From free to £50?!

[AutumnFox]

I saw something advertised on our local selling group - a bundle of Peppa Pig toys - advertised as FREE.

I messaged the seller and asked if they were still available - in my head I was thinking I will give them £20 when I pick them up as a good will gesture. She replied saying they were still available so I asked for address and said i would go and collect them now. She sent me her address and then said “unfortunately there was a mistake on the add, they’re not free”. So I said “ok, how much are they?” And she replied “£50”.

I couldn’t afford this so I replied and said “ok, but out of my price range unfortunately so I’ll leave it, thanks anyway” so she replied “funny how you were desperate for them when they were free though”.

She advertised them as free!! Of course people are going to be interested!! She doesn’t know I was going to give her £20 when I got there but surely if you realise there is a mistake on the add you change it? You don’t just assume people will hand over £50 once you tell them that’s what you really want?

0 to 50 is a massive change! I bet you will see them back for sale in a week with a more realistic value.

I've put up stuff for free and been overwhelmed with responses, making me think I've undervalued my junk. I did stick with the price tho.

That wasn't a mistake on the ad!

Nasty person trying to belittle you. Lots of people give away toys but pepper pig ones are cheap shite anyway.

She’s a bitch. She may well come back and ask what you are prepared to pay when she can’t flog them for that much.

She deliberately uploaded it as free to get more interested and she was hoping she could make someone feel awkward enough to pay.

Her last message sounds horrible, I'd probably send a shitty message back tbh 😁

This is a non-incident. Just delete her message and move on.

"Funny how you were interested when they were free?"

What a stupid comment. I accept all sorts of hand me down stuff for my children that I would never pay even a fiver for. In most cases I'm doing them a favour by getting it out of their house without the landfill guilt.

It might seem like a non incident to you but it’s made me feel like a cheap skate and I hate that.

What a bitchy message! I'd just send back laughing emoji 😂 🤣 then block her.
She was definitely chancing her arm and hoping to shame someone into paying.

She's being a dick op, I'd be pissed off at that comment too. You're probably not the first person to message and change their minds once she told them it's actually not free, but £50. It takes less than 2 minutes to change a price on FB marketplace. She did it on purpose.

You're not a cheap skate, she's a moron.

She’s horrible, your not a cheapskate , I’d probably reply and say £50 you having a laugh . You’ll get no more than £10 offered then block .

I hear you OP.

I once responded to a FB ad for a bin bag’s worth of baby clothes for £20. Had been £30 but the price was struck through and lowered. When I arrived at her door, she tried to make me pay £30! She argued and argued with me and said she’d paid loads of money for it all and it was all designer. Eventually she begrudgingly accepted my £20, once it became clear I was happy to just leave empty handed.

When I got home, the entire bag was Primark, save for 2 or 3 John Lewis items which had snipped / red dot labels (seconds).

I honestly don’t give two shits whether the stuff is GAP, Primark, George or Gucci. Obviously. I mean, I’m dressing my kids in bin bag clothes that I buy on FB Marketplace. But it’s the principle of it. Standing there telling me I owe her 50% more because the entire bag is supposedly designer. Cheeky fucker!!😂

Tell her the truth and then say by being manipulative and tricky she has in fact missed out. Then block

Ugh seller definitely unreasonable. If the advert says free she can't be surprised when people want the item for free! I've noticed some sellers list as free then say in the description it isn't free which annoys me too. Sometimes people get freebies they don't even want to sell on for profit

Guarantee you’re not the only person to get that nasty little message, just ignore and block, she’s a twat.

People often upload as free then put the price in the listing. I think she was being sneaky though and hoping you'd feel too awkward and pay anyway.

See also when people upload stuff with price £1 when it's not, or £1234

It's just basically a way of saying "price on asking" I never bother with those listings.

It's not unusual for people to list toys for free so not crazy of you to assume that she meant free.

I'd report her to the selling page. You can guarantee she's advertised them as free on purpose to gather interest and fish for someone desperate enough to spend £50.

Just ignore her. She doesn't know your circumstances. You could be wanting them for any reason. Not just to give to your kids.

I've seen this on FB Marketplace. Things advertised as free that are almost certainly not (eg new beds) or prices that are obviously not correct, say £1234 for something that might be £50.

What is the advantage to the seller of doing this? It just seems to be a huge waste of everyone's time.

If you just want to give something away, just say so. If you want money for it, put the price in the ad and an indication of whether or not you're open to offers. It's not hard.

She was extremely rude to back chat you with her comment, however I have twice had Facebook market place state £0 or free on my listing when I have in fact put a price on them. It has been extremely awkward both times as the person has had the item in their car/van and been about to leave when I've mentioned the price (which of course I've assumed they know before they've even contacted me to arrange collection). I don't sell on Facebook any more because of it.

Yes this. If it was a local selling page they'll ban her.

'Funny how you were desperate to give them away until you realised you could rip someone off instead'.

But surely you check your advert when it's published and amend it immediately? Especially if it's happened a few time? I've sold a few things on market place and have never had an issue

She's a moron OP, thick as mince too if she thinks everyone is just going to say, "sure, what the hell, here you go" and hand over whatever figure the dipshit plucks from the sky.

Thick and nasty and probably has kids herself 🙄

@AutumnFox if you're in east Herts I could definitely sort you out a free peppa pig bundle? been meaning to do it anyway