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?

I messaged a guy who was selling his departed mums sewing machine and cabinet, the price was very low and the emphasis was on the machine, which was worth nothing , but the cabinet was a new horn cabinet, which even 2nd hand are expensive, I told him this, as I was thinking more of his mum having spent all that on it. He was really grateful and put it on ebay and got a nice price for it.

All the ‘is this available’ messages and then ghosting. Are they just interested if things are available or not.

I’ve had the child rushed fo hospital thing too. But then are okay to pick up an hour later.

I sold a bike once. Even though there was a pub at the end of my street the woman could not find my house. She was wandering around the roads for ages. It really was the easiest place in the universe to find. Go to pub, walk down same side of street until you get to house number ? Literally 45 minutes of her messaging, I can’t find it.
Turns up, tries to pay less. Tells me she needs the bike as she gave her daughters away for free and will have to get a taxi home with it. Not my problem.

Yeah it's a nightmare. Top tips:

• always say collection only
• no offers
• anything under a price you're not bothered about, give it to a charity shop instead

Yanbu.
I've been off them for years due to people basically being a pain in the arse but I've recently stepped back into freecycle to clear some garden items.
I only let items go to people who send a polite, nicely written note. Anyone that has the hint of flakiness I ignore. So far, so good.

I've had problems with sellers as well as buyers. I bought some jigsaw puzzles from someone, they delivered all fine.
But afterwards they kept messaging me with all sorts of stuff they had for sale and did I want to buy it, they'd deliver. Totally bonkers - why would I want to buy a hideous ornament, or a salad spinner just because I'd purchased some jigsaws from them. I blocked eventually but I did answer politely a few times that I was fine thanks and didn't need any more things. (Need to learn to be a bit ruder !)

@AmyDudley

I've had problems with sellers as well as buyers. I bought some jigsaw puzzles from someone, they delivered all fine. But afterwards they kept messaging me with all sorts of stuff they had for sale and did I want to buy it, they'd deliver. Totally bonkers - why would I want to buy a hideous ornament, or a salad spinner just because I'd purchased some jigsaws from them. I blocked eventually but I did answer politely a few times that I was fine thanks and didn't need any more things. (Need to learn to be a bit ruder !)

I once had some guy go bananas and use the worst language possible at me (at my house), because I wanted to buy a car from them that they had advertised on Marketplace - but conveniently, they didn't have the V5 nor did they know the person that actually owned the car...

Funnily enough I’ve just had my first ‘sick child and now husband needs the car for work’ message. Been sat waiting for an hour and had to message her to ask if she was coming!!!

In the past I’ve had about 5 people cancel because they ‘broke down’ en route

I sold an office chair last year. Thought it’d go quickly given how many people were WFH. It hung around for a week due to complete time wasters.

One woman asked if I could hold it until the next afternoon at 2pm. At 3pm I messaged her asking if she was coming, and she sent me an arsey message 2 hours later saying “I’m in work now” as if I had inconvenienced her.

Can’t be arsed with any of it. So many weirdos about.

I am dealing with one right now.

I've had surprising success with selling old baby clothes and items with very little hassle actually. I had a lady contact me last week about a sleepsuit bundle - yes she can have it and she messaged saying she'd been looking for that sort of stuff and did I have any more. I have two huge bin bagfuls that I haven't yet had a chance to list so I agreed to make up some other bundles and send her photos with prices and if she wants them then she can take them at the same time.

I do so, spend quite a bit of time doing it. Take lots of photos, am honest about any marks and general condition and send her the prices for each. I bag them in their bundles to keep organised and try to arrange a time for her to come.

She comes back with a time - but then states that she wants to come and look at each item. There are literally over two hundred individual items (things like baby vests, tights, sleepsuits and outfits). I go back to clarify that everything's bagged in bundles and ready to go for collection and if she just lets me know which bundles she wants I will get them ready.

No, dear reader, she wants me to set them up like a shop for her to inspect before purchase.

I think not, what am I bloody Mothercare?!?!

They do this and drive me nuts.
Ok if it’s something specific like you NEED to know the size and you can’t find it by googling, fair enough, but why the hell would you ask me 10001 questions about my sons old clothes bundle which I’ve already stated has a mix of stained (but suitable for nursery) and brand new items. And no I’m not going through it all to pick out only the “brand name” stuff and selling it to you for less, you buy the lot or bugger off.

YANBU, OP. They're chancy bastards for sure.

We’re moving house so advertising lots of things through marketplace. I usually wake up for lots of people who have messaged at 3am asking if available. Then you never hear back. If things are free the chances of people turning up go down. Not sure why, I think that if something is free then your time is also free so they are happy to waste it. Every ad says collection from the village I live in. Cash on collection. Then you get asked to post it. Somebody wanted me to post a 15kg plant in a pot the other day and got very abusive when I said it would cost a fortune (I only wanted a few quid for it). I hate it when you agree a sale and then they say they will pick up in 3 days. Chances are they then ghost you. The worst are when you post something that is unexpectantly very popular and get 100 people messaging. Then I’m never sure who to give it to. Is the first person who says they will take it. The first person who can come and get it? Now if somebody wants something I agree the time with then first. I give them my post code but wait until they are setting off to give them full address. That way i am not worrying if somebody changes their mind.

A guy agrees to pick up a shed about 3 years ago. He told me he was on his way in the van with his mate. He must be close by now as he was only the other side
Of the village apparently

@Rubyupbeat

I messaged a guy who was selling his departed mums sewing machine and cabinet, the price was very low and the emphasis was on the machine, which was worth nothing , but the cabinet was a new horn cabinet, which even 2nd hand are expensive, I told him this, as I was thinking more of his mum having spent all that on it. He was really grateful and put it on ebay and got a nice price for it.

I've done that a couple of times -imagine how you would feel yourself if you sold something for a pittance and then found out it was worth a significant amount. You don't know how much that person needs money. I think it's the right thing to do but in the past people have argued with me (on forums) saying I shouldn't tell them!

@Antsinyourpanta
Ha, I’ve had the exact same but reverse, agreed a time and turned up (on time). Parked up, baby in car a bit down road. Ring door bell, heard it ring, heard people talking in house, dogs heard it and came barking. No answer. Try 2 more times and dogs still barking. Went back to car to check on (small) baby and returned a few mins later same rigmarole then decided to message that i was there but leaving in a few mins. Then got a message hour later saying had definitely been in, could I come back 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was giving away a broken something valuable that I didn't know how to fix. A lovely lady PM'd me to say this is where you can get it fixed and then you can use it or sell on. Very kind of her I thought as it was no skin off her nose what happened to it. Unfortunately I'd already agreed free collection. The good news is the idiot never turned up so I did get to keep it!

There's a guy on our local fb group, his posts are always requesting something, to date I've seen posts asking for garden furniture, a washing machine, a sofa, dvd player and dvd's, a PlayStation and games and he always wants it for free. Oh and you have to deliver as he doesn't drive due to being disabled and he gives his postcode which isn't even local and is about 25 miles away

Can't decide if he's a cf or not

I particularly love the ‘selling my old shed for £300. Buyer must dismantle and remove by themselves. Must be gone TODAY.’

@TorySteller

Can i just say thank you for the correct use of ‘en route’. I am so tired of seeing ‘on route’.

I bought something recently and went to the address given only to have a confused older man telling me he wasn’t the “Brian” I was looking for and he hadn’t any furniture for sale. I was like “are you sure” . I apologised and reread the message from the seller. He had said park next to number blah blah and then text me. He then appeared from his garage opposite the house I had gone to I was mortified

@thanksforyourcommentrandomman

There's a guy on our local fb group, his posts are always requesting something, to date I've seen posts asking for garden furniture, a washing machine, a sofa, dvd player and dvd's, a PlayStation and games and he always wants it for free. Oh and you have to deliver as he doesn't drive due to being disabled and he gives his postcode which isn't even local and is about 25 miles away

Can't decide if he's a cf or not

He's a cf

I never will deliver as it's not worth the hassle. Lots of new items I've sold very cheap and even then they ask for price reduction. Mssg to say interested and then never get back in touch. Will say they are coming to collect on x day and not turn up.
I've had a few decent people who seem quite well off buy items from me, they have been the ones who did not mess me around. I now check profiles before I reply

Some of these are hilariously awful!

I gave away a double oven and dishwasher, when we were remodelling the kitchen.
A husband and wife came and disconnected it all and the wife asked in passing... was there a baking tray that rested on the runners in the oven. (there were normal oven shelves) I said I couldn't remember but as we were living on salad having no kitchen and the house was like a building site, that IF I found it amongst everything I would text her.

Off they went with a free Neff double oven and dishwasher.

She then started bombarding me with texts asking about the baking tray. I said 'No, I can't find it, not sure we ever had one'

Did that shut her up?
No.
Could I look again. Could she call round tomorrow and help me look. She even turned up and rang the doorbell.

F**k off... you've got a free Neff oven and dishwasher... go and buy an effing baking tray!

@notactuallylolling

I particularly love the ‘selling my old shed for £300. Buyer must dismantle and remove by themselves. Must be gone TODAY.’

I’ve seen that a couple of times! Both in terrible condition and only fit for firewood!

Sofas are a big thing here! They alway NEED it gone today. They are definitely a pain to get rid of but the free ones tend to be pretty gross. Can’t imagine anyone wanting your filthy sofa.

In contrast , I have seen some absolute bargains not too far away £100 for an almost new 3 piece suite (expensive area). I guess they just fancy a change of colour/style... How the other half live!