quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
fuck fb marketplace buyers.

last week i posted a 17yr old troybilt bronco riding mower. i said everything works except the brake so you need to slow down and shut it off then coast to a stop. I listed it for free. Come and take it.

I got so many fakers asking if i would deliver. then i got people that said they wanted it but they would have to rent a trailer and if i could hold it for two weeks. i just did a mass response, whoever gets here tomorrow morning at 8am with a trailer can have it.

We learned our lesson last year with the whole "free come and get it" thing with an old DR table and chairs. Brought every scammer and weirdo out of the woodwork...can you deliver it? Can you hold it for a month until I can get out of this well I'm trapped in? How much is it?

Holy crap people! It's FREE! No, we aren't delivering a FREE item to you 50 friggen miles away.

We found out you list it for a few dollars and it will help weed out scammers and get rid of it faster.

quote:

Originally posted by drill sgt:
No Holding.. 1st customer with CASH in hand....

I generally agree to hold the item.

For instance a buyer from 6 hours away calls Thursday evening and after talking he wants to buy. He says he's off work Saturday and with an early start he can be at my house at noon. Unless I get a bad feeling talking with him on the phone I'll agree.

Or if I'm buying a motorcycle 4 hours away and can be there the next morning to pick it up, no way I'd agree to buy unless he agrees to hold it until 11am the next day. Hell if not I could have driven 3 1/2 hours and almost there and he could call saying "sorry someone from across town just came and bought it".

I've also got a motorcycle I'm going to list. Re the above I'll be specific: "First come, first served. I'll not hold it for anybody. No test rides unless I have your cash in hand. Otherwise I will let you follow me on the bike and demonstrate braking, acceleration, etc. Shipping is on your dime but I don't deliver."

Anything else?

I was finally contacted by a legitimate buyer.

On Sunday a lady on Facebook said they'd like to come look on Monday around noon if OK.

I said sure then did not reply to two more enquiries that came after.

About 11:30 her husband called saying he got tied up and he was leaving now but was an hour away.

I thanked him for the update and he arrived at 12:30, looked it over, handed me $2,800, and we loaded it in his truck.

I pulled the ad then thanked the other two telling them it sold to a person who responded before they had.

Some of those stories remind me of an HOA meeting. Strict rules about yard/garage sales were getting complained about. A couple of neighbors mentioned putting stuff out the curb with a "free" sign, and the stuff never moved. Another neighbor said, "Put a for sale sign on it, $50, and it'll be 'stolen' within the hour."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tonydec,

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:


3-4 offered between $14,000 and $15,000. These people supposedly were comfortable offering $15K w/o looking at the bike or even talking to me.

It's a huge red flag if the buyer is not willing to pick up a phone and call me with questions. If they try handling everything using a text message or email, I will tell them to pound sand.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:

A buyer from Canada is supposedly coming to pick this one up Saturday.

I agree I want to actually talk to the potential buyer or seller. To be fair though the buyer from Canada arrived Sunday morning after texting it would be Sunday. We never spoke until he along with his son rolled in at 9am, everything was done through Marketplace then text.

You can learn a lot from a 5 minute phone conversation.

I had a young coworker agree to sell a bike to someone over 4 hours away. They made a deal and agreed to meet half way. Upon arrival, the buyer lowballed my young friend by $200. He ended up taking the lower price. He learned a valuable lesson that day.

I have some used tires for sale and list in the title and twice in the description.

YES it's available if you see post.

First PM. Is it available. Idiots...

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:

It's a huge red flag if the buyer is not willing to pick up a phone and call me with questions. If they try handling everything using a text message or email, I will tell them to pound sand.

Personally, I HATE talking on the telephone plus a trail of text messages leaves a record of what was said/offered/promised.

quote:

Originally posted by redlickranch:
I have some used tires for sale and list in the title and twice in the description.

YES it's available if you see post.

First PM. Is it available. Idiots...

Yeah I got many of those canned "Is it available" replies that FB puts there to click in spite of posting what you did. I also posted "$2,800 price firm" on one ad yet got 5-6 "how about $2,400" type responses.
I just ignored those but had a couple reply again "hey you didn't come back with a counteroffer?" Geesh!

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:

I also posted "$2,800 price firm" on one ad yet got 5-6 "how about $2,400" type responses. I just ignored those but had a couple reply again "hey you didn't come back with a counteroffer?" Geesh!

Counteroffer: $3,150

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Oh, you've not yet gotten the "can you finance it?" call.....

Yeah, those are entertaining. Guy was looking at the car I was selling and asked several times how much I wanted as a down payment. And several times I gave him the figure the car was advertised for.

He then said “I don’t think you understand” and I said “Oh I understand completely. A hundred percent down, no easy payments. I don’t need to be chasing you around trying to get my money from you.”

The bank and had a deal, they didn’t sell cars and I didn’t finance them……

One rump sum

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Counteroffer: $3,150

I often reply to people who respond or counter with a lowball offer, "you haven't even seen it yet, once you see how nice it is you'll offer me more than I'm asking."

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:

It's a huge red flag if the buyer is not willing to pick up a phone and call me with questions. If they try handling everything using a text message or email, I will tell them to pound sand.

Personally, I HATE talking on the telephone plus a trail of text messages leaves a record of what was said/offered/promised.

I can understand that, PHPaul. It works for you.

Over the years, I've posted a number of motorcycles, ATVs and other items on Craigslist. It's common to have 5 or more scammers contact you to every one legitimate buyer. In every case, the scammers do not want to talk by phone. It's always a text or email only. I demand a actual phone call and will send a summary of the deal by email or text after our conversation.

quote:

Originally posted by Jupiter:

I can understand that, PHPaul. It works for you.

Over the years, I've posted a number of motorcycles, ATVs and other items on Craigslist. It's common to have 5 or more scammers contact you to every one legitimate buyer. In every case, the scammers do not want to talk by phone. It's always a text or email only. I demand a actual phone call and will send a summary of the deal by email or text after our conversation.

I see your point as well. You learn the signs pretty quickly and can weed out the scammers/tire kickers. Some I give one more chance, most I just ignore and block. Probably should mention I don't do Facebook therefore no Marketplace, but the situation is the same on Craigslist, if not worse.

Paul you might consider joining Facebook just for access to the Marketplace?

I used Craigslist and never participated in Facebook but more and more people were saying how FB Marketplace was outperforming Craigslist. Then Craigslist started charging for listing motorcycles for sale ads (autos possibly too) and the those ads there all but disappeared.

So I signed up for FB just to have access to their Marketplace which is huge. One benefit over Craigslist is you can see the person's name along with the basic profile of who you're dealing with such as how long they've been a member, approximate location, rating such as "very responsive", etc. You have the ability to limit or expand searches to distance, general search such as "pick up truck", specific "Silverado 2500", etc.

Apparently other FB members can see that I am registered on it but can't access me until sending a request that they wish to, and I have to agree, same with any I would want to interact with. LOL my daughter had a request sent which I ignored (which pissed her off) and later told her I only use FB for the marketplace. But I also have joined two specific motorcycle "groups" so I can follow them if I choose.

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
Paul you might consider joining Facebook just for access to the Marketplace?

I tried that, re-activating an old FB account and still couldn't access Marketplace. On those rare occasions when I need to, I get my daughter or grandson to use their accounts.

I don't do enough of that sort of thing to bother with an active FB account.