To be amazed at the entitlement?

[80Dodgeballs]

I advertised a toy on FB. In pristine condition for £1 (would normally sell new for £8).

Someone living in a very wealthy area has asked me to deliver the toy to them when they know it's a 15 mile round trip. They don't want to know now that I've suggested a few pounds delivery charge for petrol and my time. It would still make the toy half of what it would cost in the shops.

AIBU to be flabbergasted at how some people expect the world to owe them something when they're already getting an amazing deal?

They seem really miffed at my suggestion of a delivery charge. Why on earth would I deliver something for £1 when it would cost me more than that in petrol let alone my time? CF!!! I can't believe the gall of some people.

Regarding uniform. Our local church posts on sites asking for used uniform and works with food banks to see who needs it. I usually send stuff end of term.

@Not2daySatan

I deactivated my Facebook months ago. I've got a lot of school trousers that don't fit ds anymore so was going to reactivate to give away free on fbmp. After reading this I think I won't bother and just take them to charity shop instead.

I give outgrown school uniform to the school. There's nowt wrong with it and it will do someone a turn; even if the school just use it for spares.

There's been a few occasions when my son has 'fallen' (jumped) in a puddle and soaked his trousers.

@italianways

I used to sell my kids old stuff on EBay until I read something very wise (from the FlyLady I think).

It was to the effect that it’s much better just to give things away (to friends or charity shops or Freecycle) than mess about trying to extract a pound or two from mean or greedy people.

So I stopped, and have never regretted it. Has saved so much time and much better karma all round.

I used to do this but with the closures during lockdown led me into the world of fbmp, in some cases it's great and the DC end up with a few quid in their money box, as pp say there are some nice stories too. I've had messages from purchasers saying how much their DC loved an item or it helped them out of a difficult time.

I've also given away for free items that would have gone in the bin as not good enough for charity but still usable and that makes me feel better for stopping landfill. So it's worth offering items but not worth getting stressed over it or caught up with time wasters and CFs. As pp said some people HAVE to scrape those last few £ together

We have a rather decent local giveaway page, run by a friend of mine. The idea is you post an item for about 24 hours, people post they’re interested, you allocate them a number then do a draw. Usually runs well and I’ve got some nice stuff myself. But yep, there are the CFs

I gave away a toy easel with a tub of stuff to go with it (magnetic letters, dry wipe pens, chalks) and said while it wasn’t big it was bulky and would need a car to collect. Winner duly sent her mum with car - mum got out on crutches. So looks like we’re loading it for you then? Ok it wasn’t the biggest hassle but what if I’d been on crutches myself? 😂

I had one person ask to deliver - she lived on the next estate and was ten minutes walk away. I said no, then she claimed she had set off and couldn’t find my house and could I deliver after all? It’s like one street off the main road. That was another no,

The other annoyance is people who dick you about collecting. It’s surprising what is popular and if I’d won something 50 or do people had bid on, that I was getting for NOTHING, I’d be there straight away or at least commiting to a date and time. Not saying ‘well I need to see when my mum can get to you’ and leaving it until you chase them. I now say if there’s no arrangements made within 24 hours I redraw.

Luckily my friend is quite robust and bans idiots from the page 😂

I agree with op. But the other extreme is people selling second hand stuff at high prices.

Or people who watch too much Storage Wars/ pawn stars/ hardcore pawn , and think they can get stuff very cheap and sell it on at a huge profit

I refuse to wait in anymore for people. My driveway is long so I just tell them the goods will be left outside if they are not on time and to feel free to just pick up from the driveway. That's only with free stuff obviously. Funnily enough nobody has been late since I started doing that!

@ppp4321

Please tell me what you said back to microwave CF guy?!

In that very British way of trying not to cause offence and be polite, "No, just the microwave but I'll bear that in mind thank you". What I felt like saying ... "you cheeky little s**t, you are not emptying my kitchen because you think I'm that guillible". And therein lies the problem, CFs take advantage of us trying to be nice. I can't imagine demanding to come inside a complete stranger's house (particularly in a pandemic) to take my pick of their things.

(And yes, I appreciate some people are really hard up and Freecycling is a good way of reducing waste and helping others).

I had it on a larger scale when I sold my house. Price agreed and house taken off the market. Agent asked if the buyers could come round and make us an offer on a few things. I wanted the agent to accompany them but she said it wouldn't be a big thing. The buyers turned up with various family members in tow, went round every room and demanded pretty much most items of furniture inside and outside, together with all appliances, curtains etc. Totalling about £15k for me to replace. For nothing. They got more and more belligerent and angry with me for saying it wasn't possible. I was with two young kids on my own and it felt extremely uncomfortable.

😮😮😮😮😮😮 I'd have cancelled the house sale and threatened them with police for that!

I have a policy now if people send the 'is this still available' message I just reply Yes. Mostly you never hear from them again. Anyone who asks a cheeky or ridiculous question or bombards me with stupid offers doesn't get an answer at all. I only engage with polite people who seem genuinely interested and are able to form complete sentences and sensible questions. Saves my blood pressure!

I always advertise at double what I want. I tell them when I advertise that no reply unless you make a decent offer and collect. I once sols a dress for £12 that I had advertised at £24 as the woman offered a £ 10 and thought she was still getting a bargain. I only wanted £12 haha. Its about being wise to 'idiots'. But I once drove 120 miles to deliver a wardrobe I sold for £30 which I said I could deliver within 50 for a fiver. They asked very nicely and said they would pay £10 which they did and when I arrived they made me lunch and sent me away with homemade jam homegrown tomatoes and homebaked scones. What lovely people! I went as it eas a part of the country I wanted to see more of. So had a great journey there and back.....They were also very grateful.

@SergeiL

I give away loads of stuff for free on Facebook. The amount of times it goes along the following lines:

Person; is item still available (generally no manners)
Me: yes it is, collection is from blah blah, when would you like to collect (polite)
Person:

Eh?

I think some people reply to everything, as they want first dibs. Then they stop to think if they want it

"Is that your best price?"
"It's my only price; take it or leave it."

I put a microwave on Freecyle. All good, chap came to collect at the door. Then said could he come in and have a look round my kitchen as he was stocking an entire kitchen over the next few weeks so would like some more of my kitchen stuff.

Whilst in no way excusing CFery, I do wonder if some people have cognitive processing problems that prevent them from rationalising different kinds of obtaining items - or possibly it's just an extension of their extreme egocentrism.

Maybe some of them just can't compartmentalise that you are a normal person offering one item and not the overall runner of a 'free shop'. I can't think of any other reason why you get the frequent customers in charity shops who ask the assistants in all sincerity whether they have an item in a different size or colour.

Actually I get quite a few people in my shop asking "if that's your best price".

I just say yes it is smile

I'd be very tempted to feign misunderstanding and 'assume' they mean from your pov and not theirs. If it's priced at, say £35, tell them in all faux sincerity that £50 would have been your best price - especially considering all of the overheads of running a shop and the fact that you actually have to make a living - but you thought you'd selflessly put the interests and wishes of your valued customers first and thus you are 'only' asking for £35.

After all, a transaction is a two-way benefit - it isn't solely about the buyer.

*different WAYS of obtaining items, that should have said

😮😮😮😮😮😮 I'd have cancelled the house sale and threatened them with police for that!

For reasons other than that, we did end up cancelling the sale and going with another set of buyers, who were delightful, paid a much higher price for the house and I'm still friendly with 10 years later.

The original buyers had used up every ounce of our goodwill by the time the transaction issues came along, so ultimately paid the price by losing the purchase. Their mistake to think I'd be happy to roll over and give away loads of stuff if they were aggressive and over bearing enough. I wasn't.

In my area, the SOP is to say at the end of the as 'collection from xyz area or can deliver for fuel'. It seems to work.

@ppp4321

😮😮😮😮😮😮 I'd have cancelled the house sale and threatened them with police for that!

For reasons other than that, we did end up cancelling the sale and going with another set of buyers, who were delightful, paid a much higher price for the house and I'm still friendly with 10 years later.

The original buyers had used up every ounce of our goodwill by the time the transaction issues came along, so ultimately paid the price by losing the purchase. Their mistake to think I'd be happy to roll over and give away loads of stuff if they were aggressive and over bearing enough. I wasn't.

Bravo. That's absolutely the right way to handle folk like that. I've watched my own family bully and intimidate and try and muscle their way into deals etc. and the. Have them tell me I'm weak and a pushover for daring to be polite.

It's this mentality that keeps the entitled folk going.

I had this a couple of times. Once with an immaculate slow cooker - over £70 new and I was asking £10. Could I deliver because she had a toddler and didn’t drive. I also had a small child and didn’t have the use of our car when dh was at work. So I used to use the pushchair to collect stuff. I would have happily walked the distance to where she lived with the pushchair. But she didn’t want to. So I gave it to British Heart Foundation and felt much happier.

Second one was a barely used bicycle that had cost over £100 and daughter had grown out of it. Buyers kept saying they wanted it for £40 but could I hold it for them for a week - this went on for weeks and weeks. Every time I messaged them they still definitely wanted it. Eventually I put it on eBay and sold it for £10 to a lovely chap who came to collect it with his little girl. They were both so happy that it was worth it. And I could tell the original cf that it was no longer available as I couldn’t keep storing it for them free of charge.

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a CF? Keep seeing it

@Floogal

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a CF? Keep seeing it

A cheeky fucker.

I was angry for ages about CFs either wanting everything for less than I asked for without even seeing it, or asking for it to be delivered when I was giving it away for free.

Then I had a nice surprise :)

I downsized and moved during lockdown, and couldn't sell stuff so put it out in my front drive by the bins. I'd already moved to a rental up the road before completion and had kept my cat in for a month, but she'd been away all day so I had to go back to my old house to get her. I was standing in the driveway with her cat biscuit box when two people walking their dogs walked into the drive and started picking over my stuff as though it was a car boot sale, completely ignoring me. I called out that they were welcome to take whatever they liked as I was downsizing and they said they were interested in a particular thing. I offered to take it into the house and keep it for them, but they said they'd go home and return immediately. My cat eventually came out of the bushes and I took her home.

Next morning I went back to do more packing, and couldn't believe it, absolutely everything had gone. Oil filled radiators, pictures, mirrors, chairs, lamps - everything. I was astounded.

The nice surprise was a knock at the door a week or so later - the couple had tracked me down to the rental and had made me a lemon cake as a thank you for the one thing she said they'd taken.

@mirw

taxscouts.com/self-employed-tax-returns/what-tax-do-you-pay-if-you-sell-on-ebay/

You might find this useful.
Just sayin.

I had an in box message asking why I’d listed a pair of boys trainers for “only 2 quidz”!! Apparently I should’ve “tek them to the charity shop an stop been tight ennit”
I blocked them! Couldn’t be arsed to explain that actually I had put over 60 items on for £2 each and that the money was to feed/clothe my children over Christmas!! Also, I had already donated 3 large bags of clothes and toys to the charity shop already to de clutter. Also, if I’m brutally honest, what on earth had it got to do with them how much I charged for anything! Ennit????!!!!!!

@ppp4321

Please tell me what you said back to microwave CF guy?!

In that very British way of trying not to cause offence and be polite, "No, just the microwave but I'll bear that in mind thank you". What I felt like saying ... "you cheeky little s**t, you are not emptying my kitchen because you think I'm that guillible". And therein lies the problem, CFs take advantage of us trying to be nice. I can't imagine demanding to come inside a complete stranger's house (particularly in a pandemic) to take my pick of their things.

(And yes, I appreciate some people are really hard up and Freecycling is a good way of reducing waste and helping others).

I had it on a larger scale when I sold my house. Price agreed and house taken off the market. Agent asked if the buyers could come round and make us an offer on a few things. I wanted the agent to accompany them but she said it wouldn't be a big thing. The buyers turned up with various family members in tow, went round every room and demanded pretty much most items of furniture inside and outside, together with all appliances, curtains etc. Totalling about £15k for me to replace. For nothing. They got more and more belligerent and angry with me for saying it wasn't possible. I was with two young kids on my own and it felt extremely uncomfortable.

OMG…. We had the same thing when selling my mother’s home (DH and I still living in it and needed to take furniture with us as would need to furnish whatever home we moved into).

When doing paperwork prior to exchange we listed the items we’d be leaving (carpets, curtains and nets, only fitted oven & hob in kitchen and 2 garden sheds) and would be including in the price. Amongst other reasons we found difficult to fathom but probably driven by the fact he used a solicitor in central London (house in Surrey as was he) who worked very limited hours, exchange took forever and included us putting the house back on the market st one point!! Anyway, they kept delaying signing the paperwork, and one reason was they were wanting to know why we weren’t leaving the rest of the house’s contents for them and could we do so - but for no extra on top of the already reasonable agreed purchase price 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️

That has just made me REALLY laugh after a generally crap day. Thanks!

Years ago I had a Silver Cross pram that cost 600 quid. Expecting another baby so needed twin pram. Local teenage girl had got pregnant and asked her if she wanted the immaculate condition Silver Cross for free. Her Mum said no we do not want cast offs, she is getting a grant from the Social. I was a bit miffed to say the least!!!