Flaky Craigslist sellers (buyer rant)

[SP33Demon]

Anyone else have issues with flaking sellers? I'm trying to get some used fitness equipment for a home gym and of course CL is the best place to get it. However, the last 3 deals I spent a day of negotiating to where we agreed on the price, and then the deal fell through because they flaked (don't respond back, or say I can't do the deal because of x,y,z excuse). For one, I even had a tentative truck rental made. Shit is frustrating, and it's not like I'm lowballing them either - I usually offer at least 50-66% of what it's worth NEW retail. The main issue is that I usually only want to buy 2 out of 3 pieces, say the bar/weights/bench but not the rack or dumbbells or EZ curl bar etc. In these ads, they list individual prices as well as a price for everything. Note to CL sellers: if you're not willing to part shit out, then don't list individual prices. And fuck you flaking MFing sellers wasting my time. Don't say you're going to do a deal and then back out at the last second. #$%@#$^*%^$^^*&@#$%!@#%
/rant

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Yeah i'd rather pay full retail than deal with that shiz. Good luck to you though. If you're patient you'll save money.

 

[NutBucket]

I think the key is being able to say "I'll be there in an hour". But remind yourself its all worth it in the end when you get an awesome deal.

 

[ultimatebob]

I usually get flaky Craigslist buyers who ask if the item is still available and then change their minds about wanting it.

 

[deadlyapp]

I'm going through the same thing right now. I'm going to end up just buying new equipment or trying to find stuff through play it again or similar.

 

[SP33Demon]

I usually get flaky Craigslist buyers who ask if the item is still available and then change their minds about wanting it.

Well one guy, we agreed on a price for both an olympic bar + weights and an EZ bar + weights. I email him my phone number and ask him to let me know which day works for him on the weekend to pick it up. He doesn't respond. Last night I see he's sold the EZ bar + weights but still has the Olympic bar + weights for sale. Guy could have sold both to me in a package deal. WTF?

Last night, I have a truck rental for Saturday and we agreed on a price. Douchebag (from MD of course) then says "some lady who emailed him before me changed her mind and will buy everything". While that may be true, don't agree to a deal with me first and then renege on it.

 

[purbeast0]

i just don't use it anymore. both craigslist and ebay are trash 99% of the time. last time i used craigslist was early december some guy was selling Ryse on Xbox1 for $40. he said he could meet somewhere. so i contacted him and he said sure what time. so i gave him a time and never heard back. thing is, it is where my wife was working and he had to meet her by 7pm. didnt hear back from him ever. so at like 6:30 i said "fine i guess you don't want $40...".

2 days later he says "hey man i can meet today" but i told him that's okay i'll find it elsewhere. and this was all done via text message not email. ended up trading in killzone for $40 then got ryse for $55, so $15 out of my pocket.

 

[SP33Demon]

Yeah purbeast that sucks. I also wrote a nice email to the guy and he wrote me back agreeing to the price and gave me his cellphone number. I text him, don't hear back for 6 hours when he says he's backing out of the deal. Really irritating.

Then today, I see I decent high end brand name bench I like but the guy is charging what the thing went for in 2010 + it had ripped vinyl where your head would sit. He wants $100 to fix it, so then I'm paying 20% higher than a used one in 2010 ($400). Not even worth negotiating when the starting price is that high. smh.

I'm about to just buy this crap and pay retail, maybe it's not worth the extra effort to save a couple hundred bucks.

 

[Papagayo]

I've had good luck last month. I bought free standing punching bag from an middle age couple. His wife wanted to take up boxing and used it once or twice.

They even delivered and was already filled with sand (new condition).

My son loves it.

 

[Rakehellion]

I usually get flaky Craigslist buyers who ask if the item is still available and then change their minds about wanting it.

I don't even respond to emails like that. If the ad is up, it's available.

I try to make the buy/sell in two emails and same or next day. Otherwise, I assume they're a flake.

 

[Number1]

Well one guy, we agreed on a price for both an olympic bar + weights and an EZ bar + weights. I email him my phone number and ask him to let me know which day works for him on the weekend to pick it up. He doesn't respond. Last night I see he's sold the EZ bar + weights but still has the Olympic bar + weights for sale. Guy could have sold both to me in a package deal. WTF?

Last night, I have a truck rental for Saturday and we agreed on a price. Douchebag (from MD of course) then says "some lady who emailed him before me changed her mind and will buy everything". While that may be true, don't agree to a deal with me first and then renege on it.

Give them an amount close to what they asked for and you won't have any problems you low baller. And for your info, it's first come ,first served.

 

[purbeast0]

Yeah purbeast that sucks. I also wrote a nice email to the guy and he wrote me back agreeing to the price and gave me his cellphone number. I text him, don't hear back for 6 hours when he says he's backing out of the deal. Really irritating.

Then today, I see I decent high end brand name bench I like but the guy is charging what the thing went for in 2010 + it had ripped vinyl where your head would sit. He wants $100 to fix it, so then I'm paying 20% higher than a used one in 2010 ($400). Not even worth negotiating when the starting price is that high. smh.

I'm about to just buy this crap and pay retail, maybe it's not worth the extra effort to save a couple hundred bucks.

oh yeah, and this dbag was from VA . wanted to meet in tysons.

 

[Ricochet]

Or when you respond early, offer the asking price (no lowballing, no haggling), and buyer agrees but backs out after receiving so many other responses. He gives you an excuse that he decided he couldn't sell it after all and gave it to his brother or friend. The next day you see another ad listed for a higher price.

 

[SP33Demon]

Give them an amount close to what they asked for and you won't have any problems you low baller. And for your info, it's first come ,first served.

If you think 1/2 to 2/3 of retail = lowballing then come out of your cave more often. You are doing them a favor by picking up shit they will never use, especially when it comes to heavy gym equipment.

Verbal contracts are still contracts. The only thing different on CL is that it's not binding which is the problem. Maybe I should offer to put a deposit down via Paypal to put some of these flakes in line. If they have received money, then it can be binding.

 

[SP33Demon]

oh yeah, and this dbag was from VA . wanted to meet in tysons.

Lol touche. TBF there was one idiot from Gainesville, VA. The MD guy was rockville.

 

[SAWYER]

I put this at the top of every ad I post
"Dumb offers/lowballs ignored and questions that have answers in the ad will not be answered, I will tell you to read the ad."

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Craigslist isn't worth the hassle. No amount of savings is worth it to deal with people who constantly change their mind or their schedule, try to lowball you out of the blue and try to pass off products as fully functional when they clearly have broken or missing parts. Fuck that. I'll buy from Amazon, I'll spend a bit more, and I'll get a product that ACTUALLY WORKS.

Then again, I've never understood deal hunting. I have people in my family who love going to yard sales and browsing through someone else's garbage. Why? I don't like shopping even when I know EXACTLY what product I want and EXACTLY where to get it; looking through someone else's shit for hours on end without knowing what they even have is my idea of hell. And some people just LOVE it. It's insane to me. Craigslist is an online garage sale. No thanks.

 

[smackababy]

I am much more offended by the scumbag CL buyers who cannot read. If it specifically says "no trades" in the title, why would you even bother trying to offer me your old, used, last season Northface trash jacket you've sweated it out on the bus in for 5 months?

 

[purbeast0]

Lol touche. TBF there was one idiot from Gainesville, VA. The MD guy was rockville.

im in rockville, md. i was just trolling you, sorry.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Craigslist isn't worth the hassle. No amount of savings is worth it to deal with people who constantly change their mind or their schedule, try to lowball you out of the blue and try to pass off products as fully functional when they clearly have broken or missing parts. Fuck that. I'll buy from Amazon, I'll spend a bit more, and I'll get a product that ACTUALLY WORKS.

Then again, I've never understood deal hunting. I have people in my family who love going to yard sales and browsing through someone else's garbage. Why? I don't like shopping even when I know EXACTLY what product I want and EXACTLY where to get it; looking through someone else's shit for hours on end without knowing what they even have is my idea of hell. And some people just LOVE it. It's insane to me. Craigslist is an online garage sale. No thanks.

yeah, pretty much this. sometimes I am still tempted to look at craigslist. I need to keep your post handy just in case those times come up.