Facebook marketplace nutters

[Wtfpeopleareweird]

3 things to sell on Facebook marketplace.

One I was happy to give away- brand new Aldi pushchair bought years ago for the grandparents but never used- bit grubby from storing in the garage but otherwise in great nick.

A strimmer, for a tenner

A baby swing, £150 new, again for a tenner as the vibrate function doesn’t seem to work anymore.

Lots of interest in the swing, lady came to collect 45 minutes before she said she would without warning- I’m still in my PJs but at least she came and went paying the tenner.

Free pushchair- first of all man goes to wrong postcode and insists he’s outside. 45 minutes later he arrives, after many messages and repetitions of the postcode with him claiming to be outside when he’s in the wrong street, has a look, is happy and leaves with the free pushchair. Suitably apologetic so I don’t begrudge him.

Then the strimmer. One person asks if I can deliver- it’s a 40 minute round trip so I ask for an additional fiver. She goes quiet. Next person says she can collect at 6ish today.

Great, all agreed. Then she says she might be “slightly early”. I say I’m out until around 5.30.

She messages to say she’s coming “in the next hour” at 4pm.

I’m going out, and I’m happy to take the risk so I say I’ll leave it behind the bins and she can put the money through the door.

She messages to say she’s here at 4.45. Then she messages to say she’s “only got £10 no change. It’s my fault I’ll have to leave it” Slightly confused, I reply to say I only want £10 for it.

I get home, strimmer is gone and there’s a fiver pushed through the letterbox.

I fully accept IABU for leaving it and taking the chance but Christ this has been hard work for £15!

So AIBU to think it’s not worth the effort and it all should have gone to the charity shop who have made decent money for it?

To be honest I get on OK with Marketplace.
I live by these rules though!

1. Ignore anyone who cannot use a please or thank you. They will continue to be rude and ignore any niceties of timekeeping.
2. Price realistically but slightly higher than you're willing to accept (look on eBay sold prices to get a realistic figure).
3. Ignore anyone who messages in the first 5 minutes asking if you will accept half of what you're asking.
4. Ignore anyone who asks 'Can you deliver, hun?'. (I accept some people are genuinely in dire straits in terms of collection and that will become evident in a conversation, I am not a monster and do sometimes drop things off if they're nearby and they have proved to be able to string a few words together and have some basic manners...)

@Kona84
Oh god, the free not free posts drive me up the wall! I used to report them as misleading but I'm not sure anything ever gets done about it.
It must REALLY put buyers off, why do they do it?

@Kona84

The most annoying thing is when people post saying ‘free’ and then in the description put the actual price. If I post anything for fee I put ‘genuinely free’ in the title. Sometimes when people collect they can’t believe it’s free and try to offer money. Had a guy collect a pair of owl ornaments asked 3 times if I’m sure I didn’t want anything for them. 100% sure. Said bye he posts a fiver through the letter box. They cost me 50p each at a carboot.

Also hate when I list that I will deliver working 2 miles of my house.
And get requests for 10, 20 miles away.

You can report listings that aren't aren't free. Click report listing -inaccurate description. Facebook take them down.

Was it really worth it for the hefty £20?

Collection only.

'Can you deliver? Don't drive'

(No please or thank you)

My response now is: you must know someone who drives. Ask someone you know to pick it up for you. (Thinking- you don't know me but you're happy to ask me)

I was selling an iPhone in Marketplace some years ago. It had a tiny crack on the corner of the phone which was me too toon and a photo included. Got loads of messages. Some not even from this country it seems. The first normally local person tried to barter but I was having none of it. I knew what I could get from a recycling place and was asking the same price. He eventually relented and said he'd come over later that evening. This kept being put back for one reason or another. Eventually he was ready to come round and I gave home my address to which he replied "oh just to let you know I'm going to haggle a bit with you when I come round". I told him under no uncertain terms to not come to my address I refused to sell it to him as I'd already told him the price. He argued. I sold it to the next person In line who turned up Immediately and paid full asking price. The next day he message again and said he'd pay full price. Too late mate.

Had someone ask me to deliver something I'm currently advertising on gumtree. I drive but don't have a car, though would probably need a van anyway. I said I could deliver for an extra £75, to allow van hire, petrol, and my time. I told her why the cost. Apparently I should pay this myself to get a sale. I'm only selling the thing for £30...

Once tried selling a brand new mamas and papas rocking crib. No mattress as we hadn't used it. This was stated in the ad. Listed for £60 as I wanted about £40. A man messaged me in Romanian, asked if he could collect tomorrow. I said yes that's fine. Via Google translate. An HOUR later he and a woman arrived in a taxi to collect the crib, started moaning about how there was no mattress and how they'd come in a taxi and my price was too much. I literally shut the front door on them without saying a word. So you arrive at a time we didn't agree on, didn't read the description or bother to translate it and it's my fault you arrived in a taxi

The worst is when you advertise something for say, £100. And you just get a message that says “40”
🙄

I can’t remember what I was selling now (I’ve sold loads in the past year!) but I always say that I cannot deliver on all my selling ads as I do not drive. I also make it very clear which area that I live in and even include the first part of my postcode in the item description as apparently the map that is automatically generated by FB isn’t enough for some people!

Anyway, I had a woman message me about one of my ads, asking me if I could deliver as she really wanted the item. I replied that no, I could not deliver as I do not drive and that is why all my posts say ‘collection only’. She then said ‘OK, but I really want the item so I will try and see if I can get someone to pick it up. In the meantime, could you also see if you could find someone to deliver it to me?’ I didn’t respond to this, just merely ‘liked’ the comment with no intention of replying nor of offering delivery by a third party.

A few days later she messages me again, asking ‘Have you had any luck finding someone to deliver it to me?’ Talk about a CF! 😮 Suffice to say, whatever it was was sold to someone who came and collected it! 🙄

@essentialhealing

Was it really worth it for the hefty £20?

Nope- that my point! Still, it’ll buy us an ice cream or two on our trip to the seaside!

That is total Cheeky Fuckery @millenialblush. Did you comment under her listing that she'd basically scammed you?

My Mum was giving away a king size bed base.
I did the ad for her and was very clear that it was the base and legs only, no headboard and no mattress.
Plus that it had some dog chew damage on one corner. With photos.
Was clear about where we are

Also noted that it is heavy, needs two people to lift and would need the appropriate vehicle to fit it in.

Lots of interest, woman arranges to collect at 18:30, doesn't turn up.
Says next day that she couldn't get transport.

Next one says he'll have it but do we know a man with a van, send him a link to local guy- no response.

Next one says he'll have it. Later changed his mind because of the dog chew damage.

Last one really keen, asked multiple times how much it was. Told him multiple times that it is free. Ghosted.

Mum ended up paying €20 for someone to come and take it to the tip.

Total waste of time.

Always put a price on it! Deters the CFs!! Then give it away if they are nice people 😉

Just remembered when I put my car on FB. We had an offer of part exchange from the dealer but I thought I'd see if anyone else would want it.

A woman was interested but wanted to haggle. I reduced it by £500 but was clear what the dealer was offering so would go below that. Basically she was outraged I wouldn't give it to her at less then I had already been offered. Kept telling me that it wasn't worth what I wanted (well then don't buy it?) and finally messages to say she was driving up here now with her kids to collect it and was only giving me what she thought it was worth!

Luckily I hadn't given her the full address. I told her no that wasn't happening. Then her husband messaged separately pretending to be a separate buyer but seemingly forgetting that they had the same (unusual) last name and the same profile pic! I blocked them both and gave it to the dealer.

@19lottie82

The worst is when you advertise something for say, £100. And you just get a message that says “40” 🙄

Lost track of the number of people that do that. Even with the items that I clearly state 'No offers please'.

"You've listed it for £50 but I could get a new one for that"

"Really? Please send me a link to where you saw it for that?"

Guy sends me a link to my identical listing, but on eBay rather than Facebook marketplace

"Erm, that's not new. I know that because it's my listing and, well, the photos, location etc., are identical?"

ghosted

I had a women message me with her address asking if I could deliver a very small item she wanted for her GC. I don't drive but I looked up her address on Google maps and she lived a 20 minute walk from my house. When I messaged her to say she could easily walk to my house to collect she said it was okay her DD would give her a lift!

Just after we went into lockdown I put up for sale a baby bath with matching top & tail bowl and hooded towels. I wanted £10.00. A Romanian man messaged me asking what size of baby would fit in the bath, he would like to come round to my house to examine the items to check their condition (I described them as "good") and he would give me £9.00 if he liked them. I messaged him back and said that he could not examine the items during a lockdown, it was doorstep collection only and the price is £10.00. I then blocked him and sold the items a few days later to a pregnant lady. I just didn't trust him to examine the items in my garden and then try to argue the price.

I have had four completely separate women arrange to pick up something, not show up and no message to say they couldn't come. A few days later they all claimed they wanted the item but hadn't shown up because their babies had all been rushed to the sick kid's hospital. This seems to be the most poplar excuse for not showing up then explaining your rudeness in my area.

I put up for sale a rain cover for a poplar travel system and I wanted £10.00. A woman messaged and said she would give me £3.00. I thought maybe she was poor and it was all she could afford but when I looked on her FB she had her own business and lived in a bigger house than me in a very nice part of town. A couple of other people asked if the rain cover would fit a completely different pushchair - how should I know!

I had another women who asked if I could post her something and got in a huff when I said postage would be £3.20, seemed I was supposed to pay the postage.

I had another lady who asked if I could deliver because she had broken her leg and it was in plaster. I told her "sorry I don't drive". She turned up the next evening, all dressed up on her way to a night out, no plaster in sight!

I was selling a bag of H&M maternity clothes in a size L. A lady asked what size that would fit. I told her to go onto the H&M website where she would find a size chart!

@AnneElliott yes I did, didn't hear anything back and she didn't take the post down so not sure what happened.

Also just remembered we gave away a really nice table to a lady who then reposted it for £50, my husband saw and messaged her and she just said she needed the money. Not really dodgy I guess, still annoying though

My DF sells on marketplace and is disabled and mostly housebound so it’s about all he can manage to get to the door.

He sold a lady something for a fiver and when she tried them it didn’t work. He told her to bring it back and he’d give her the cash. She did but gave no notice so when she came he was at a hospital appt.

The next day she sent her boyfriend who violently assaulted my dad on his doorstep. (My dad can just about walk and at this time was using a frame to get around the house recovering from an op). He was punched, kicked and knocked over and then the guy stood on his foot. (Which was bandaged after op).

We found him on FB and shared his details with the police but no arrest was ever made, really put me off selling on there as you just don’t know who you’re giving your address to!

I like the people that come to pick things up then try and haggle. I always refuse and they always pay the full price.

@Anxietyandwine

My DF sells on marketplace and is disabled and mostly housebound so it’s about all he can manage to get to the door.

He sold a lady something for a fiver and when she tried them it didn’t work. He told her to bring it back and he’d give her the cash. She did but gave no notice so when she came he was at a hospital appt.

The next day she sent her boyfriend who violently assaulted my dad on his doorstep. (My dad can just about walk and at this time was using a frame to get around the house recovering from an op). He was punched, kicked and knocked over and then the guy stood on his foot. (Which was bandaged after op).

We found him on FB and shared his details with the police but no arrest was ever made, really put me off selling on there as you just don’t know who you’re giving your address to!

Good grief that is awful! I hope your DF is ok now. What a horrible experience for him.

I don’t really buy or sell from there anymore but when I did it was things that were not too cheap and didn’t get messed about too much, a cabin bed and a Hoover went easily. I also bought a table years back I still have now

I sold a table and chairs and the lady came to collect it piece by piece and walked it 20 mins home each section over and over. I did offer to help she said no 😂 it was really weird

In my village people wait till the weather is nice and just leave free things out the fronts and post on FB that it’s there to be taken and someone will come pick it up usually. I got a garden table the same way and no interaction with each other 😂

I see so many people on FB selling crap they just can’t be bothered to take to the dump, its terrible condition.

The only time I was cross was when I posted that I would collect any slabs going spare (we all have same on estate) and got no replies. My next door neighbour did the same thing 2 weeks later and got loads of replies so I asked if I could have any left overs they didn’t want as I only needed 4. They sent me a photo a few days later of 5 minging broken green mouldy slabs asking me to collect so they didn’t have to go to the dump. I said no thanks and went to Wickes and bought a few new ones

I was sent a dick pic after trying to sell a Kayak.
I'd had SO MANY stupid, rude, messages by then, that it made me laugh.

@19lottie82

The worst is when you advertise something for say, £100. And you just get a message that says “40” 🙄

My standard reply to messages like that is “sure! If it comes wrapped in another three 20’s!”

Either that or I’ll send a message back with £110 and keep going higher.