Online Selling Practices - Craigslist etc. Rant!

[newbury]

One thing that kills me are people listing used stuff as a great bargain when it's at retail price.
I've been looking for a good deal on a Job box, like a Knaack 4824.
One was listed recently for $500 "great discount" - a quick google showed the same box from Toolbox.com online price new was $488 W/FREE SHIPPING TO MY HOUSE.
It's like the idiots think we can't look up prices. I don't care WHAT he paid for it. Probably wrote it off on his taxes for $700.

 

[aeblank]

What amazes me is how much people put log splitters up for around here. When i can buy a new one for the same price as they are asking....

I bought my tractor (L3940 about a year old at the time), an hour away, from CL.
I had $ down within a day of it being posted. Came back 3 days later to pick it up, and he had 5 more calls on it.
He offered to buy it back from me a couple weeks later! ha!

I bought my front mount snowblower, from 1200 miles away (Denver, CO and I'm in MI), on CL.

For the blower, the guy and I developed a trust with one another after several calls/emails. We could both "tell" the other one was legit. He had good pics. I asked him to test some things, and he offered videos of him spinning/trying things. I sent him some deposit $ in good faith. Regarding the price, I was up front in saying that the price had to be good for me to make the trip. It was, and I did. Not too often you find a pristine L2195A, 6 years old, never used, for a price to justify a $1200 (nearly to the dollar) trip.

My brother JUST (2 days ago) got a B7100. Had $ down on it within 8 hours of it being posted. During our drive over there, they had a "I have cash" offer. Gotta be ON TOP of the good ones..

Oh, I found an old 7' land pride blade on the side of the road that I got for $275. I thought that was pretty good too.

 

[LD1]

What amazes me is how much people put log splitters up for around here. When i can buy a new one for the same price as they are asking....

I have also noticed that. Most of the ones I see around here are home-built jobs. And not dont very good either. Crappy looking, no paint, No jack so it sets on a block of wood, Not very well planned out, and just looks cobbled together in general. And they want $600-$800. :laughing:

 

[kenmac]

The best is car ads where they don't put the mileage.

That's the dumbest thing...I know this woman that is selling her suv.. She put an add in the paper listing everything but the mileage.. I ask her why she didn't list the mileage as most interested buyers want to know mileage.. She said ,,I would rather them call me ,so I can tell them the mileage... I told her she is probably going to get a lot of,,, I'm not interested after you tell them your 2007 vehicle has 260K miles on it for $8,000.00. I have been around when she has taken calls about her suv, and sure enough ,, when she tells them the mileage.. they tell her they aren't interested....she still hasn't listed the mileage..I had rather not take all those (not interested ) calls.. I would list the mileage

 

[Gittyup]

I too am a CL junkie. I look at tools and farm and garden every day, usually several times a day, for "bargains" . My pet peeves are:

1. sold items but adv. is still up. - What a waste of time for everyone.
2. price near or even higher than new. - I've pointed this out to some and they say "well I paid $X for it, and that's what I want to get for it" I always say to them: "Just because you over paid doesn't mean I will". Pisses them off and I just laugh about it.
3. No location - For small items I won't drive far, but for bigger items I might. I ask where and many times don't get any response.

Worst experience I had was I called about a boxblade and agreed to pay his full asking price. I told him I'd be there after work and will call just before leaving. I called when I was about a 30 minutes out and told him I was coming to pick it up. There was an accident and I was 5 minutes late getting there. I pull into his driveway just as someone else is loading it onto their truck. He said you are too late. I was livid. I didn't say much, but how rude can one be. All that driving for nothing. I hope that SOB gets screwed several times over on CL by someone else for that kind of behavior. I would understand had I not called to let him know I was on my way, or if I was an hour or so late. But 5 minutes??? What a butthead.

Other than that, I've had good experiences for the most part.

 

[flusher]

Over the past 10 years I bought 6 tractors on CL for my collection(1964 MF135 diesel, 1951 Minneapolis Moline BF, 1951 Farmall Super A, 1948 Farmall Cub, 1945 Oliver 60, 1949 JD B). No problem with the listing info or dealing with the sellers. Late last year I sold these 6 tractors on CL over a period of 10 days. My phone was ringing continuously. Again no problems with the buyers. No bounced checks. Most deals were cash. A very pleasant and satisfying experience.

 

[hawkeye08]

I forgot to mention misleading ad titles.

From CL this morning:

View attachment 411357

Guy's name is bob, that is his cat, hence Bobcat. Notice that it has chrome alternator, that gives it more HP.

 

[xzcVAbc5]

That's the dumbest thing...I know this woman that is selling her suv.. She put an add in the paper listing everything but the mileage.. I ask her why she didn't list the mileage as most interested buyers want to know mileage.. She said ,,I would rather them call me ,so I can tell them the mileage... I told her she is probably going to get a lot of,,, I'm not interested after you tell them your 2007 vehicle has 260K miles on it for $8,000.00. I have been around when she has taken calls about her suv, and sure enough ,, when she tells them the mileage.. they tell her they aren't interested....she still hasn't listed the mileage..I had rather not take all those (not interested ) calls.. I would list the mileage

Maybe she's just lonely and wants someone to talk to.

 

[FTG-05]

I too am a CL junkie. I look at tools and farm and garden every day, usually several times a day, for "bargains" . My pet peeves are:

1. sold items but adv. is still up. - What a waste of time for everyone.
2. price near or even higher than new. - I've pointed this out to some and they say "well I paid $X for it, and that's what I want to get for it" I always say to them: "Just because you over paid doesn't mean I will". Pisses them off and I just laugh about it.
3. No location - For small items I won't drive far, but for bigger items I might. I ask where and many times don't get any response.

Worst experience I had was I called about a boxblade and agreed to pay his full asking price. I told him I'd be there after work and will call just before leaving. I called when I was about a 30 minutes out and told him I was coming to pick it up. There was an accident and I was 5 minutes late getting there. I pull into his driveway just as someone else is loading it onto their truck. He said you are too late. I was livid. I didn't say much, but how rude can one be. All that driving for nothing. I hope that SOB gets screwed several times over on CL by someone else for that kind of behavior. I would understand had I not called to let him know I was on my way, or if I was an hour or so late. But 5 minutes??? What a butthead.

Other than that, I've had good experiences for the most part.

$10 says it wasn't about you being 5 minutes late, but someone offering more $$$ than you agreed to. And I agree with your sentiment.

 

[RollingsFarms]

It pays to keep your word and be honest and fair with folks (unless given a reason not to be). I have a guy who I swear buys anything I put on Tractorhouse. I guess he liked the way I did business with him on a tractor he bought from me a couple years ago and Everytime I put something on there, it isn't long before he calls me up. He knows that a piece of equipment is exactly like I say it is and he knows my prices are fair.