Been having bad luck with Craigslist lately

[Ricochet]

Whenever I post stuff on CL, it's always below cost. Even brand new (NIB) items. Because if you can drive to a nearby store and get it for the same price, why bother?

Here's what I have to deal with.

1. Lowballers. Gawd I love lowballers. It's to be expected to haggle down 10% or so, but when I post something for $90 and I get an offer for $50, do these people actually expect me to even respond? A big WTF.

2. People who think they're doing you a favor. These people actually think if you decide to post something that you're desparate to get rid of it. They'll send you an email expressing interest, offer a lower price, then ask when can you meet even though you have not even agreed to the offered price. They are actually surprised when you tell them "no". One actually told me "you're not going to sell it at that price". Well, jeez! Retailers sell it for more and if I can't sell it that price I'm going to keep it. Why did you even respond to my post?

3. The lazy won't-get-off-their-azz buyers. It's not bad enough that they'll haggle you down, but these guys actually want you to deliver to them. I have no problem meeting halfway sometimes, but some will intentionally choose a location very close to them, getting you to do most of the legwork. Of course these guys also belong to #2.

4. The no-shows. No notice. No courteousy. In the world of cell phones and emails, no excuse.


Do you guys have much better luck?

 

[mundane]

Originally posted by: ricochet
4. The no-shows. No notice. No courteousy. In the world of cell phones and emails, no excuse.

 

[waggy]

1) its not at a store. everything is open to offers. lowballing is part of that. you don't like it don't try to sale.

2) no matter if you offer it as NIB no way would i buy it for 10% below new. to many people are scamming and will re-wrape used crap. also many will lower the price more if you ask.

3) it does not hurt to ask.

4) yeah those are assholes.

 

[slag]

I guess it all depends on how badly you want to sell it. If you really want to get rid of it, there is a good chance you will lower your price or at least haggle with me, and part of the haggling is getting you to deliver it to me.

or... dont sell it.. i dont have it now so no biggie if i dont have it tomorrow.

 

[nonameo]

Take $55?

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: ricochet
2. People who think they're doing you a favor. These people actually think if you decide to post something that you're desparate to get rid of it. They'll send you an email expressing interest, offer a lower price, then ask when can you meet even though you have not even agreed to the offered price. They are actually surprised when you tell them "no". One actually told me "you're not going to sell it at that price". Well, jeez! Retailers sell it for more and if I can't sell it that price I'm going to keep it. Why did you even respond to my post?

Think about it this way. If you can buy something brand-new from a store for $100, and someone unknown to you is offering what they claim is the same thing, in unknown condition with an unknown history, would you be willing to pay 90% of the new price? Of course not; it's worth the extra $10 to know that it's in good shape and is backed by a full warranty. You can't expect to recoup almost all your costs after you've used something. Check ebay and you'll see piles of ANCIENT computers going for hundreds of dollars, because people simply have no clue what the used market is like for those things.

I don't know how you price your items, though, it could be that you offer a decent price. But your competition is NOT retailers; they're selling a different product (namely, a new one). So maybe you should take that into account.

As for the no-shows, I agree, no excuse. Lazy buyers are annoying too. When I buy something on CL, I expect to have to drive all the way to the location, not have the seller come to me.

Lowballers, just learn to deal with it. Haggling is an important skill, and I have no clue why you seem to take a lower offer so personally. Just say "no, but I'd be willing to do $___ if you like." When buyer and seller reach a mutually agreeable price, the item sells. Again, you are NOT selling a new item here, the market cost is much more variable than you seem to think.

 

[rivan]

Originally posted by: waggy
1) its not at a store. everything is open to offers. lowballing is part of that. you don't like it don't try to sale.

2) no matter if you offer it as NIB no way would i buy it for 10% below new. to many people are scamming and will re-wrape used crap. also many will lower the price more if you ask.

3) it does not hurt to ask.

4) yeah those are assholes.

:thumbsup:

I'm amazed sometimes at the price people expect to get from their garage-sale crap sometimes, myself. I saw one this morning where someone was trying to get $460 from some crappy looking Puerto Rican masks. Tell you what - I'll wait til you have a garage sale and I'll give you $8 for them.

 

[AmpedSilence]

I hate no shows. I am trying to sell a dining table and have had four people no show on me. I gave them directions and a time to show up, but they didn't call email, or show up. What a waste of time. This table is not worth the aggravation.

 

[Kadarin]

You have to watch out for those (insensitive clod) dry cleaners, too: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/22983521.html

 

[Ricochet]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: ricochet
2. People who think they're doing you a favor. These people actually think if you decide to post something that you're desparate to get rid of it. They'll send you an email expressing interest, offer a lower price, then ask when can you meet even though you have not even agreed to the offered price. They are actually surprised when you tell them "no". One actually told me "you're not going to sell it at that price". Well, jeez! Retailers sell it for more and if I can't sell it that price I'm going to keep it. Why did you even respond to my post?

Think about it this way. If you can buy something brand-new from a store for $100, and someone unknown to you is offering what they claim is the same thing, in unknown condition with an unknown history, would you be willing to pay 90% of the new price? Of course not; it's worth the extra $10 to know that it's in good shape and is backed by a full warranty. You can't expect to recoup almost all your costs after you've used something. Check ebay and you'll see piles of ANCIENT computers going for hundreds of dollars, because people simply have no clue what the used market is like for those things.

I don't know how you price your items, though, it could be that you offer a decent price. But your competition is NOT retailers; they're selling a different product (namely, a new one). So maybe you should take that into account.

As for the no-shows, I agree, no excuse. Lazy buyers are annoying too. When I buy something on CL, I expect to have to drive all the way to the location, not have the seller come to me.

Lowballers, just learn to deal with it. Haggling is an important skill, and I have no clue why you seem to take a lower offer so personally. Just say "no, but I'd be willing to do $___ if you like." When buyer and seller reach a mutually agreeable price, the item sells. Again, you are NOT selling a new item here, the market cost is much more variable than you seem to think.

Those are good points. The way I price items, I take into account online vendors (ie Newegg) as well as local businesses. I will usually beat online prices unless it's a rare item. I have no problem with lower offers, just the presumption that I would accept it. There is a certain pricepoint that I set that would make it worthwile for me, otherwise it's a no deal.

I know I shouldn't be too bothered by lowballers. I guess everyone is playing their own game to get the best bang for the buck, but I feel what is the point of setting a price if people will just ignore it and automatically assume OBO?

Typically, I have good luck in the past with CL. It's just this current rash of correspondents that has me thinking I'm out of touch with today's aggresive bargain shopper.

 

[tyanni]

No offense, but I have to agree w\ jagec. Craigslist used to be a great place to get stuff for cheap since the person was trying to get rid of it. Asking 90% of the new value for a item is ridiculous, as is 80%, even 70% generally. Once you have a couch (or whatever) for a year or whatever, its worth like half of what it used to be worth if even that much. People who post stuff on craigslist these days have an incredibly inflated sense of what their crap is worth. If I am posting something on Craigslist, its to get rid of it - pay me 50 bucks or whatever you think its worth, take it off my hands, and you've done both of us a favor.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

1. Lowballers. Gawd I love lowballers. It's to be expected to haggle down 10% or so, but when I post something for $90 and I get an offer for $50, do these people actually expect me to even respond? A big WTF.

Expect this, and just plan for it and counter them. Know what the lowest you'll accept is in advance. If you asked $90, they said $50, respond with, "Sorry, $80 is the lowest I can go." or whatever your lowest is.

2. People who think they're doing you a favor.

Many times, they are. If you want to sell it, give them a good price to buy it at, otherwise just ignore it, or list it somewhere else for sale. I don't really know what to tell you on this besides what I said in point #1.

3. The lazy won't-get-off-their-azz buyers.

State clearly in the original post that you will only do a local sale in person. If they have an issue, they need to pay $15 extra for shipping and that the shipping price is firm. $15 is enough to get those cheap idiots to meet you locally.

4. The no-shows. No notice. No courteousy. In the world of cell phones and emails, no excuse.

That really sucks and don't know what to tell you

I stick to eBay with a set of certain policies - only bid if you're in the continental US, fixed shipping price with a little bit of padding to cover certain costs, etc.

 

[Ricochet]

Originally posted by: Astaroth33
You have to watch out for those (insensitive clod) dry cleaners, too: http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/bos/22983521.html

:laugh:

 

[Vic]

If you just flat-out ignore/no-response the first 3, you'll have less issues with #4. That's my take on it.

Lowballers are comical IMO. I've gotten horrendous and rude lowball offers even after I've told them that I already have a pending sale in process at or near asking price. It's gotten to the point that, when I do have to deal with them, I just fsck with them.

 

[homercles337]

Originally posted by: ricochet
1. Lowballers. Gawd I love lowballers. It's to be expected to haggle down 10% or so, but when I post something for $90 and I get an offer for $50, do these people actually expect me to even respond? A big WTF.

I havent ever gotten past this part with a potential buyer, so your other points are "foreign" to me. How about when i have posted something worth $950 (not the retail price either), for $750, and someone offers $300?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: homercles337

Originally posted by: ricochet
1. Lowballers. Gawd I love lowballers. It's to be expected to haggle down 10% or so, but when I post something for $90 and I get an offer for $50, do these people actually expect me to even respond? A big WTF.

I havent ever gotten past this part with a potential buyer, so your other points are "foreign" to me. How about when i have posted something worth $950 (not the retail price either), for $750, and someone offers $300?

*pfft* I was selling a car on autotrader.com a while back, had a sale pending with a deposit for $500 already taken at a $10k sales price, the buyer was supposed to handing over the full check from his bank the very next day, and this asshole kept calling me calling me over and over insisting I had to sell it to him for $6k. I kid you not.
My whole attitude towards lowballers changed after that. Lowball me and be a d!ck about it and you'll get the horns. I'll set 'em for no-shows, the works. Sure, I'll deliver... :evil:

 

[Kyle]

I'll admit- I do lowball sometimes, but it's only if I DONT expect to get it at that price, just letting the seller know that if he is willing to sell at the price I offered that I would buy it. I make it clear though that I know my offer is a low ball and I expect to be ignored
But every once in a while, I end up with a great deal. I offered a guy 4k for a car he listed at 6k - honestly that was all I had to spend on a car at the time. Turns out he was moving up to Canada and needed to sell by the end of the week and was tired of all the idiots who had shown interest. Worked out for both of us.

 

[S Freud]

I agree that some of you points can be annoying, however much like ebay and the people that START the bidding at near retail with a BIN a dollar less(this annoys the living crap out of me.)

Craigs list has turned the same way, people think of the value to them and mark it up that high. They think because they were the only owner of this bike and they've had it for 10 years that its worth $300 because they paid $400 for it...ten years ago!

It seems some people just don't get it. As Agaboogaboo said it, you will just have to compromise with the lowballers, I admit I lowball from time to time, just to see if I can get it at that price.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: S Freud
I agree that some of you points can be annoying, however much like ebay and the people that START the bidding at near retail with a BIN a dollar less(this annoys the living crap out of me.)

Craigs list has turned the same way, people think of the value to them and mark it up that high. They think because they were the only owner of this bike and they've had it for 10 years that its worth $300 because they paid $400 for it...ten years ago!

It seems some people just don't get it. As Agaboogaboo said it, you will just have to compromise with the lowballers, I admit I lowball from time to time, just to see if I can get it at that price.

i lowball a lot. about 50% of the time i get a good deal (not close to my 1st offer but every now and then). it works more then people know.

 

[Vic]

I'll agree that there's nothing wrong with lowballing as long as you're not aggressive about it, or get upset when you're ignored.

 

[Special K]

I used craigslist for the first time a couple weeks ago to sell off all of my cheap furniture after graduating and moving, and my experience was really good. All of my stuff sold within 4 days, and I was never lowballed, and there weren't any no-shows.

I guess craigslist is a huge YMMV.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: mundane

Originally posted by: ricochet
4. The no-shows. No notice. No courteousy. In the world of cell phones and emails, no excuse.

this is the only problem I've had. I would just ignore the others

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: rivan

Originally posted by: waggy
1) its not at a store. everything is open to offers. lowballing is part of that. you don't like it don't try to sale.

2) no matter if you offer it as NIB no way would i buy it for 10% below new. to many people are scamming and will re-wrape used crap. also many will lower the price more if you ask.

3) it does not hurt to ask.

4) yeah those are assholes.

:thumbsup:

I'm amazed sometimes at the price people expect to get from their garage-sale crap sometimes, myself. I saw one this morning where someone was trying to get $460 from some crappy looking Puerto Rican masks. Tell you what - I'll wait til you have a garage sale and I'll give you $8 for them.

Yeah, that is the most annoying thing. The Chicago asshat CL sellers always seem to think that their 2 year-old Ikea-in-a-box coffee table is worth more than $50. "Well, it's like new...so I should get at least 80% of what I paid!"

Morons.
I usually just give my crap away.

 

[IBuyUFO]

I think I have a better one.

One time a while ago we advertised on the craigslist free section and offered a matress, washer and dryer, and other misc. stuff. The washer and dryer were pretty much the first to go along with the other stuff. The mattress sat there for a few days before someone took it. Whoever took it had the nerve to bring their old mattress and left their stinking old sh**ty piece of crap in front of our house where the free matress sat. Whoever you are, you are an azzhat!
San Francisco is full of azzholes who have really no consideration for other people besides themselves. They seldom stop at a stop sign and instead decide to just blow past it almost running into my car a few times. Fudge this city and its low class inhabitants.

 

[mrrman]

I sell my stuff all the time..i put a firm price on and tell them if they offer me a lower price dont bother coming...I wont take it...all my stuff sells within a week