Freecycling and Online Selling Horror Stories

Pawwed Rig

We have a wardrobe we need rid of so advertised it on a freecycle site. A guy says he will take it so we manhandle it out the front of the house so he can collect it. The twat turns up in a normal car expecting to fit a wardrobe in it. When it doesn't fit he just shrugs and drives off.

Mundo7976

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We have a wardrobe we need rid of so advertised it on a freecycle site. A guy says he will take it so we manhandle it out the front of the house so he can collect it. The twat turns up in a normal car expecting to fit a wardrobe in it. When it doesn't fit he just shrugs and drives off.

Had the same recently, advertised a queen size bed, came to collect in a hatchback, went off to "get a van". Still waiting!
Ridiculous

Porklife

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We have a wardrobe we need rid of so advertised it on a freecycle site. A guy says he will take it so we manhandle it out the front of the house so he can collect it. The twat turns up in a normal car expecting to fit a wardrobe in it. When it doesn't fit he just shrugs and drives off.

Sorry Pawwed but this made me laugh The fact he just shrugged and drove off!

My sister lives in Germany and recently had a sofa delivered. The guy rings her buzzer to say he's there and when she comes down he's gone and there's a huge sofa in the courtyard. She lives on the top floor of an old building with no lift. She calls him and he says i delivered it didn't it...i never said id carry it inside.
The sofa now lives in the courtyard. Be nice in the summertime:)
TA lazy incompetent people who half ass a job.

Dial Hard

Mundo7976 wrote: »

Had the same recently, advertised a queen size bed, came to collect in a hatchback, went off to "get a van". Still waiting!
Ridiculous

One of my favourite things about IKEA is watching all the people in the car park realise they're never going to get an entire flat pack kitchen into their Volkswagen Golf.

Bredabe

Porklife wrote: »

Sorry Pawwed but this made me laugh The fact he just shrugged and drove off!

My sister lives in Germany and recently had a sofa delivered. The guy rings her buzzer to say he's there and when she comes down he's gone and there's a huge sofa in the courtyard. She lives on the top floor of an old building with no lift. She calls him and he says i delivered it didn't it...i never said id carry it inside.
The sofa now lives in the courtyard. Be nice in the summertime:)
TA lazy incompetent people who half ass a job.

I sent some queries to my guru, his responses were;
1. Did you read the instructions? (duh, of freaking course)
2. You've been using it well enough up to now(yes but I need to do something else with it now)
3. Did you ask your supervisor? (see the response to 1, but also, supervisor speaks gibberish)

They are on three times my money for this crap!

Gregor Samsa

Mundo7976 wrote: »

Had the same recently, advertised a queen size bed, came to collect in a hatchback, went off to "get a van". Still waiting!
Ridiculous

Had the opposite happen last year.

Bookshelf advertised as being a certain size. We've a big 7 seater, and have fitted sofas and big bookcases into it in the past, so we checked, and it would just fit into the back with the seats folded down. Wife double checks the measurements with the seller. All good, so she travels across the country to pick it up.

When she gets there, it turns out it's actually a good foot wider than the guy said it was, and it wouldn't fit in the car. To make matters worse she (rather foolishly) had already paid him before going to pick it up (she claimed it was a great price, and wanted to make sure she he didn't sell it to someone else before she had the chance to get to Dublin). The guy wouldn't refund her - claimed that she'd agreed to the purchase (even though it was on the basis of being a size that it ended up not being).

In the end, she had to leave it with the guy. She was going to arrange a courier to pick it up, but ended up selling it on herself to someone else (even though she didn't have it in her possession). I though this was going to be a disaster, but it actually worked out fine, and she ended up selling it for more than she bought it for (and with the correct dimensions) to someone with a van who could pick it up no problem.

Couple of lessons learned that time.

blade1

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We have a wardrobe we need rid of so advertised it on a freecycle site. A guy says he will take it so we manhandle it out the front of the house so he can collect it. The twat turns up in a normal car expecting to fit a wardrobe in it. When it doesn't fit he just shrugs and drives off.

Reminds me of the time I put a couch up on Adverts.ie.
Couch was never really used but as I would have needed a van to shift it I put it up for free but stated taker must have their own way of transporting it.

First person to respond to ad says they'll definitely take it.
Then asks will I drop it off at their house 45 miles away. :rolleyes:

Sultan of Bling

I'm laughing at these posts about people selling stuff online. Could easily be a separate thread.

Dial Hard

blade1 wrote: »

Reminds me of the time I put a couch up on Adverts.ie.
Couch was never really used but as I would have needed a van to shift it I put it up for free but stated taker must have their own way of transporting it.

First person to respond to ad says they'll definitely take it.
Then asks will I drop it off at their house 45 miles away. :rolleyes:

Same. Put a lovely corner sofa up for free before, just had to be collected. The amount of chancers who asked would we deliver it, would we meet them halfway, etc. One guy even asked would we pay for the diesel he'd use coming to collect it.

Necro

Mod:


After discussion with the AH Mod team, I'm splitting these posts off from the TA thread as we think it could be a fun thread in its own right.

JustAThought

Necro wrote: »

Mod:


After discussion with the AH Mod team, I'm splitting these posts off from the TA thread as we think it could be a fun thread in its own right.

where’s it gone so!!!??
Link??? (please!)

Necro

You just posted in it

Gregor Samsa

Had a premium brand pram/buggy up on Done Deal a few years ago. Prefect condition, all the bits and bobs, and priced to sell. A woman from the county beside us phoned my wife asking about it, my wife agreed to knock a few quid off it, and the woman said she’d come out the next day.

Next day she arrives, very heavily pregnant, with her husband and a toddler in tow. My wife shows her the buggy in the house while my kids played with the toddler in the front garden, and I chatted with the husband outside. 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour pass. I head in to check what’s going on. Pregnant woman is examining every single centimetre of the buggy in fine detail. She calls in the husband, who she asked to turn it over. She spins all the wheels and listens closely to them. They’re all fine, but one wheel makes a slightly different pitch sound to the others. Not a squeak or a grinding sound or anything - just a bare different tone.

So this was it. The buggy clearly was not in the state it was described, and she clearly deserved a hefty discount for the trouble of having to drive a whole county away and discovering this hidden defect herself. My wife just burst out laughing. I looked at the husband, and he stared back at me with a look that said “Help me! I’m trapped! She’s insane!”.

After the laughter subsided, my wife said “Right, you’ve taken up enough of my time. Price we agreed or get out.” The woman literally threw the money at my wife, barked at her husband to gather up the buggy, and stormed out of our house raging. Husband sheepishly followed with the buggy and the toddler, apologising quietly.

After they went, we discovered that in the drama of it all, they had forgotten to take a bag of attachments they’d need to fit a car seat on it. Wife tried to phone her to tell her, and offer to post it to her free of charge, but she wouldn’t answer the phone.

Edit: Actually, an odd follow up to this story that I just remembered. A few weeks later my wife did get on to the woman, and got her address. Whatever happened then, there was a delay of a couple of months in sending the bits. The woman never got back in to us about it. Anyway, one day my wife posts it off, in a padded bag she’d got a Brown Thomas makeup delivery in. She had peeled off the old address label, and stuck a new one on with the woman’s address.

A few weeks later, she gets an unexpected delivery from BT. Opens it up, and it’s the buggy bits with a letter on BT headed paper. Turns out, during the delay in posting, the woman had moved house. New residents got the package, but didn’t have a forwarding address. My wife had no return address on the package. So they sent it to Brown Thomas, with a note. BT get it and don’t know what to do with it. But when my wife peeled off the original label, she left behind a barcode that represented her BT account. BT scanned it, got her address and sent it back to her.

JustAThought

Necro wrote: »

You just posted in it

:”)

Hilarious! Thanks!!!

Was helping a friend who has more than a bit of a clutter and recycling problem. Took a lode of freeware junk off her (never used in years) that others had (allegedly) dumped on her. Advertised for it foc to take away. Guess who turned up to collect it!!!!

Gregor Samsa

We had an old baby toy - a star shaped projector that shone a rotating scene of cartoon bears, and played a lullaby. It broke - it didn’t rotate any more. I popped it in the local WEEE recycling in the Council depot.

A few months later, my wife returns all excited from dropping some stuff of at a charity shop, with a star shaped projector. “This is just like the one that broke on us! It was only €2!”

I pointed out that it had the exact same stickers on it that one of our kids had decorated ours with. Turned it on, and sure enough, it doesn’t rotate.

€2 to buy our own broken recycling back.

arctictree

Dial Hard wrote: »

One of my favourite things about IKEA is watching all the people in the car park realise they're never going to get an entire flat pack kitchen into their Volkswagen Golf.

I did

blade1

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

We had an old baby toy - a star shaped projector that shone a rotating scene of cartoon bears, and played a lullaby. It broke - it didn’t rotate any more. I popped it in the local WEEE recycling in the Council depot.

A few months later, my wife returns all excited from dropping some stuff of at a charity shop, with a star shaped projector. “This is just like the one that broke on us! It was only €2!”

I pointed out that it had the exact same stickers on it that one of our kids had decorated ours with. Turned it on, and sure enough, it doesn’t rotate.

€2 to buy our own broken recycling back.

:pac:

New Home

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Edit: Actually, an odd follow up to this story that I just remembered. A few weeks later my wife did get on to the woman, and got her address. Whatever happened then, there was a delay of a couple of months in sending the bits. The woman never got back in to us about it. Anyway, one day my wife posts it off, in a padded bag she’d got a Brown Thomas makeup delivery in. She had peeled off the old address label, and stuck a new one on with the woman’s address.

A few weeks later, she gets an unexpected delivery from BT. Opens it up, and it’s the buggy bits with a letter on BT headed paper. Turns out, during the delay in posting, the woman had moved house. New residents got the package, but didn’t have a forwarding address. My wife had no return address on the package. So they sent it to Brown Thomas, with a note. BT get it and don’t know what to do with it. But when my wife peeled off the original label, she left behind a barcode that represented her BT account. BT scanned it, got her address and sent it back to her.

That is mind blowing! You couldn't make it up, but if you did, fair play.

freshpopcorn

I grew up in a house and you'd tie stuff to the roof or leave the boot open and item hanging out and tie it onto the car some how and sometimes with I'd be crouched in the back holding it down.

Gregor Samsa

New Home wrote: »

That is mind blowing! You couldn't make it up, but if you did, fair play.

Ah jaysus, I’ve better things to be doing on a Saturday afternoon than making up complicated postal anecdotes for random strangers! Not much better, mind, given that I did take the time to post a few times on the thread, but it’s not that much effort to recall an actual occurrence from memory.

Gregor Samsa

Another time, my wife decided to plant an oak tree in a pot. My Dad had done it years before. So I said I knew where there was a big oak tree in a neighbouring village, and I’d look for some acorns on my way home from work. “No need”, my wife says, and shows me a listing on our local “free to a good home” website (this was before they were popular on FB) for a guy very specifically giving away eight acorns.

She phones him and within an hour, he’s knocking at the door with an envelope with eight acorns in it - like some kind of nut dealer doing a “the first hit is free” deal.

We planted a few of the acorns, one of them took, and we still have a miniature oak tree in a pot in the back garden.

New Home

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Ah jaysus, I’ve better things to be doing on a Saturday afternoon than making up complicated postal anecdotes for random strangers! Not much better, mind, given that I did take the time to post a few times on the thread, but it’s not that much effort to recall an actual occurrence from memory.

I wasn't doubting you, I did find it genuinely amusing and it reminded me of John Cusak in Serendipity trying to get the contact details of the girl from the store card application forms kept in boxes in a storage unit somewhere. That's why I said "fair play if you did make it up". It's the proof that fact is stranger than fiction, and that some people (i.e. that woman) are the pits.

Gregor Samsa wrote: »

Another time, my wife decided to plant an oak tree in a pot. My Dad had done it years before. So I said I knew where there was a big oak tree in a neighbouring village, and I’d look for some acorns on my way home from work. “No need”, my wife says, and shows me a listing on our local “free to a good home” website (this was before they were popular on FB) for a guy very specifically giving away eight acorns.

She phones him and within an hour, he’s knocking at the door with an envelope with eight acorns in it - like some kind of nut dealer doing a “the first hit is free” deal.

We planted a few of the acorns, one of them took, and we still have a miniature oak tree in a pot in the back garden.

Another good one!

Muahahaha

Was giving away 2 x 2 seater sofas before on Adverts, I wanted both of them gone together and stated that in the ad and that a van would be needed to fit them both. Up turns a couple in an old battered red van and they said they only wanted one of them. Wasnt having it at all and the wife is complaining that they came from 20 miles away. Had to run the pair of messers in the end.

Thats the last time Ive ever put anything up for free. Even now if I had a sofa or similar to get rid of Id be putting it up for a tenner rather than for free. Once things are free you're a lot more likely to meet some idiot who will mess you about, these people only scan the free ads so by putting a nominal amount you get to avoid them.

I bought a buggy online after looking specifically for one to use running. The brand I bought was called Baby Jogger and I got the top of the range one that would take a fairly young baby to a robust toddler. I waited weeks for the delivery and when it came and the driver was unloading it off the van, I noticed the side of the box had "NOT SUITABLE FOR USE WHILE JOGGING" printed on it.

So the Baby Jogger stroller that isn't suitable for use while jogging was loaded back on the van. I'm just glad I noticed the epic misnomer in time.

blade1

This story is about something bought in a shop but I feel it's worth sharing.

Long long ago when my brother was around 7 or 8 my mother would taking him with her shopping.
It was leading up to Christmas and every day they would walk past the toy shop.
In the window there was a box with a picture of a train on it and each day my brother would point at it and beg my mother could he please get that for Christmas.

So Christmas day arrives and my brother runs to the Christmas tree and rips the paper off the parcel with his name on it.
A train! he yells as the box from the shop window is revealed.
Pulls the top off the box and next his jaw nearly hits the ground.
No train.
All it was was a junction box thingy for switching the tracks.

Your Face

I was selling a bike on adverts. Had a few people interested.
The first fella said he wanted to call and look at it - grand.

He turns up with his entire family.
They all had a go on the bike.
He then rings his father-in-law to ask him his opinion of the bike. He was trying to describe the bike over the phone.
He starts into a spiel about how he wants the bike but wants a tenner off and then tried to make the other interested buyers seem dodgy. I told him I wasn't interested.
Off back up the road went the traveling family circus.
Nice enough people but jaysus.

I sold the bike the day after.

Ubbquittious

I had some fcuking ape on adverts asking me about a free item

Wouldnt bother coming out to collect it. Suggest I drop it to his house in a nearby town "when Im passing". I ignored him, obviously didn't want it badly enough

About 20 years ago, I had a spare ticket to a sold out gig which I was selling for twice market value (80e). A guy tang me up and asked me if I would take 60, for handiness sake I said sure. Then he said I would have to travel to meet him, the other side of Dublin from me. I refused so he said he would meet in the city centre, but he could only pay me 40 and he has to go out if his way. I decided to play along with this as I was pretty annoyed by now. He then asked if I could make it later that day and would accept 30? (Below face value now). I said "Sure since you're doing me a massive favour how about I meet you in the city centre and give you the ticket for free?" And he actually seemed to believe me, still making a fuss about how much he was being put out by having to travel to meet me.
Obviously I wasn't having any problems selling the ticket, I sold it for 70 to a young lad who came out to meet me, because I liked him.
I don't know what happened to the free ticket guy. I didn't answer any of his subsequent calls.

BalboBiggins

Deleted User wrote: »

About 20 years ago, I had a spare ticket to a sold out gig which I was selling for twice market value (80e).

In fairness, there are two d1ckheads in that story.

Segotias

Dial Hard wrote: »

One of my favourite things about IKEA is watching all the people in the car park realise they're never going to get an entire flat pack kitchen into their Volkswagen Golf.

This used to be one of my favourite things when I used to collect my sister from Ikea, she works there and would be on lates at times.
So sitting waiting, shop is officially closed, of course people ignore this to the last minute.

Car pulls up beside me, out gets husband, wife, granny and 2 small kids wheel trolleys up to car.

Husband proceeds to remove the 2 car seats, push all the seats down and load up. Very pleased with himself, everything fits and doors all close, til he turns around and realises on he will fit in the car, Wife, kids and granny have to get a taxi :D

Loads of them do it

the_pen_turner

BalboBiggins wrote: »

In fairness, there are two d1ckheads in that story.

No there's not. You can sell almost anything for what ever you want and it's up to the buyer to buy it or not.

Turquoise Hexagon Sun

Yeah, I'd only sell things to people with manners. I know that sounds snobby or whatever. But if you can't start with the basics such as "Hello, how are you?" then we have nothing to talk about.

I've sold some things on Adverts and Marketplace on FB. Any ones that don't say "Hello" and only "Is this still available?" I'll just ignore it. To me it's lack of manners is a bad indication that if something went wrong and they couldn't show up to the meet, they wouldn't text or call. Why expect anything more from someone that attempts absolutely no manners or rapport?

HildaOgdenx

I agree about manners. There's a few who seem to stalk local free cycling pages. 'I'll take that' as if they are doing someone a favour. No please, or thanks.
And apparently people have been asked will they deliver.

A friend of mine said she always puts a nominal amount as a sale price on something now on ads because it cuts out the messers to a great extent.

Neyite

Ubbquittious wrote: »

I had some fcuking ape on adverts asking me about a free item

Wouldnt bother coming out to collect it. Suggest I drop it to his house in a nearby town "when Im passing". I ignored him, obviously didn't want it badly enough

I tried to give away a car seat to someone who said they were looking for a car seat. Sent pictures and there were MANY messages back and forth. Said I could meet in local town. Wanted it delivered to city 45km away. Said I could meet any evening in local town after 6pm and all day on Sat & Sun. Wanted to meet during the day, midweek. Finally I had a legit reason to be in that city for work so messages saying I can drop it to where she wanted if she lets me know. That day came and went without an answer, got a message the day after saying she forgot to reply to me. As luck would have it, my essential travel date got moved so said yes, still can drop it on a future date. No reply.



I've a room full of baby stuff to get rid of. If that's the heartbreak I've to go through to unsuccessfully rid myself of one item, I can't be arsed. I've contacted a Direct Provision charity and hopefully they can take the lot. I'm done with facebook freebie groups.

Ubbquittious

Neyite wrote: »

I tried to give away a car seat to someone who said they were looking for a car seat. Sent pictures and there were MANY messages back and forth. Said I could meet in local town. Wanted it delivered to city 45km away. Said I could meet any evening in local town after 6pm and all day on Sat & Sun. Wanted to meet during the day, midweek. Finally I had a legit reason to be in that city for work so messages saying I can drop it to where she wanted if she lets me know. That day came and went without an answer, got a message the day after saying she forgot to reply to me. As luck would have it, my essential travel date got moved so said yes, still can drop it on a future date. No reply.



I've a room full of baby stuff to get rid of. If that's the heartbreak I've to go through to unsuccessfully rid myself of one item, I can't be arsed. I've contacted a Direct Provision charity and hopefully they can take the lot. I'm done with facebook freebie groups.

To offload my free stuff I started horsing it into a cardboard box and place out on a lay by on a busy road during a dry spell. Come back a few days later to pick up anything that wasn't taken. Far less hassle than listing on adverts

Necro

Neyite wrote: »

I've a room full of baby stuff to get rid of. If that's the heartbreak I've to go through to unsuccessfully rid myself of one item, I can't be arsed. I've contacted a Direct Provision charity and hopefully they can take the lot. I'm done with facebook freebie groups.

My wife went through the exact same thing when giving away our baby clothes (we've two, and that's enough :pac::pac: )

She put them up as 'baby clothes, free to a good home' and one clown started asking her to go through them and take individual photos of them, only wanting the 'designer' brand stuff :rolleyes:

Only for the fact I was working and she had it all done by the time I got home I'd have told her not to bother about it and tell them they could take the lot and sort it themselves.

The level of absolute entitlement some people have even over free stuff is staggering.

Pawwed Rig

Ubbquittious wrote: »

To offload my free stuff I started horsing it into a cardboard box and place out on a lay by on a busy road during a dry spell. Come back a few days later to pick up anything that wasn't taken. Far less hassle than listing on adverts

We used a small skip in the front garden and left the decent stuff 'envitingly' on top. Got rid of a few items like that.

knucklehead6

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

We used a small skip in the front garden and left the decent stuff 'envitingly' on top. Got rid of a few items like that.

A neighbour of mine when I rented a house in swords did that once. Woke up the following morning and the skip had been mostly emptied onto his garden by people searching for other good stuff.

I make sure to destroy ANYTHING going into a skip now.

SVI40

Couple of years ago I stuck up bunk beds on Adverts, free of charge. Got a few interested people, but decided the fairest was first reply got first option. Guys collected it no problem. Next day it was for sale for €60.00. I was really pissed, as some of the others parties really seemed to be genuinely in need of it.

KevRossi

About 15 years ago I was looking for a good quality sofa bed as I was having a few people visiting that summer. Found an ideal one 2nd hand out in Portmarnock for €125. Said I'd call by the next day and look at it as we were working in Howth. Showed up with a large van and a workmate on chance, turns out the couch was in good nick but a bit faded, so I asked her would she take €110. Agreed. It was blocking in their bed so she was happy to be rid.

Dropped off my mate, went home and myself and herself got the couch into the sitting room. Quality couch it was too. About an hour later husband of the seller rang demanding that we pay the other €15 as his wife had no right to haggle it down. I said that's tough, but I'm not driving over there from Rathgar. He offered to come and collect the couch or the €15. I said no. He had no idea where I lived.

Rang me 6 or 7 times over the next couple of days and threatened to have the Gardai and his solicitors on me if I didn't either return the couch or else give him €15. Then he just stopped calling.
Nutter.

easygoing39

@KevRossi,I'd have arranged to meet him somewhere local at a certain time and then not bother to turn up with the 15 quid.

KevRossi

KevRossi wrote: »

About 15 years ago I was looking for a good quality sofa bed as I was having a few people visiting that summer. Found an ideal one 2nd hand out in Portmarnock for €125. Said I'd call by the next day and look at it as we were working in Howth. Showed up with a large van and a workmate on chance, turns out the couch was in good nick but a bit faded, so I asked her would she take €110. Agreed. It was blocking in their bed so she was happy to be rid.

Dropped off my mate, went home and myself and herself got the couch into the sitting room. Quality couch it was too. About an hour later husband of the seller rang demanding that we pay the other €15 as his wife had no right to haggle it down. I said that's tough, but I'm not driving over there from Rathgar. He offered to come and collect the couch or the €15. I said no. He had no idea where I lived.

Rang me 6 or 7 times over the next couple of days and threatened to have the Gardai and his solicitors on me if I didn't either return the couch or else give him €15. Then he just stopped calling.
Nutter.

Im sure his poor wife suffered for it mind you, sounds like the type.


My own story on this. I had advertised a good few free things over the years, mainly good stories, but I advertised an outside bench one day.

The chap turned up to take it, and proceeded to take the whole thing apart in front of me, I asked what he was at. He didn't actually want the bench, just the seating on it!
I said its either all of it or leave it, his answer was sure I'm getting rid of it anyway what does it matter. I had to explain several times that by taking the seating off it no one else would/could use it .

Pawwed Rig

A friend of mine advertised a big old CRT TV for free. A guy called to collect it without a car and said it was fine that he would carry it home. The TV was massive but off your man went anyway. A couple of hours later the Guards call up to the house as a TV with my friends name and address stuck to it was dumped in someone's garden about a kilometre away.

keano_afc

Done Deal seems to be the place where all the nutters converge. Was selling a watch for a couple of hundred Euro and the amount of chancers contacting me asking me to ship it to destinations all over Europe was insane. "Will pay you when watch arrives" Sure pal. I'll send you my bank details so you can make the transfer.

Sky King

keano_afc wrote: »

Done Deal seems to be the place where all the nutters converge. .

I take it you've never sold anythign on adverts then.

"NO SWAPS"
"Nice BMW. Swap for a pair or lightly used adidas tracksuit bottoms?"


Or this old adverts classic, where the accepted offer becomes the new original asking price:

Seller: Price is €100
Buyer 1: Offer €80
Seller: Accepted
Buyer 1: Offer Withdrawn
Buyer 2: Offer €50

Tabnabs

A friend of mine was selling his very nice motorboat, like a floating campervan, all mod cons etc. He gets a call from a guy with a well heeled accent who gives him a speel about how he used to own massive sports boats and was now looking at getting something smaller. They arrange to meet so this guy can give my friends boat the once over.

Sure enough the guy arrives in a very nice and almost new BMW. However his wife and three kids all jump out too and start unloading bags from the boot. My friend is a bit wary of what's going on here, but plays along as he's keen to sell the boat. They all arrive down to the boat, the husband starts looking over the boat with my friend, while the wife and kids made themselves comfortable. "Rights guys" says the father to his family, "who fancies a day out on the water?!" My friend then twigged that the kids are in swimming togs and t-shirts for a reason and the bags have towels and food in them. This lad had arranged a day out on a boat for his family, all at nil expense. My friend was rightly pissed off at this carry on, made an excuse about the engines not starting due to mechanical issues, and the family decamped, annoyed at their day out being ruined. The wife could be heard saying how they certainly wouldn't be buying that boat as they wandered off back to the carpark.

Necro

Sky King wrote:

Or this old adverts classic, where the accepted offer becomes the new original asking price:

Ah yes, the old haggling trick that everyone seems to think is essential in Ireland.

keano_afc

Sky King wrote: »

I take it you've never sold anythign on adverts then.

"NO SWAPS"
"Nice BMW. Swap for a pair or lightly used adidas tracksuit bottoms?"


Or this old adverts classic, where the accepted offer becomes the new original asking price:

Seller: Price is €100
Buyer 1: Offer €80
Seller: Accepted
Buyer 1: Offer Withdrawn
Buyer 2: Offer €50

Perhaps weirdly, but I've had mainly positive experiences on Adverts.

Sky King

I have had several positive experiences on adverts too. But also negative experiences. I find the worse buyers on adverts are worse than donedeal.

Necro wrote: »

Ah yes, the old haggling trick that everyone seems to think is essential in Ireland.

It's not an old haggling trick - it's literally only possible by virtue of the fact that everyone can see you have accepted a lower offer, and then when the buyer withdraws their offer it is still visible and it becomes the new starting point for getting lowballed.

That said I still use adverts from time to time.

duffman3833

drives me mad when you accept an offer for an item which is advertised in Meath and the user asked are you ever in Dublin. NO. why offer if you cant collect. Pleb.
I did sell an old dresser and a guy shows up in an old Octavia. I was thinking ffs, this is a waste of time, but he got half it in the car and tied it all up. Off he went.
Made me appreciate the size of boot in an Ocativa after that day

Blitzkrieger

I sold an old cheap motorcycle on donedeal once. I'd be slow to do it again.

I got calls from three different eastern european sounding dudes who wanted to meet me at my house to check out the bike, and couldn't meet in the public car park by the bank with all it's CCTV cameras five minutes down the road. Also many texts and calls from international numbers that were ignored.

One guy sounded very enthusiastic and said he'd been looking for a similar bike for ages and would pay full price, but didn't show or answer calls on the day we were supposed to meet.

One young fella showed up who couldn't ride a motorbike, kept saying 'his dad would kill him', and left saying he'd call me on Friday when he gets paid.

The guy who bought the bike was an hour late, and rode off without insurance or a helmet.



I think I was some guy's horror story on adverts. I said I'd pay full price for a second hand tablet, if it was the higher spec one with the extra RAM. I drove to Cork on icy roads and we spent about two hours trying to find the spec anywhere in the settings, model no., etc. It turned out to be the older, low spec one.




I've got an old fridge freezer that's too small that I'm just going to throw out because I can't be bothered with the hassle. It has a bit of a wonky leg that makes it unstable but it's working fine. It's a shame to waste it.