call from potential buyer made me nervous

soolin

goodness

I just had a call from a potential buyer about an item i have for sale. This is a piece i know nothing about and am selling it for spares or repairs with a number of photos and lots of descriptions.

Potential buyer (PB) asked lots of questions, none of which I could answer except to state that it was as per the photos, asked me if I could take it apart and photograph all the pieces and supply measurements, so I said no as this was very old and I fear that a novice like me attempting to take a piece of old machinery apart was a receipe for disaster.

He then asked was there a man in the house who could do it for me, so again I said that I was the dealer, not my partner or sons and I was not prepared to dismantle the item. He then suggested I could find a male relative or someone who could take it apart, but again I said no. He then spent a considerable amount of time telling me in great detail who needed to be forced apart and what would have 'hammer screws?' etc and what I should look for. As soon as I refused he just started at the beginning all over again.

I actually feel a bit funny about the call.

terra_ferma

soolin wrote: »

goodness

I just had a call from a potential buyer about an item i have for sale. This is a piece i know nothing about and am selling it for spares or repairs with a number of photos and lots of descriptions.

Potential buyer (PB) asked lots of questions, none of which I could answer except to state that it was as per the photos, asked me if I could take it apart and photograph all the pieces and supply measurements, so I said no as this was very old and I fear that a novice like me attempting to take a piece of old machinery apart was a receipe for disaster.

He then asked was there a man in the house who could do it for me, so again I said that I was the dealer, not my partner or sons and I was not prepared to dismantle the item. He then suggested I could find a male relative or someone who could take it apart, but again I said no. He then spent a considerable amount of time telling me in great detail who needed to be forced apart and what would have 'hammer screws?' etc and what I should look for. As soon as I refused he just started at the beginning all over again.

I actually feel a bit funny about the call.

You are too nice, Soolin, I would have told them where to go.
Do you have their ID? Can you block them? Hope it's not collection only, as you would actually have to meet with them (I'm sure no need to advise you should not meet him alone, etc etc)

themull1

I would block him if you know which ebayer it is, he sounds like trouble. Do you think he really was interested in the part, or if you were alone in the house?

soolin

Luckily it is not a collection item and I did get soem odd questions previously about this item and it might be the same person so I could try blocking that ID.

My initial thought was that it was a stalker/malicious bidder but I think it was just an enthusiast who was frustrated at my inability to understand how to take apart vintage items. He sounded oldish and nicely spoken but was obviously getting cross at me for seemingly refusing to co operate. I felt he was older as he kept insisting a 'man' could take this apart for me as he would understand how it all fitted back together, he seemed to be angry that I was a mere female attempting to sell things I didn't understand.

These items were bought as a job lot as I wanted something else in the box. As it turns out the bidding on this range of things gets a bit frenzied, so whatever it is I managed to buy I got a good bargain. Just one of the items sold for more than the entire box load of things I actually wanted.

terra_ferma

soolin wrote: »

Luckily it is not a collection item and I did get soem odd questions previously about this item and it might be the same person so I could try blocking that ID.

My initial thought was that it was a stalker/malicious bidder but I think it was just an enthusiast who was frustrated at my inability to understand how to take apart vintage items. He sounded oldish and nicely spoken but was obviously getting cross at me for seemingly refusing to co operate. I felt he was older as he kept insisting a 'man' could take this apart for me as he would understand how it all fitted back together, he seemed to be angry that I was a mere female attempting to sell things I didn't understand.

These items were bought as a job lot as I wanted something else in the box. As it turns out the bidding on this range of things gets a bit frenzied, so whatever it is I managed to buy I got a good bargain. Just one of the items sold for more than the entire box load of things I actually wanted.

I wonder I many men would be able to do what he wants... I certainly know quite a few who probably wouldn't (and conversely quite a few women who would...)

soolin

terra_ferma wrote: »

I wonder I many men would be able to do what he wants... I certainly know quite a few who probably wouldn't (and conversely quite a few women who would...)

I think being shaken so much by a call on a Sunday night made me make a lot of assumptions about the caller and I will probably never know what was going on. It was really just the thought that a younger man would probably not see any difference between a woman or a man when selling vintage items, but an older man might well consider that a man would be better placed to understand the workings of an old piece of equipment

terra_ferma

soolin wrote: »

I think being shaken so much by a call on a Sunday night made me make a lot of assumptions about the caller and I will probably never know what was going on. It was really just the thought that a younger man would probably not see any difference between a woman or a man when selling vintage items, but an older man might well consider that a man would be better placed to understand the workings of an old piece of equipment

You are probably right.

soolin

It's silly really I thought the nerves would pass but I still have several of these items to list, but I feel strangely reluctant to do so. It's not the first call I have had from a buyer and it will almost certainly not be the last, but they usually just phone to try and see what other stock I have they can buy, or to ask mundane things like 'can I come and collect tomorrow if I win?'

terra_ferma

soolin wrote: »

It's silly really I thought the nerves would pass but I still have several of these items to list, but I feel strangely reluctant to do so. It's not the first call I have had from a buyer and it will almost certainly not be the last, but they usually just phone to try and see what other stock I have they can buy, or to ask mundane things like 'can I come and collect tomorrow if I win?'

could you perhaps use a mobile phone that you keep switched on at convenient times, so that you don't get hassle? With a male voice on the voicemail if it makes you feel safer?
I never get phone calls, I'm jelous (but it could be because I use a work mobile phone that... erm... I forget to switch on most days.... but I reply emails within a few hours)

Lirin

Soolin, it's just one of those things. I once listed some spare car parts I had, complete with descriptions and photos on a local site, under my username which is female. I had barely any interest, and lots of queries along the lines of 'How do you know it works? Has a mechanic looked at them?'
Didn't sell, so relisted the parts under my husbands name- all sold within 2 days.

soolin

Lirin wrote: »

Soolin, it's just one of those things. I once listed some spare car parts I had, complete with descriptions and photos on a local site, under my username which is female. I had barely any interest, and lots of queries along the lines of 'How do you know it works? Has a mechanic looked at them?'
Didn't sell, so relisted the parts under my husbands name- all sold within 2 days.

I have no worries about this range of items selling as the bidding on them gets a bit frenzied, I have obviously found an untapped market quite by accident!

Actually in the light of day I don't want anyone to be alarmed at having phone calls, in many cases they are very useful to me. I have on quite a few occasions been called by someone aksing me if i had or could get something else similar to items i have listed, and as this is entirely outside of ebay I can deal on a cash basis with them. In fact only a few months back i was selling medals and someone phoned to ask if i was intending to list a particular one, I didn't have it but i knew there were some coming ip at auction in the next few days, so we discussed price, I went and bid and won and sold them on immediately. A nice little profit with no fees and very little effort.