Yet another Craigslist Wack-A-Doodle!

[ashtray]

The “is it still available?” thing kills me. It’s still listed isn’t it?

You’d be surprised how many times I ask a question about an item, or simply say I’m interested and when I’d be available that day to meet - only to get a reply an hour later “sorry, it’s sold”. Then i go back to CL and the ad is still up for another hour.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I’ve told this story before, but recap:

I drove an hour+ into LA to buy a tube amp. Got there, parked (tricky), met the stranger inside his place (weird). Tried the amp out - it didn’t work. *facepalm* It was a newer Mesa amp and he was asking $800.
The guy apologized and I got back in my car, empty handed. Halfway home (30 minutes later), the guy calls and said he is taking the amp to the Mesa shop in Hollywood, and they think it’s probably just a tube - and to meet him there. The shop was 45 minutes from my position. I turn around and head to Hollywood.
I get to the Mesa shop, find a spot and feed the meter, walk in the shop and the seller says it was just a bad tube - BUT he likes the amp, and new ones are $1,200 so he can’t sell it to me for $800. *unspeakable contained rage*
I get back in my car and drive the hour+ home. The whole thing was about 4 hours since I had left my house till I got back home, and the guy screwed me over twice.
I never tried to buy that model amp since. (10 years now)

Because of a bad seller?

 

[xbud]

I sold an amp on craigslist one time, the guy came to my house, I had it plugged in and let him play my collection while he decided. He gave me exactly what I was asking. After he left (possibly 2 minutes), I realized I forgot to put the power cord in the box. I texted him and that he can come get it, he responded that he had half a dozen extras and didn't need it. Sometimes, it all depends on the mood of the buyer or seller for things to go as planned

 

[arbitrary]

I once had a guy here flip out on me bc I forgot the power cable on a 300 dollar amp. I quickly had Amazon deliver one for a nickel. I was a bit surprised at his rage, considering its a basic power cable and I didn't post that it specifically came with one. POWER CORD RAAAAAAAGE!!!

 

[deff]

I don't get it. Somebody asks if it's still available. The response is either yes or no. Is it such an effort to type that and hit send? Seems like some people want to sell stuff but put zero effort into doing it. They wouldn't last long in real world sales.

Realistically on the seller end there are a lot of lazy people that will just leave an ad up for weeks after something has been sold or whatever. I will often ask this as a first step just to make sure it is actually still for sale. I consider myself at least a somewhat reasonable person, not prone to waste peoples valuable time.

 

[Ric4003S]

Our drummer listed his like new condition MIJ gorgeous Tama drums. Set the price at something reasonable. Seriously reasonable. Prospective buyer texts him says:

Buyer: I'll give you two hundred dollars
Friend: No, I'm going to keep the set as I don't need the money if I don't get close to my price, I'm just trying to clear up space and sell off unused drums
Buyer: What's your lowest price?
Friend: I'd go as low as $800
Buyer: You'll never sell it for that. Here is a new ad for a completely different set, made somewhere else out of completely different materials and not even the same set for less money.
Friend: That's not my set and no. I'm just going to keep it
Buyer: You're an idiot, more inflammatory words... I'll give you $400

My friend kept talking to him, despite his ignornace and abuse. Needless to say, no sale.

I question the intelligence of someone that makes me a lowball offer without seeing the condition of the merchandise. Then I ignore them.

 

[deff]

I question the intelligence of someone that makes me a lowball offer without seeing the condition of the merchandise. Then I ignore them.

My friend put up a number of high quality pictures of the set. Took all the shells down, out of their cases, cleaned them up and took close up shots of the hardware etc. If the buyer knew anything about drums he would be able to search and compare based on what my friend posted.

 

[ashtray]

Because of a bad seller?

Every time I see an ad from someone selling that model amp, I think back to the 4 hours wasted driving around Los Angeles and get bad vibes.

Of course, most CL ads are in Los Angeles around here. Sometimes stuff will pop up locally out in the burbs, but LA typically has a much bigger selection - and Mesa amps don’t come up for sale often. If you’re waiting for a particular model amp to come up locally, it could be a loooong wait.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Every time I see an ad from someone selling that model amp, I think back to the 4 hours wasted driving around Los Angeles and get bad vibes.

Of course, most CL ads are in Los Angeles around here. Sometimes stuff will pop up locally out in the burbs, but LA typically has a much bigger selection - and Mesa amps don’t come up for sale often. If you’re waiting for a particular model amp to come up locally, it could be a loooong wait.

Niagara Falls... I get it. But I don't get it.

 

[Axtman]

My brother-in-law (humorously) suggests the guy was not really interested in the amp but was really interested in buying the power cord. That's why he was so angry when it was not included. ;-)

 

[brianrost]

On the other hand, I once sold a Crate combo amp to a guy for $20. I arrived at the meeting place and he was surprised that it was in good condition, figuring such a cheap amp would be beaten to crap. He insisted I take $25 for it

My brother-in-law (humorously) suggests the guy was not really interested in the amp but was really interested in buying the power cord.

I sold a bass a while ago and all the guy really asked about on the phone was the condition of the HSC. He shows up, picks up the bass, holds it but doesn't try to plug in and play it. Then he looks over the case carefully, hands me the agreed $900, puts the bass in the case and heads home. Total time of transaction less than 5 minutes.

 

[legalbass]

Some people are freaks and that's all there is to it.

 

[Ellery]

Those guys are only selling your email address. The Craigslist email relay hides your real email address until you reply. So all they have to do is get you to reply to any fool nonsense they come up with.

Aaaaaaaha! So THAT'S what's up!
Once I saw an ad on the local CL a new Gibson WAY under market value. It looked fishy but I couldn't resist. For the next two weeks my email was bombarded with spam.

 

[Wilmingtonian]

They wouldn't last long in real world sales.

It's not the real world, it's craigslist, man.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I question the intelligence of someone that makes me a lowball offer without seeing the condition of the merchandise. Then I ignore them.

I had fun on CL with a lowball I received on an Epson 3D projector. I was asking $800, a very good deal. The first response was no questions, just a lowball of $525. I responded "Funny". They responded with a winking emoji. Then followed up with do I want to counter offer or is it non-negotiable? I responded "Not after something that silly"
Next they offered $625, their "max". I responded "No thanks. Not interested on selling in a situation like this". The end. If they were serious about buying it they wouldn't be negotiating like I'm a drug addict.

Over the years I've been on the receiving end of countless phenomenal deals and not once did I lowball thinking I'd get lucky. The one time i did, on ebay, was a flat out freakish deal. A brand new Roscoe 7 string from an authorized dealer, no reserve. Got it for $1,375. Much like my middle age cousin who put a silly bid on a crotch rocket on ebay only to find that she won and had to go to Florida to pick it up.

 

[Wilmingtonian]

TBH I didn't know until this thread that the power cables were pretty much interchangeable, I guess I've just always used the ones that came with the thing. Still, wouldn't freak out about it, no excuse for that.

 

[Bassology]

Ah.... good ol' power cords. I bought a Demeter VTBP-201 at a pawn shop last year, talked the manager down to what I thought was reasonable (although he didn't seem to be too happy about it). After I gave him the cash, put the Demeter in a backpack, I asked for the power cord, and he looked at me with a vengeance in his eyes. Five dollars he said...... I just laughed and left the store without it. **I have a few extra ones at home.

 

[mikecd1]

The scary part is presumably this guy is one of us - a bassplayer that is...or perhaps something else?

 

[Brad Johnson]

The scary part is presumably this guy is one of us - a bassplayer that is...or perhaps something else?

There's nothing special about bassplayers... we come in all stripes.

 

[Sixgunn]

Not music related but ad idiot related:

Had an ad running for a driver wanted. A guys called and fun ensued:

Guy: I'm calling about the driver ad.

Me: I'm sorry. The position has been filled.

Guy: Well why is the ad still running?

Me: It doesn't just disappear when the job gets filled.

Guy: You're just some stupid Mexican, huh?

Me: Yeah..... But I have a job.