why marketplace can be frustrating

soolin

I know we all love using sites that don't carry fees, but sometimes I see the benefit of using ebay and other professional platforms.

I've got an item on FB, lets say it is a glass vase, it says 'glass vase' in title and also in title and description it says 8 inches tall. It shows a makers mark to base (nothing interesting just something ordinary like M and S) . Full description which repeats the word glass and the height, my area including the main bit of the postcode is shown, and I state collection only as vase is only £3 (I am expecting to get an offer around £2 which I would accept)

A person has contacted me asking me if this is resin, I replied that it is glass. They then asked if it was breakable as they were nervous about stuff that broke easily, so I said yes it's glass. They then asked the height, I told them 8 inches and I got is that big enough for a bunch of llowers?. They next want to know is it irish crystal like Waterford or similar but  now my answers are polite but very very brief. They want to know where I am, then they say will I deliver, which  I decline. They then ask if the price included postage, so I said no, postage is not possible on this item. They have just come back and said they will have it posted and pay me an extra £1 for posting it if I can send it today. 

I have deleted the vase and added it to my charity shop  bag, I can't be bothered with it anymore and vases are a very hard sell anyway for very little return.

GrubbyGirl_2

even better when you're giving something away and they want you to deliver!  Also if you're giving something away they are more likely to be a no show.  Now I ask for phone number to send the address and found that once they know you have their phone number they let you know if they are not going to turn up

Pollycat

After the first question I'd have been inclined to say 'the listing contains all details regarding this item'.

It sounds like they were having 'fun' with you.

theoretica

Reminds me of an interaction I heard recently at a bricabrac stall.  Someone picking up every single piece of jewellery and asking 'is this silver' or occasionally gold.  While the volunteer patiently repeated variations on 'we don't think so, we would have priced it higher if it were...'

soolin

Pollycat said:

After the first question I'd have been inclined to say 'the listing contains all details regarding this item'.

It sounds like they were having 'fun' with you.

I did wonder that , but the language was rather muddled so I wasn’t sure. It’s at the charity shop now, I just dropped off a bag of things where no doubt it will be snapped at £10 within minutes 😀

MalMonroe

I'm looking for a plain glass vase - but your location obviously is nowhere near mine. I'd have paid that very reasonable price, too. 

But I've tried to sell things online - FB, ebay, vinted, etc. sometimes and there has been minimal interest so like you, I've donated them to charity shops or I've put them on freegle or freecycle. 

Apart from some people not speaking English very well, I do also wonder if people are sometimes lonely and want to have an online chat with someone, even if it's non-productive. Sounds like you were as pleasant as you could have been under very trying circumstances. And at least charity will benefit. I'd call that a good outcome   

strawb_shortcake

I don't like how I post to local groups, collection only then get messages asking if I can post to Liverpool or France

Pollycat

MalMonroe said:

I'm looking for a plain glass vase - but your location obviously is nowhere near mine. I'd have paid that very reasonable price, too. 

But I've tried to sell things online - FB, ebay, vinted, etc. sometimes and there has been minimal interest so like you, I've donated them to charity shops or I've put them on freegle or freecycle. 

Apart from some people not speaking English very well, I do also wonder if people are sometimes lonely and want to have an online chat with someone, even if it's non-productive. Sounds like you were as pleasant as you could have been under very trying circumstances. And at least charity will benefit. I'd call that a good outcome   

I only sell on eBay and it's only my unwanted clothes or jewellery.
Most stuff I list on an auction basis, sometimes with best offer enabled.
I let the items relist and if they haven't sold after 6 or 7 weeks, I end the listing and either retry later (if I think they might sell) or pack them up for the local hospice charity.
I sold an item at the weekend that had been listed for a week 6 times so sometimes it pays to be patient.

SandyShores

Marketplace can be a strange place.  I think there are the lonely/bored people just fantasising about buying stuff - asking if something is for sale and then ghosting - and there are people trying to hammer down the price so they can make a profit by selling on.  But there are some genuine buyers too.  My last Ebay item was cancelled by the purchaser as it was pick up and I asked them to bring along the pick up code which they objected to.  I then advertised it on Marketplace and it sold for more (plus no fees) to a lovely guy who picked it up almost immediately and paid cash.  I'm another one who sends a lot of stuff to charity, we also have a local gifting page and a neighbourhood page where I do offer things for free, but would never advertise anything free on marketplace - swamped with messages and people not turning up

GadgetGuru

In past past Ive had interest in an external SSD drive I was selling. Got to the strange where we exchanged numbers etc - buyer contacts me and starts talking about the drive - I answer all questions etc. Then it progresses on to his IT setup and home, and questions with regards to what he should do with certain aspects of his own setup!! It turned into a free IT Support session!

Hence, if an item is brand new and sealed, sometimes its just best to say you do not know - get buyers to do their own research and come back to you!
Of course this doesn't work with bespoke stuff, but for general items that are readily available online I now ask buyers to do their own research!

anxiousnow

I'm convinced that some people are on it just to start up a conversation with someone! Those that mess you around, asking if they can collect then don't show up, or after a thread of conversation suddenly tell you they can't drive and can you take it to them! It really is exhausting. I have turned to Vinted and Ebay because Marketplace can be so time consuming.