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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Facebook fucking marketplace

33 replies

NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:08

AIBU? or just inpatient?

Seriously. Why do people even list their stuff on there when they clearly can't be arsed to actually sell it?

I've recently changed jobs and I'll be working from home full time soon, so I need some new equipment. I saw a lovely second hand desk on Facebook last night. I noticed it had been on there for a while and there were a lot of comments asking if it was still available (no reply from the seller) so I thought it might have already gone. I messaged her to double check and asked her for the measurements or if she knew if it was small enough to fit in a car (I couldn't tell by the pictures) and she replied "yeah, should do" with no actual measurements. Helpful 🙄.

It's a 30 minute drive so I didn't want to risk driving all the way there if it wouldn't actually fit, so I arranged for a friend with a van to come with me instead. She wanted it gone by today and asked me what time I could come so we agreed 5pm. She was going to check if her partner would be home first (no idea why as I thought she would be home and why she agreed to the time in the first place Confused). This was at 2pm. I hadn't heard anything by 4:30 so I asked her if we could come as my friend needed to go somewhere else afterwards. She read my message and didn't reply. I've just messaged her now to say I can't wait any longer and she replied straight away with a thumbs up. No apology for keeping us hanging or messing us around.

Just why 🙄.
I actually wanted the desk and she even said she wanted to get rid of it by today, but then couldn't be arsed to arrange a time for us to collect. It's not exactly difficult, right?
I've sold tons of stuff on Facebook and always tried to be flexible and accommodating, because I want the stuff out of my way and the money!

OP posts:
SpinningFloppa · 16/03/2023 17:13

Tbh this is why I buy new. Can’t be bothered messing around with buying things second hand.

Original poster
NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:16

I agree @SpinningFloppa I think I'll stick to buying brand new in future. What a faff.

OP posts:
Locsup183 · 16/03/2023 17:16

SO annoying! The only bit I get is wanting to check if her husband was there as I prefer my DH to be home when ppl collect as I’ve had some rather unpleasant Marketplace interactions. But zero excuse for everything else!

WinterMusings · 16/03/2023 17:21

@NineYards I stay as far away from Facebook & associated shenanigans as is humanly possibly! Insure market place would be my idea of HELL!

it's well worth a look in charity shops, there are quite a few that only do furniture & some that don't both & they generally have a cheap delivery service too if your friend can't help. Plus they often have office chairs, credenza's, book cases etc.

Original poster
NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:22

As a single woman who lives alone I do actually understand that @Locsup183
I think it was just the lack of communication that pissed me off. She said she was checking at 2pm but still hadn't got back to me by 4:30 to let me know what was going on. Even if she didn't know she could have at least just popped me a message to explain rather than keeping us waiting for hours.

OP posts:
Original poster
NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:23

I wasn't even in a massive hurry to pick it up. It could have waited until the weekend but she specifically said she wanted it gone by today but then wouldn't even arrange a time!

OP posts:
lipstickwoman · 16/03/2023 17:24

I agree. I also think a lot of 'buyers' are total time wasters. Make offers that are ridiculous. Ask questions I answer and they don't read, ask me to deliver when I've clearly said collection only.

Easier to just take to charity shops.

Original poster
NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:24

Thank you @WinterMusings Smile
There's loads of charity shops round my way so I'll take a look on the weekend and see what I can find.

OP posts:
Butterkistfiend · 16/03/2023 17:26

She sounds incredibly rude. Can’t understand people like that at all, so unpleasant .I’ve had some good experiences on FB marketplace, it really is just luck of the draw.

Original poster
NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:27

Oh yes I've had this loads of time when selling @lipstickwoman
I've listed something for £20. Buyer - can I have it for £2.50? Lol

OP posts:
lipstickwoman · 16/03/2023 17:29

And questions being single words
Price?
Location?
£5? (When listed for £25)

So bloody rude.

Lolreally · 16/03/2023 17:39

People are just weird I have a home business and clients message mevto make appointments sometimes its like getting blood from a stone to actually get a clear idea if when they are free etc. I always say let me know your best days /times and they say oh whenever so I give times and dates and they say oh I can only do the 3rd Thursday after 5.
I think some people are just absolutely unable to communicate clearly

WinterMusings · 16/03/2023 18:00

NineYards · 16/03/2023 17:24

Thank you @WinterMusings Smile
There's loads of charity shops round my way so I'll take a look on the weekend and see what I can find.

It would pay to look up things like British heart foundation & see where their furniture store is.

concernedalot · 16/03/2023 18:11

It's awful OP, i've been messed around no end on it, can't even give decent brand new stuff away FOR FREE without being messed around, weird vague messages, 'is this still available' then I will ignore the hell out of your reply, 'can you deliver' - No IT'S FREE AND IT WILL MAKE ME OUT OF POCKET TO DELIVER IT TO YOU!! I can't begin to get my head around the audacity and rudeness of people. I've given up! I've got a garage full of stuff to get rid of, good quality stuff, and i've no idea how i'm going to clear it other than doing a car boot sale which quite frankly gives me similar anxiety, but It may be my only option!

lipstickwoman · 26/03/2023 12:03

Slowly losing the will to go on with marketplace.
Trying to sell loads of stuff. So many time wasters, so many cheeky sods, rude messages. Couple turned up yesterday to view an item of furniture, discussed it in front of me in their own language (when both could speak perfectly good English)

Really bloody shocked at how some people behave.

Would rather give to charity.

MaverickSnoopy · 26/03/2023 12:09

I think it works both ways though. I've tried selling stuff and had so many time wasters. Mostly now I send stuff to the charity shop. If it's something I want money for then I give it a try and if it doesn't go within a few weeks then it goes to charity. Like you though I've found that some sellers don't seem to want to sell things and just never reply.

lipstickwoman · 26/03/2023 12:13

Buyers who just message "pc?" I assume are asking for my postcode. Or if I've listed something for £50 message "£10"

I have to resist answering FO

WeAreTheHeroes · 26/03/2023 12:17

A lot of things sell really quickly if priced attractively. Sellers don't bother to update when things have sold.

I've also found there's one group I'm a member of where the admin takes ages to approve listings. Things have sold in other groups before they even appear on there.

Never put things on for free - it gives time wasters free rein to piss you about because it's of no value to them. People are much more invested when something is not priced at bargain basement level.

Surplus2requirements · 26/03/2023 12:20

I agree that trying to give stuff away is far worse. I hate waste and as a builder I've often pulled out bathrooms, kitchens, carpet etc in really good condition and I like to help people out but honestly the amount of hassle involved makes me think twice.

KievLoverTwo · 26/03/2023 13:32

Surplus2requirements · 26/03/2023 12:20

I agree that trying to give stuff away is far worse. I hate waste and as a builder I've often pulled out bathrooms, kitchens, carpet etc in really good condition and I like to help people out but honestly the amount of hassle involved makes me think twice.

We have a local FB group 're-cycle, re-use, x area' that's absolutely vibrant for stuff like this, and people mostly always turn up for their freebies. Maybe see if you have one for your area.

KievLoverTwo · 26/03/2023 13:40

Oh god, I feel your pain. Advertise something for £70 that's been used for a month and cost £150 and is flawless 'will you take £40?' - no, because that's what you pay for one a third of the size, brand new!

I had FOURTEEN people message me 'is this still available?' about a heated pet pad, not a single one followed up. I can only assume that's because Marketplace used to have a feature whereby if a message was sent and a seller discounted the item, you'd get a notification.

Really, I think it's a sad reflection of how broke people are in the country and it's a bit disheartening. Last year I had a woman message me asking for £1 off a £4 item, which gobsmacked me. In the end, I gave it to her for free. I figured if she was so broke that she needed a quid off four quid, I'd rather she have it for free. When I turned up at her house to drop it off, I understood why that £1 was important.

OH thinks Brits have it so drummed into them that they must, at all costs, get a bargain, so they can never bring themselves to pay full price.

Idk why the notification option just don't work anymore. I've got half a dozen search alerts that no longer alert me to anything; delete, start again, still nothing. So it's manual searches every two days, which is a spectacular waste of time.

I try to have patience with people like the above because you never know what they're going through, but when they have to rearrange for the third time to turn up to buy something off me, I tell them to sling their hook, sort their life out, and go and find similar from someone else who won't mind having their time wasted.

bussteward · 26/03/2023 13:50

I think some people are just absolutely unable to communicate clearly
Yes! I’m trying to declutter and selling some stuff through FBM and it’s a real eye-opener into the general public, who I already thought were quite stupid but it turns out I was overestimating them.

BakedTattie · 26/03/2023 13:51

I was advertising bag of age 6 boys clothes, for free. A huge bag full of nearly brand new stuff.

had a million ‘is this still available’ messages. Offered them to one guy who then proceeded to question me about the size.
“Are these XL boys size”
errrr I don’t know, they’re age 6/7.
“Yes but are they XL size?”
I don’t know what you mean mate they’re age 6!!!!

hookiewookie29 · 26/03/2023 13:52

My husband messaged about a motorbike on Marketplace 9 months ago. Message was read, but never replied to. So I messaged about it- same thing happened. The bike is still for sale on the sellers page.

Im99912 · 26/03/2023 14:33

I had some brand new patio slabs / and concrete and sand that I didn’t want
cost around £100 at b&Q.

i was going to advertise them on FB MP but the headache and mental torture wasn’t worth it I messaged a bloke who had taken my garden gates a few weeks previously and asked him if he wanted them for free as long as he could collect that weekend .

I left the gate open so he could collect them
He messaged me to say when he was arriving he turned up and was very happy even brought me some chocolates 😂

i also had a double bed with new mattress and chest of drawers. I chopped it up and took it all to the tip

I just can’t be dealing with all the assholes

for small stuff just post on FBMP that I have xxx it will be on the driveway and to message me if anyone wants it

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