craigslist: people have too much time on their hands!

[Luckydonkey]

Can't you get some of those things to stick inside that will make it a bit snugger?

[Angela Freda]

..and this happened to me a while back - received a very expensive helmet for my birthday and it was the wrong size. Without even unwrapping it, I sent it back and soon hear that "helmets are non-returnable due to liability issues." ????

This is exactly why I would never, ever buy a used helmet anywhere if I intended it to protect my head or that of anyone I cared about.
So, so many people do not understand 'one fall and done' for helmets, or 'drop it once and done'.

[spurgirl]

I had listed a vintage wallet on Ebay, as I have a handbag/wallet addiction, and have to weed out periodically...Well, within 10 minutes of listing the item, I got a question, and a watcher. Great! I thought...But no, it was some snarky beyotch commenting that the item "looked like it had been stepped on", and "I had to be kidding" listing it for sale-starting at 4.99, no less.

I just replied with "Didn't Mom tell you... If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". Wallet ended up selling for over $30, and I had paid $3.00 at a yard sale for it, so I was happy.

Snarky people s*ck!!

[Rubyfree]

I did get a handful of responses, but only ONE said "please call" and "thanks" in their response -- and no textese either. That's the one I replied to. He came and got them later that day.

This is my rule of thumb for dealing with all internet sales sites, and it's served me well. I sell stuff on CL all of the time. I only answer responses that are written with a bit of forethought- you know, please, thanks, written so that it at least vaguely resembles letter form. This seems to weed out the crazies and no-shows.

[DressageGeek "Ribbon Ho"]

Email SmartPak and ask if they can help you. Or call. They are SUPER helpful, best customer service ever. Sorry you've run into trouble!

absolutely! Bet it wouldn't be the first time something like this happened.

[DieBlaueReiterin]

i gneerally love CL too but every so often you get the crazies :P

a few years ago my mare was laid up, and someone suggest i offer her for "grooming lease" to someone who maybe wanted to get into horses but was afraid, or didn't want to ride, or whatever. basically they would pay some small fee (it was $125 iirc) and could come out WHILE I WAS THERE and i'd teach them about grooming, grazing, etc. it was never intended for some green person to come out and start messing with my horse w/o supervision.

i get this LONG RANTY email from someone saying i was a horrible person for wanting to have someone pay to "rehab my horse for me" i was like, what?? where on earth did you get that idea? the person would be paying for my TIME of my helping them, and letting them get to learn about/be around a sweet, safe horse. i had even written that when she was better, they could ride her (with me there, of course). some people!

[Lou-Lou]

I would have just hit the delete button with the quickness. Don't even respond.

Agreed. I dislike Craigslist, personally. I had a saddle for sale, someone local offered me $50 less than the asking price (which was only a couple hundred), asked for my number, and never called. That's fine. I sold it online (not locally) for my full asking price.

Email SmartPak and ask if they can help you. Or call. They are SUPER helpful, best customer service ever. Sorry you've run into trouble!

I would probably call just to check, as well.

Good luck!

[Jane Honda]

I love the people that put up crappy pics of their horses. Not a full side view, just a very dark view of their horse out in the field, or tied up to a lawn mower.

I love the sob stories they put up as well. What ever happened to just putting up the facts about the horse, a full side shot, and a phone number?



When I get bored, I read the horse ads to make me feel better. It's kind of like Jerry Springer of the advertising world...

[HydroPHILE]

One of my favorite CL experiences went like this:

My dear fiancé adopted a puppy. He went out and bought a plastic crate to train the puppy. Puppy slept in the crate twice (no accidents,) and outgrew it. Fiancé paid $42 for it including tax from PetSmart, and I stated that in his ad. He put it up on Craigslist for $20 or best reasonable offer. I described the crate as being a plastic "whatever brand name" crate for small dogs or puppies. I listed his location as "Kennesaw...near KSU" as a point of reference but is definitely NOT a student. The below charming person was kind enough to send their e-mail from their work address so I knew it was not a child. Here was the line of responses:

RESPONDER:
Have you sold the Small Dog Crate you posted on October 20? If not, can you send pictures or at least the product name so I can look it up.


ME:
The dog crate is still for sale, here is information on the crate, and I can give you pictures of it later if you'd like as I'm at work.(insert information here from petsmart.com)

RESPONDER:
Thanks for the quick response, but I’m not interested in a crate with plastic sides. Also, I would like to provide you with a suggestion. After a quick search, I was able to find the same crate at Petsmart for only $32.99, so about $35 with tax. If a person were to purchase this crate at Petsmart, they would be assured by Petsmart of a replacement or possible exchange if something was faulty or they were dissatisfied.

In addition, a person could go to their nearest Petsmart and purchase the crate at any time. Those two facts provide some value to the customer. Also, the farther a potential customer is from your location, the more value those two facts have. So my suggestion is that you should lower your price, if you wish to sell the dog crate. Otherwise you really don’t need to use Craigslist. Your ideal customer is a person living in very close proximity to you.

I'm assuming you're a KSU student, posting flyers in your area would probably be more effective. Or sitting on a bench in the middle of campus during a high volume period with the crate and a for sale sign would more effective. That eliminates the benefit of the Petsmart convenience, but for me (if I lived close to you) I would still feel as though I’m “break even” because I still don’t have the option to return the item.

Hopefully I’m wrong and you are able to sell the item.

ME:
I sent a short e-mail back to them informing them that "online sale prices" (says clearly on their website - online pricing only) differs from that of the in-store prices, and I included a scanned copy of the sales receipt. I told him that PetSmart did not take returns on crates merely because a puppy/dog outgrew it. Thanked him for his time, set up a filter to move any future messages directly to trash, and that was that. Checked my trash mailbox the next day and had two more e-mails from him. I just deleted them without reading.

[Quest52]

oh... maybe your "crate" guy is related to my helmet woman!! They sound like they are cut from the same mold.

However... I did respond... and it was VERY rude. Sure I could have been nicer and gotten the point across, but I felt like this person was being a bully and trying to get something for less by trying to make me look stupid. Just for fun... I'll post it here. YES--- I KNOW ITS VERY RUDE... IT WAS A BAD DAY.

First, thanks for searching CL at 5am, and for deciding to give me your opinion on a classified listing. I wasn't aware that this worked like a forum.

Second, your "new car" analogy isn't a good one. The helmet has zero "miles" on it, and has not even exited my house. Unlike a car off the lot, that instantly is used because you have to use it to get off the lot. I would find it wonderful if I could find a used truck, 4 miles on the odometer off the lot for 1/2 the sticker price. That would be a treat! Just like, if I found this helmet for $85 new, I'd snatch it up too.

Third, I'm not Smartpak, and I can only speak to what I personally purchased the helmet for. Maybe, then, using your logic, you should contact them with an email telling them they should give you their goods marked down, because they only paid $85 for it. Get back to me and tell me how that goes.

Last, I never said I wasn't negotiable. I've bought and sold about 30k worth of items on craigslist, and am very aware that there is almost always negotiating that happens. Saying that, I'm also a student who is living on loans that needs to purchase another helmet, so $85 would be too much of an under cut.

If this was your way of trying to get me to say "oh, we'll, I'm negotiable... I'll take X for it", you're nuts. So if this is your method to get people to negotiate with you, my advice (since I feel like you have asked for it more than I, just posting on CL) is to try something slightly less "high on her buggy".

[BLBGP]

Sounds like you have more time on your hands than annoying craigslist lady.

These things happen when you post stuff on Craigslist. The delete button is your friend.

[GoForAGallop]

Sounds like you have more time on your hands than annoying craigslist lady.

These things happen when you post stuff on Craigslist. The delete button is your friend.

Seriously.

[Quest52]

Oh I do have time!! I have a horrid graduate assistantship with no direction. I sit here and look through this site between classes. Really... at this time... I have A LOT of spare time at the computer on my hands.

[Kementari]

I posted a saddle once on CL for free - it was cheap to start with and had a broken stirrup bar, so I figured someone could still get some use out of it (even if just to use with babies getting used to the idea of a saddle) but it wasn't actually worth any money.

I got TONS of responses from people who either a) had not read the ad to see it was BROKEN (despite the fact that I posted pictures, one of which was OF the broken part!), or b) wanted me to drive 2-3 hours to deliver it to them (my location was also clearly stated, as was, "You pick it up").

I responded politely to everyone, explaining to the delivery people that I was offering it only for pick-up, and got several people who responded back (in various forms) that they were ENTITLED to have a freakin' FREE SADDLE delivered to them. If I were making something off the deal, I might be willing to work something out (though still not a 3-hour drive...), but for free? Seriously.

That said, I've sold (and bought...) plenty of other things and leased my horse (though he did go to someone I knew who just happened to see the CL ad, so I'm not sure if that counts!) with CL, and like using it. I'm kinda intimidated by selling on eBay (though I buy there plenty), and like the simplicity and transparency of CL instead!

[StefffiC]

I buy and sell on CL often - mostly buying for resale on Ebay lately, but... My worst experience was selling my dad's Suburban on CL. It had a few minor, but typical, issues, was a big block, 4x4, 3/4 ton. I had priced it well below blue book because it needed a few repairs, all was disclosed in the ad. I had someone offer my dad HALF of our listing price. HALF. That's not negotiation, that's an insult. I increased the price almost $1000 and put in my ad no negotiation, as is, where is, local cash sale only, and all this stuff... Someone called me an hour later, came the next day, paid cash, and she loves it.

When I sold his motorcycle it was funny, a guy called me the evening I put it up, but I'd gone to bed with a migraine and turned my ringer off. So, he emailed me. I sent more photos that night. The next day I was delivering my horse to her leasor and he called me 9 times to come see the bike. I finally got him and my dad together - in the snow - and he bought the bike, came back and got it a week later.

I swore off of selling vehicles on CL after those two, my sanity won't take it!

[LexInVA]

I've blocked Craigslist at my parent's house to keep my mom from shopping for furniture she doesn't need. She's got an odd obsession with buying other people's things. I think it comes from those stupid home decorating and design shows she watches whenever she's not working.

[vxf111]

People on Craig's List (and sometimes horse forums) are nuts.

My favorite are the types who just CANNOT wrap their head around contract formation. Offer+acceptance=contract. Once you offer and I accept, we have a deal. That's it. The time to back down is BEFORE you offer and I accept.

Roughly 1/2 the time I sell something it goes like this...

I post something for $X.

Email from "buyer" asking 20 questions about the item (most of which are stated in the ad)

I take my time to patiently respond in detail

Email from "buyer" : Will you accept $X- $25 for the item?

Me: Sure, I'll accept that amount. I take PayPal/money order and here's my information.

Buyer: Super! Will send you payment.

(time lapse during which there is NO communication from the "buyer")

I email the buyer: Haven't received your payment yet, everything okay?

Buyer: "Oh, I decided not to buy it after all [insert random excuse]/"

So-called buyer was NEVER going to reach out to me to tell me he/she changed his/her mind. It's like they're unaware that there's a real live human being on the other end of the transaction!

This happens, no joke, 1/2 the time I list things. I actually dislike this MORE than the insane undervaluing/lowballing offer people. Those people don't waste my time. They make an offer, I reply back "thanks for your offer, that won't work for me." And it's done. But the renegging buyer wastes my time asking questions and then has me hold the item off the market, losing other potential sales. Someone JUST did it to me AGAIN on an Edgewood bridle. JUST did it it me. And is merrily posting sale items on that same board. I almost feel like warning other people not to deal with that person... but I am too nice for that. I did send her a polite email to let her know that while he/she was off fooling around-- I turned down 2 sales. She apologized... said she knew someone else who wanted the bridle... AND THEN VANISHED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH AGAIN. Talk about RUDE.

From now on, until the money HITS my HAND-- it's for sale. Enough of these time-wasting "buyers."

I should put a lesson in contract formation in my ads But I've also noticed... most potential buyers can't/don't read. All my ads say "email, don't private message or post on the board." Guess what HALF the buyers do?! Post on the board or send a PM. People just skim over the ad I guess.

Frustrating. Buying/selling online requires copious patience.