Flakey sellers on FB marketplace

[BoschBoschBosch]

Ds found an item for sale, quite cheaply, that he has wanted for ages. I messaged seller and they said it was available. I said could we collect the next day at 12, they said yes sure and sent postcode. I asked for door number and if another item they had was still available as I'd buy that as well. They said yes but they were busy at work - which I took to mean busy right now and couldn't message anymore so I left them thinking I'll get door number next morning as they won't be working then.

Sent message next morning asking for door number, and set off thinking they'd send it while I was driving. I guess this was my mistake and I will never set off without full address again. It was something ds really really wanted, so the fact it was 2hrs drive away I swallowed. Arrived and they'd read but not replied. I messaged again saying we're on the road - can we collect. No answer. Sent another after 30mins waiting explaining we'd travelled 2hrs, we're going to local town and could we collect later - asked if they could let me know either way. No answer.

When we had run out of stuff to do in the cold in local town ds messaged from his own account asking if item was still for sale and got immediate reply saying they weren't available today.

So they've seen my messages throughout the day and decided to ignore me. My messages were all short and v polite.

Is this normal for FB marketplace? I just don't get why you wouldn't just send a message saying they weren't available actually or didn't want to sell it to me anymore. Why string me along? AIBU? Did I miss some FB etiquette or something?

Maybe this is too boring for Saturday night 😂

I fully sympathise. Some people on marketplace are just a-holes. I just don't understand, if you're selling something, respond to queries from potential customers. 🤦🏼💁🏼

How bloody rude. What is wrong with some people. What a pointless waste of your time.

Hmm - yes, it's rude, but you were incredibly daft to set off on a two hour journey without knowing where you were going.

Lesson learned, I think!

Definitely lesson learned. It was to some extent pressure from naive ds who was so unbelievably enthusiastic about getting something he had otherwise given up on being able to afford.

It's not the first time it's happened either - though last time we didn't actually go there. Had several messages about me wanting to buy something - seller saying it's available - discussion over when they'd be available for me to collect - and then suddenly they never answered again. I just don't get it - what's the worst that could happen if they just communicate that they've sold it or want more money or whatever? I feel like giving up on FB if it's full of complete time wasters.

FB Marketplace does attract the weirdos. They're usually the customers though. (Not saying you're a weirdo.) Maybe they sold it to someone else and are too chicken to tell you?

I'm guessing that may be what they did - but what's the worst that could happen if they just told me? I might have sent a rude message (I wouldn't but nevermind that) and they could have blocked me. The worst that could happen from not telling me was a wasted 4hr round trip and 3 miserable children.

That's why I'm asking though - in case I was accidentally being a weirdo or missing some kind of obvious etiquette that others understand! Perhaps to other people saying 'yes you can collect at midday' is not actually a firm arrangement.

As a seller, this is shitty. I second PP about it normally being the buyers being oddballs.

Is this available
Yes
Can I collect it tomorrow
Sure, here's my address
................
Never to be heard from again

I think my favourite was
Can you deliver it
No sorry its collection only as I don't drive at the moment
Well I'm disabled in a mobility scooter with a disabled child
And that must be really hard, but I still don't drive sorry
You're a cu*t

Interesting

Maybe they had been burned in the past with time wasting customers who let them down so said yes to more than one person and sold it to the first one who turned up to get it? Should have told you though. I stay away from FB Marketplace - only used it once to sell something and it was far too stressful!

Loads of timewasters on FB in general too, I can't even give away perfectly good and sometimes brand new items FOR FREE! In a cost of living crisis too! They say they want the item then never reply to messages, or don't turn up, or send those stupid 'is this still available' messages without saying they want it or, blow up my DM's wanting things then never follow up on it. It's so frustrating, i've given up! Sod em

Bloody hell. That's crazy.

We do seem to have been attracting the weirdo sellers - thinking about it: perhaps it's the type of stuff ds is interested in.

Last week he saw 3 items listed, seemingly with one price. He messaged to ask if the price was each or for all (I find you can't assume it's for all as people are often not clear in their listing).
Then it went:
Them - yes the price is for all
Ds - thank you
Them (after literally 3 mins) - And? Do you want to buy them?
Them (after another 2 mins) - 🖕

Ds tried to respond that he had wanted to but no longer did and they had blocked him 😳

Maybe but I'd originally offered to collect on the same day (ds being so keen and it being an inset day) and they said they were working so couldn't. Then we arranged the next day. And if they'd sold it to someone else why didn't they say so when ds messaged them when we'd given up and we're about to leave again having spent the day in local town? It just makes no sense.

Yep my experience as both buyer and seller. I wouldn’t go further than a short walk to collect something, for all the reasons you experienced. I sell more on eBay now as have more success and usually sell for more

How odd and depressing. You'd think people put stuff up for sale because they - you know - wanted to sell it?!? It's not even like it's hard work to be in and accept someone's he who turns up when they said they would. Sigh.

Someone's cash who..

This is too boring because there are umpteen threads on it on MN. Yes lots of people are flaky, rude or downright dishonest on there, no there aren't enough safeguards, yes you should avoid it and use ebay or Freecycle and Gumtree and similar things that are run properly if you can't deal with the vagaries of FB Marketplace (although you will still come across some of the same but less; ebay has quite good dispute resolution up to a point). Or just go to a regular shop and get all your customer rights that way. The End.

Well that's me told. Thank you sooo much. 👀👀🤣

After driving for 4 hours and buying the fuel, was it going to be that cheap in the end?

It was - it would have been an amazing deal tbh. Saving over £100 on the price of the item in the shops. Oh well - I hadn't been to local town for years and I do like it. Would have been more fun with happy excited kids though rather than miserable disappointed ones.

We advertised a 3 and matching 2 seater sofas on fb marketplace.
We put all the measurements and that it was collection only.
Numerous messages requesting measurements and asking if we would deliver.
After the 8th request for the measurements I just replied with ' read the original post '

I wish it wasn't the MN rules that whenever you go on a thread you HAVE to post, you can't POSSIBLY just leave without posting.

Oh, wait a minute...

FB sellers are absolute pants.
I've lost count of the local sellers around my way who post something for sale with 'sold' next to it , yet they've never posted the said item before!

Usually the buyers
I do sell stuff on FB and basically just accept there will be some who claims to want item then doesn’t turn up or respond to me again. It’s all part of the experience.

Why are people so bloody weird and inept?

I am glad, though, that it's not me. I was a bit worried it might be 😅