This has happened a few times to me on Craigslist.

Craigslist is like that. The person might have bought the item somewhere else or found it cheaper, or decided they didn't want it, or had some logistical thing that they didn't share with you, etc.

We recently got rid of a treadmill that was taking up space in our studio/garage. We put it online for free, just come get it. Someone contacted us, said she'd pick it up at a certain time, then didn't show up. Emailed later to say she was in church and forgot to tell her husband about it, they had to rent a truck, could she do it tomorrow? No, tomorrow is Monday and everyone is doing their work thing. We put it back up on Facebook Marketplace and it was gone within an hour.

A week later church-truck lady emails to ask if we still have it. Duh.

 

Buyers do want to haggle, but that doesn't change the fact that most people on Craigslist are a little flaky.

 

Nature of the beast.
Rock on.

 

nature of the beast and the platform. Selling used gear sucks...even on facebook where you can see the person, filled with flakes.

I was selling a neuman mic with a case earlier this year. Mic sells on ebay regularly for $800 give or take. I listed the mic with the case for like $700/$750 locally and was shocked how many people asked me if it was a single mic or a pair. Clearly asking that question alone means you have no intention of buying it since you don't know what it is you are looking at. I updated my posting to say in giant letters at the top that it is a single mic but the case can hold a pair...the questions continued - to the point where I wasn't sure if people were idiots or simply trolling me because I had listed in giant letters the answer to their question and what better way to troll someone than ask the question they've already answered?

I figured clearly I was not dealing with any real buyer who asked me the question so I'd have some fun back and be a little snarky when people would ask - answering "what is your guess" and the like. I was surprised to see people get annoyed at the snarkiness since there is no way someone is going to spend 700 - 800 on a mic if they are asking me if it is a single or a pair. Ultimately I listed the mic on ebay and it sold almost instantly. Ebay gets their fee because it's worth it...dealing with locals for sales is a real pain.

Not to mention there were more than a few comments in another thread today about selling used gear that leads me to believe that people intentionally want to waste your time as a means of entertainment. It was suggested a few times that if you don't like a seller you should ask them for annoying pictures to take just to mess with them. One person went as far as to suggest setting up a meeting time/spot and no-showing just to be mean - they also suggested enlisting friends to harass a seller for weird pictures or weird questions that make them do work to provide.

 

Yeah, it's pretty weird. Some stuff seems to attract the loonies who ask inane questions while other stuff just moves. It's a free service - you get what you get.

 

Yup.
Same here with a popular website, you get quite a few tire kickers. When a buyer is really interested, there's no mumbo jumbo about price and where to make the transaction.... it just happens quickly.

 

Worlds full of idiots.

 

Lots of flakes on Craigslist.

 

Until you have listed something for free, you have no idea how bad the flakes are. I stopped doing it because you'd get tons of calls and nobody would actually show. I always put a cash value just to ensure people actually come and get it. People are always pleasantly surprised when I tell them to take the item for free.

 

I always put a price on the "free" stuff to make sure they are coming. People getting something for free seem to be less than punctual for some reason.

Meanwhile, those that show up for the "priced" free stuff are pretty hsppy when told "take it no problem".

 

There are very few actual buyers in my area. It's pathetic. Even when I put the price so low it's in GC's low-ball territory.
There is one guy who buys stuff from me, & he's just as flaky as the rest. I have to follow-up with him many times to finally get him to turn up.

I think next time I've got something to sell I'll just message him first, instead of posting it for sale.

 

I do some selling on a regular basis and IME most of those deals are people with no money to buy the item no matter what the price may be. A lot of them are kids but they usually open with an outrageous low ball and a warning that their offer is only good for the next hour, day, whatever, or offer you a $50 flattop guitar for your 1K MIA jazz bass. But all private commerce platforms have them. Because CL provides listings by city they seem to attract more local folks living in a fantasy of buying something they have no chance of getting, it’s just another aspect of selling.
Oh and BTW, never ask a CL stranger to come by your place. Insist on a public meeting, most cities now have designated transaction zones under 24/7 video surveillance. If not, meet at a police station parking lot. Before the internet became a thing my folks house got burgled by a guy who came out to give them an estimate for new carpet. You can never be too careful.

 

your question begs another: what do we do when others don't behave the way we expect them to behave? you posted a thread on TB. (thanks for that!) good luck with your sales!

i do that here, almost every day, for exactly that reason!

 

personally, i like it when they offer to trade you for a beagle or 100 yards of chicken wire. but i do live in Tennessee

 

CL is a P.I.T.A.

Some dude offered me an extra $100 dollars if I’d reserve the item for him. He said he’d wait for the cashiers check to clear before he picks it up!

^^^Likely a scam, this thing happens all the time. For an extra $100 he could buy it new.

 

These people are known as 'tire kickers'.

I never understood the thrill that people get by talking down the buy price. I don't inflate the sell price, I ask what I think it's worth. If the buyer has a good reason for lowering the price then I'll come down. This is why I try to only negotiate in person.

 

*new message*

"Whats your best price"-----Who opens with this!???!!

I get this with EVERY sale I post, so I just call them out on it and recommend they work on their buyer's etiquette. It never goes over well, but I get some entertainment out of it, and I in no way actually lose a sale, because you know that type of person was never going to pay your asking price in the first place.

Mouth breathing, cro-magnon, bottom-feeding losers. *rant over*

 

Ive had good experiences and bad on CL. One guy bought a guitar from me and then messaged me about how much he liked it and it was just what he wanted.

Another guy bought a bass from me and decided a week later that he didn't want it and wanted his money back. I ignored him and he went away.

Another guy had a cajon drum for sale. I made him an offer and he accepted. When I emailed him back to arrange pickup at the end of the day he said he sold it. I complained that we had a deal and he accepted. He replied with a flaming email saying it was my fault for not paying full price and that should teach me to not haggle. I emailed him and told him what I thought of him and then blocked him. I shouldn't have engaged but seriously.....

So theres all kinds of people in this world, and all kinds of people on CL. Also have had similar experiences on eBay and Reverb. I could go on and on.

I don't even bother with eBay or Reverb anymore because of shipping rates being so high. A decade ago you could make some money, but not anymore.