Ever been ghosted on by buyers on online marketplaces?

Former_MSE_Molly

Hi everyone - hope you're well.

We were having a chat in MSE Towers recently about being 'ghosted' on online marketplaces or sites when selling, and it seems to have happened to a few of us! You may have read some such cases here on the Forum, or might've seen the TikTok sketches of people acting out their own experiences!

Each scenario seems to differ, but we've found the most frustrating one to be when people have an in-depth chat with you about the item you're selling, and then go on to agree a price, time and date for collection - only to never show up at the door without messaging to say they no longer need or want it.

It can happen to the best of us though, we know - we all have lives to live and more important things can get in the way last minute. But sometimes the situations seem a bit bonkers... one buyer turned up at my door over a month later without warning, and just said sorry for the delay!

Have you been ghosted? Or have you been the ghoster?! We'd love to hear your stories. Would be nice to be reassured it's nothing personal... haha.

MSE Molly

basill

It happens to me regularly especially on FB marketplace. I think it must be a "trend'  and they go and share screenshots of their hilarious activities online somewhere.

MSE_ForumTeam3

Several times on Gumtree for me - most recently a gaming chair, which no one turned up for.

Sea_Shell

Yes.  Buyers behaviour can be very strange at times.

I try not to give full address until a collection has been agreed, but even then you get the odd no show.   I just sell to the next person, unless they make contact to apologise.

The "auto message" button of "is this still available?" to me is a little red flag, which says they can't be bothered to compose a question, or they're not really interested, just surfing.

You develop a sense of who's genuine.

Former_MSE_Molly

basill said:

It happens to me regularly especially on FB marketplace. I think it must be a "trend'  and they go and share screenshots of their hilarious activities online somewhere.

basill, I would love to think this is the case! Please let me know if you unearth any on your travels though the internet! Haha!

kiss_me_now9

Sea_Shell said:

Yes.  Buyers behaviour can be very strange at times.

I try not to give full address until a collection has been agreed, but even then you get the odd no show.   I just sell to the next person, unless they make contact to apologise.

The "auto message" button of "is this still available?" to me is a little red flag, which says they can't be bothered to compose a question, or they're not really interested, just surfing.

You develop a sense of who's genuine.

In (some) buyers defense, I have accidentally hit that when trying to share the item with my OH, not meaning to send the message at all! 

I've given up selling on FB marketplace because it's just full of scams. 

linz

I also find the seller behaviour sometimes strange. I've genuinely enquired about 3 or 4 things on FB Marketplace over the last few months that haven't even been read by the seller. Why sell something then not read messages from interested buyers, unless it's already been sold but they've left the listing up?

Zanderman

linz said:

I also find the seller behaviour sometimes strange. I've genuinely enquired about 3 or 4 things on FB Marketplace over the last few months that haven't even been read by the seller. Why sell something then not read messages from interested buyers, unless it's already been sold but they've left the listing up?

This is fairly frequent for me - ask about something and the message never, ever, read. Very odd. Have to assume they have sold it but also have to assume they never subsequently look at messages! Have one at the moment - an item that I've committed to buying and seller has responded so far discussing collection time options, but has, in the last week, just stopped responding or even reading. Perhaps they've gone on their hols but seems very very odd.

As for the original theme - of ghosting by buyers, yes, there some odd ones out there and yes, that auto-reply of 'is this still available' without even mentioning what 'this' is, is often a sign of a time waster. If they can't even be bothered to write some words of their own then they probably can't be bothered to buy the item either. Especially if 'this' was actually a listing of more than one item - so they're not even specifying what they want. 

Spoonie_Turtle

kiss_me_now9 said:

Sea_Shell said:

Yes.  Buyers behaviour can be very strange at times.

I try not to give full address until a collection has been agreed, but even then you get the odd no show.   I just sell to the next person, unless they make contact to apologise.

The "auto message" button of "is this still available?" to me is a little red flag, which says they can't be bothered to compose a question, or they're not really interested, just surfing.

You develop a sense of who's genuine.

In (some) buyers defense, I have accidentally hit that when trying to share the item with my OH, not meaning to send the message at all! 

I've given up selling on FB marketplace because it's just full of scams. 

I think I've accidentally hit it once, and immediately sent another message to apologise and explain my finger slipped.  Unless buyers can hit it without noticing at all, I don't think it's much of a defence if they don't then follow up to say that.

Sea_Shell

It's, next morning, when you see the message has come through at gone 11pm and you think they've been on the sauce.

Drunk scrolling on Marketplace.   Is it a thing?

duckegg65

Sellers not responding to my genuine messages happens very regularly.  They read it then ignore.  I  have been very polite and used proper english!🤣
E.g.  this weekend messaged 4 sellers for 4 different items...2 did not reply.  The other 2 did reply and I picked up the 2 items at the Sellers convenience.
It does put me off using FB Marketplace though and I don't use anywhere near as much as I would like,

Don't get me started on the Scammers though!...nightmare when selling...I mean who the heck is going to pick a chair in Lancashire from the Philippines or Romania?!🙄