021 17:01

[quote GLXi]@TheFoundations

I took it out for her to see, not anywhere near my house since she could not find my location. The curtains were recently washed and ironed .[/quote]
Aaand just like that I would never believe they were unused. She proba didn't either

TheFoundations · 06/08/2021 17:02

@SchrodingersImmigrant

Very good point!

CatAlice · 06/08/2021 17:11

Why would you wash a brand new curtain?
An item is only worth what someone will pay. Just because you see things advertised at a price doesn't mean they sell. Charity shop would probably sell for under £10

Original poster

GLXi · 06/08/2021 17:11

@SchrodingersImmigrant

I'm afraid her sense of direction wasn't very good . However, she was rather polite.

In conclusion, I think I have been unreasonable. I should've accepted her refusal and moved on peacefully. The only thing that bothered me was when she said it wasn't worth the price. Oh well, my apologies for those who think I was unreasonable.

OP posts:

Original poster

GLXi · 06/08/2021 17:14

@CatAlice

Overtime, fabric does tend to catch dirt when left in storage :)

OP posts:

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