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Facebook Marketplace fun and games – what's the next move?

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[#13209377]

Here we go again – I am selling a cheap commute bike – it's in pretty decent condition and >£200 new (a Carerra). I am asking £60 for it, got a message asking me what the least I'd take is, I asked them to make an offer and they came back with £35. I said I'd rather donate it to charity than sell at that price, they asked what the least I would take and I said £50. Their latest response is an offer of £40. Christ on a (cheap) bike. So where is this going to go next?


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:30 am
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Tell them it's £55 now because of inflation


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:33 am
ngnm, supernova, hardtailonly and 19 people reacted
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Ignore the idiots.

Then when you agree the price from the jokers, they then wont turn up....


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:36 am
davros, breninbeener, chrismac and 5 people reacted
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£58 now, price rise 3rd april

is the bike worth £60 to the right person, the right person will see it, come over and buy it, ignore the idiots


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:36 am
ngnm, breninbeener, salad_dodger and 3 people reacted
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Frankly disappointed if they haven't asked you to deliver it


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:38 am
funkmasterp, silvine, J-R and 5 people reacted
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got a message asking me what the least I’d take is

I'd have ignored and blocked at that stage! 🙂


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:38 am
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Just say 'no', don't engage in a to and fro with people like that. Someone else will buy it.

Anyone who says 'what' the lowest you'll go' gets a good ignoring from me.  You want it, you make me an offer and I'll then decide if I want to sell it to you or someone else of my choosing.  As the seller, you are in the driving seat.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:40 am
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Yep - I am surprised they haven't asked to deliver, or have a mate pay £100 into my current account so I pay them £40 back and all that nonsense. It's a pain though - currently trying to sell four bikes, had all the usual fun and games and having people not turn up and still not sold any of them 🙁 (No, there's nothing anyone on here would want, just old kids bikes and stuff like that).


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:42 am
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They're not going to give you what you want. And even if you agree on a price they're bound to muck you about. Stop replying and move on.

I've a kids bike to sell and I just can't stomach the idea of facing marketplace, so it's currently sat taking up space, as that's preferable! 😀


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:43 am
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Next move: get on with your life,

The good thing about marketplace is you can just ignore the timewasters, it''s not ebay or the local paper, You're not paying every week to re-list it.  Just hit the block button and move on until someone actually wants it.

I only sell stuff on there cheap, As soon as you price it the same as everyone else then you just get people messaging every similar item and wasting your time.  Go in cheap-ish, someone will bite your arm off, and you can get on with your day.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 11:55 am
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You can pick your buyers. Ignore this one, they will only be hassle even if you manage to agree a price.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 12:48 pm
fasthaggis, J-R, fasthaggis and 1 people reacted
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got a message asking me what the least I’d take is

Yeah, really your reply should have been £60 or just immediately block them.

Mrs f is ruthless now when it comes to selling locally on FB marketplace. Everything she lists is put on at bargain prices to shift it, any messages of best price/lowest she'd accept and they're straight on the block list, I think she has most of the local time wasters blocked now 😁, never struggles to sell whatever tat she has listed.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 12:58 pm
phil5556 and phil5556 reacted
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Depends - do you want the fun and games or to sell it?

If it's fun and games I'd counter with £40 plus <insert some random, riduculous item worth >£10>

If it's to sell it then just tell them someone has just agreed to buy it for asking price so they go away and ignore them.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:02 pm
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In my experience the buyers who lowball will, when you counter, turn up with no more cash than their lowball offer.

Had this with a car. Guy wanted to pay 800 for a 1200 car, I said 950 minimum. He turns up, had a look, says he'll take it at 800. Then protested he had driven 75 miles when I told him to do one. Should have driven 75 miles with 150 quid more in your pocket then mate. Numpty.

Now I just won't deal with people whose first and only question is 'what's the lowest you will take'. Same as people whose entire message is just "£xx?". No, got better things to do with my life than deal with chancers like you.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:08 pm
ngnm, funkmasterp, addy6402 and 3 people reacted
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Put it on eBay. Yes you have to pay but I have much more success and very few time wasters.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:22 pm
mrchrist and mrchrist reacted
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If I put it on Ebay, once all the fees are taken off, I would end up with almost nothing. I just wanted a straight-forward sale of a very low value item 🙁


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:35 pm
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I am asking £60 for it, got a message asking me what the least I’d take is,

"£65."

Life is too short to deal with people who will piss and moan over loose change.  If you sold it to them I'm cast-iron certain that they'll be back on your doorstep a week later with some fault or other.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:36 pm
oldnick, matt_outandabout, addy6402 and 3 people reacted
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once all the fees are taken off, I would end up with almost nothing.

...

I said I’d rather donate it to charity than sell at that price,


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:38 pm
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£30???


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:39 pm
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The price I'd take is the price I advertised.  Unless I added a bartering cushion.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 1:51 pm
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On the other hand people do put some things on eBay/marketplace at some ridiculous prices because they think that they should be worth something.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:02 pm
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If I put it on Ebay, once all the fees are taken off, I would end up with almost nothing. I just wanted a straight-forward sale of a very low value item 🙁

Wrong platform for that to happen


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:03 pm
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Ebay is no better. I've got a Dnepr K-750M motorbike for sale on there for £1250 and some eejit messages to ask if I'd take £200 for it then sent an indignant reply when I said no.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:06 pm
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what’ the lowest you’ll go?

About 2 miles per hour, any lower than that and I fall off.

If I put it on Ebay, once all the fees are taken off, I would end up with almost nothing. I just wanted a straight-forward sale of a very low value item

Wait for one of their regular seller offers and the deductions will be buttons. Put it on for a quid, with no BIN price and state that on the advert. People get caught up in the excitement of a genuine auction, I sold a 12 year old Fiat 500 with a broken clutch for £1850 quid a couple of weeks ago!


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:08 pm
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I have to say my last few Marketplace transactions have been pretty smooth. Sold a fridge over the weekend - only one spammer, and proper buyer collected next day.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:25 pm
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Got a message asking me what the least I’d take is

I just reply "what's the most you'd pay for it?". When they offer some derisory amount I reply with a laughing emoji and block them.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:29 pm
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Does any of the above advice apply if you are a bike shop? 😁


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:29 pm
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You know you'll end up swapping it for fishing tackle, it's just a question of time


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:29 pm
J-R and J-R reacted
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My favourites in ads are "just needs a clean" and "easy fix". Is that so!

Well clean it and fix it then and you may sell it!


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 2:37 pm
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Ebay is no better. I’ve got a Dnepr K-750M motorbike for sale on there for £1250 and some eejit messages to ask if I’d take £200 for it then sent an indignant reply when I said no.

Just allow offers and set the offer price to a tenner below listing price. Weeds 90% of muppets out.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 3:12 pm
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I've had people turn up to collect an item (can't remember what it was or where it was advertised, could have been Gumtree or FB Marketplace), they didn't have the agreed asking price amount on them. I told them where the nearest ATM was. They did return with the correct amount.

Maybe people who haggle at the point of sale are right, and I'm wrong 🤷‍♂️


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 3:41 pm
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"Well clean it and fix it then and you may sell it!"

Indeed. Saw these on vinted - a pair of Dr Martins in vegan flavour with a 'just need a clean' in the description. Honestly, how lazy do you have to be not to at least just give them a quick wipe over. They want £75 as well. Oddly, still not sold.

Argh - stupid ****ing forum and it's missing quotes and photos on an Android phone! You'll just have to imagine a photo of some office shoes that have recently done service in a muddy field.

At least the Facebook marketplace website ****ing works!


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 3:48 pm
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Tell them you are not open to offers and they've got one chance before you block them and move on with your life.

Going by the average mouthbreather that FB Marketplace seems to attract, they probably won't turn up anyway.

My other half often sells stuff on FB, but I've now said if I have to deal with the buyer my rate is £20 per hour - with a £20 callout fee. There have been so many cretins turn up with an unsuitable vehicle, 10% less cash than agreed etc.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 4:10 pm
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I hate dealing with idiots, so with my last few old bike, I donated them to charity / a worthy soul who needed it, and as long as they get enjoyment from it, I'll be happier than getting a couple of quid.

P


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 4:23 pm
thebunk and thebunk reacted
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When making the listing simply state %100 your terms after that, remind  daft questions and offers the link to go away and re educate themselves .. Simple fact of Faceache MP   for every add there will be 1 genuine  buyer and 10 bellends.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 4:31 pm
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I’ve got a Dnepr K-750M motorbike for sale on there for £1250

haha, I'm watching that 😂


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 4:58 pm
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Hah - he's just responded again, saying he'll give me £45 if I will wait until Saturday.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:10 pm
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I predict a no-show.  Those extra couple of days give him time to find another bike or decide that he doesn't want yours quite enough to bother turning up.  Having similar issues on gumtree, myself. ..


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:35 pm
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You've more patience than me if you're still in contact with him!


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:35 pm
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^^ He just sent me another message, I haven't responded since this morning – I'm curious now to see if he ends up offering what I originally said I'd take for it (I won't sell it to him even if he does).


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:43 pm
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To be fair....if you spend a lot of time at home, and bargain hunt (or that other one where two of them jolly around the UK in a vintage car going to nik nak shops for a week and flipping it at an auction house) ends up on the screen a lot you'd be forgiven to thinking this is how the world works. The only times I've ever watched it they always start with a low ball at <50% the asking price.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:50 pm
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On the other end, I'm looking for a new toy, either a campervan or a motorbike. Two examples, both with short/vague 3 line adverts that should have bee the first red flag.

Campervan  - ermmm, those numberplates don't match the .gov records.  Cue some story about them being from his other van.  It's tax and MOT exempt so it doesn't even really make any sense to be driving round on the wrong plates!  Surely no ones going to buy it like that?

Motorbike - After a few questions, can I have the reg number to check the mot history? Sorry I'm at work.  Who doesn't know their own reg number?

I wonder how some people dress themselves in the morning, let alone sell anything.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 5:56 pm
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I was selling a cheap Toyota IQ on FB a few weeks ago, it seemed every curry takeaway and Uber eats in the country was low balling me as well as the usual scammers. If I had a pound for everyone of them I blocked I wouldn't need to sell it.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 7:47 pm
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I always get, yeah defo take it will come round today.

They never show up.

I once sold a bed and told 9 people they could have it. One of them turned up and tried to haggle. Told him to FO and get out of my house. He then agreed to pay the full price.

Next thing another person said they were setting off and I told them it was sold. She said I thought you said I could have it. I then explained how FB market place is full of idiots who say they defo want it and never then up.

Use eBay every time now.


 
Posted : 03/04/2024 10:35 pm
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Expect we all have marketplace stories to tell it makes selling on ebay seem like heaven!

I once sold a table and agreed to drop it round the persons house for free as wasn't far and their car wasn't big enough apparently.

Duly called round at the agreed time with the table and they werent in, multiple messages sent - no response. Eventually later in the day they said sorry they'd decide to go out and could I deliver it another day....second word was off!


 
Posted : 04/04/2024 9:34 am
J-R and J-R reacted
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