How many curtains...

[oxcat1]

... would you expect from the following advert:

'Curtains
£60 a pair (I have 4) or £160 for all 4'

You reply to say you'll take all 4 for £160.
How many individual curtains would you expect?

Four pairs.....

Four.

@CaptainMyCaptain: 4 pairs or 4 curtains?

Although you could read it as four curtains but you'd be paying over the odds?

£160 for 2 pairs. All 4 curtains

4 pairs otherwise £160 is a huge rip off

Where are you all buying curtains? My bedroom curtains were £140

4 pairs. If it's £60 a pair then 160 for four curtains/2 pairs wouldn't be a deal!

Must be 4 pairs otherwise you would by 2 pairs for £60 each.

4 pairs, so 8 curtains

If we take the wonky numbers out for a second, what does it mean grammatically?

4 pairs and quite the multi buy discount at that price

4 pairs, 8 separate curtains. How many did you get?

Four pairs. The wording is ambiguous , but £60 a pair is £30 each, if the £160 'for all four' referred to individual curtains rather than pairs, they'd then be £40 apiece and you don't expect to pay more for bulk purchase.

@AmIBeingTwatty: Facebook marketplace!

8 individual curtains

Four pairs, 8 curtains.

If the advert meant they had a pair for sale for £60 and had only two pairs, then the pricing is odd as it should be cheaper than £120, not cost more at £160

It's got to be four pairs otherwise you pay more (£160 not £120 is two lots of £60 a pair) for taking them both if it means 4 curtains/2 pairs

@oxcat1

If we take the wonky numbers out for a second, what does it mean grammatically?

It means you need to use less ambiguous wording.

I would still be assuming that the unit of curtains was a pair, otherwise it's hopelessly confusing.

4 pairs, 8 individual curtains. From the wording and the maths.

@oxcat1

If we take the wonky numbers out for a second, what does it mean grammatically?

I dont think you can expect a grammatical analysis of an advert for 2nd hand goods, if it's nor clear confirm with the seller assuming you are a potential buyer.

It's not a big deal imo

4 pairs. I would be clarifying in some detail before agreeing to buy/sell though.

Phew!

I'm the buyer, and expected 8 curtains - 4 pairs.

As I understand it, the advert is priced in pairs, so '4' refers to the pairs?
(Plus who buys curtains individually?!)

It did cross my mind that perhaps it meant curtains, but the numbers didn't match up, as you've all said.

Think the number error arose because previously she listed the curtains at £90 per pair, and dropped the listing price but not the advert text.

She's very angry but I don't think I was being stupid?!

Grammatically I'd incline to pairs as that's the closest noun to the quantity.