[Closed] Gumtree : "Is this still for sale?"

I had someone ask if they could borrow the tent i was trying to sell.

I was selling a kids car seat for £12 to just get rid and I kept getting offered stupid things like "I'll give you £8 if you deliver it" why are you buying a car seat if you don't have a car?

Pick it up and give me £10 and it's a deal and it never sold...

I was selling a kids car seat for £12 to just get rid and I kept getting offered stupid things like "I'll give you £8 if you deliver it" why are you buying a car seat if you don't have a car?

To sell on eBay for £25 obvs.

I buy a fair amount of stuff off gumtree and at least half the time, when I contact a seller it's already gone. So "do you still have this" is a pretty reasonable opener I think

Is this still for sale?

Seems like a perfectly legitimate question - on ebay if an item sells the listing reflects that. Nothing about a gumtree ad reflects whether an item is still available or not and in some instances gumtree listings can sell in minutes.

However I asked 'is this still for sale?" recently about something that was listed nearly a month ago... and it was... and now its mine.

Yeah failing to see the issue asking if something is still for sale.

Plenty of times I've gone in with an offer and a time I can pick up that evening eager beaver only to be told it sold last week.

Maybe if OP replied to one of them he might sell the item!

They're probably scammers or foreign, better safe than sorry.

I think the op is having the same thing I did. Loads is it still for sale?

Fair enough but you reply "yes £10 and it's yours" and then nothing they never reply so why ask?

Try selling an inflatable boat and engine. Someone turned up who had no money to pay for it and no means of getting it home! He looked genuinely shocked that I wanted the money before he could have the boat. He had to go away to the cash machine and then round a lot of supermarkets to get cash-back. 20 minutes after the transaction was completed the doorbell went again. He couldn't get the thing in his car! (A small two seater with an electric roof that stows into the boot) I managed to get the outboard into the boot but was skeptical that it could ever be removed again. The boat which was rolled up in a valise I spent 20 min physically kicking the thing through the door into the passenger seat for which the new owner was eternally gratefull 🙂

That was better than the bloke from Newcastle who wanted it delivered from East Lothian for half of the asking price.

Gumtree is top for entertainment!

But is it still for sale, you’ve not mentioned that.

yeah i think that's a reasonable question - i often start with that if the ad is over a week old.

placed my first ever listing this week. An air purifier. So far:

Random: Is it still for sale?
Me: Yes it is.
Random: Is it a dehumidifier?
Me: No, it's an air purifier.
Random: .....

I think if you find that perfectly reasonable question tiring, then Gumtree is not for you ....
Both the sellers and buyers seem to be populated by people you spend the rest of your life trying to avoid .... 😕

I sold a drill for £15. Guy turns up with a twenty, asks if I have change. I don't, but offer to hold on to it for him. Guy say's "Oh well, nevermind" and walks off...

I sold a drill for £15. Guy turns up with a twenty, asks if I have change. I don't, but offer to hold on to it for him. Guy say's "Oh well, nevermind" and walks off...

Fake £20.

I’m on a roll in this quick fire round 😆

I would've accepted the fake twenty!

I had someone ask to hire a bike I was selling... They did offer £50 deposit to be fair...

It's because as a buyer on gumtree 75% of the time when you ask about it it's already sold. If you don't want people to ask if something is on sale maybe don't sell anything :p

I get those questions on the same day it was listed.
yeah, it is still for sale cos it was listed at 8am and I'm at work so can't really have flogged it in the last 90 mins.

I put up a drumkit this morning for £200. Two hours later I get an offer of £75. My response was "this seems unlikely", then got a torrent of abuse for not understanding haggling.
I emailed back saying it was £250. Then that I only wanted £50. Then that I'd give him £35 to take it away. Then that the price was £250.

We'll see what I get back.

Just listed a bike I have for sale on a couple of Facebook marketplaces. A couple of genuine enquiries so far but lots of "is this still for sale?" from lads whose FB profile content (pictures of stolen bikes, chav cars and tracksuits) makes me not want to give them my address. 😆

I had someone ask to hire a bike I was selling... They did offer £50 deposit to be fair...

Fake £50 note.
Am I playing the game right?

wiggles - Member
I think the op is having the same thing I did. Loads is it still for sale?

Fair enough but you reply "yes £10 and it's yours" and then nothing they never reply so why ask?

You're the only one that gets it!

Yes... i reply and say 'yes', then silence!

I would've accepted the fake twenty

That would have messed up his carefully calculated margins though.

Buy fake £20 with real £5
Buy drill with fake £20 and get real £5 back in change.
Buy some snouts and a brick with real £5
Sell drill on eBay for £22 + £5 p+p
Post brick for £5
Buy lager and snouts for £22.

It’s all accounted for. :lol

Just listed a bike I have for sale on a couple of Facebook marketplaces. A couple of genuine enquiries so far but lots of "is this still for sale?" from lads whose FB profile content (pictures of stolen bikes, chav cars and tracksuits) makes me not want to give them my address.

Hi. Is the bike still available?

I've just had a bloke (with a strong foreign accent) phone me about the wheels and winter tyres I've currently listed on Gumtree, he seems very keen and is apparently coming tomorrow to buy them - he's already knocked me down £20 to £180. He asked about the best route to get here from Kensington London, I'm in Cheshire!!!!!! We'll see if he turns up?

Try selling an inflatable boat and engine.

Did you win it on Bullseye?

Someone bought a mattress I was selling and arrived with a roll of [i]clingfilm[/i] to wrap it in... There was no way this was going to work but he tried anyway. Held it upright, then went around it with clingfilm, only to find the mattress bent over and the clingfilm was sticking to itself.

THis went on for about 20 minutes until the entire roll of clingfilm had stuck to itself and not the mattress, then he strapped it to his roof and drove home via the m25.

It's probably still at the side of the m25 somewhere.

Any Gumtree ad I post the first line is always:-

PLEASE NOTE: I MANAGE MY GUMTREE ADS AND IF AN ITEM IS SOLD I REMOVE THE AD. IF YOU CAN STILL SEE THE AD, THE ITEM IS STILL FOR SALE.

If anyone still asks I ignore them (haven't had any yet). I don't know why people don't remove ads when the item is sold (well I do really).

Most of those replies are bots.

I ask that question by default. Seems reasonable before wasting either parties time. Often it is sold and they just haven't got round to deleting their ad. But since it seems to offend what do you suggest instead?

I like decisive proactive buyers that move fast. I try to buy myself in the same style. and often you get sellers that don't offer a time for collection, then get annoyed when you make that decision for them. I also give people time to get organised.

Be civil to them when they come as well. Nothing worse than taking the cash and abandoning folk in your garage when they might need a hand.

Basically Chill.

I always get the random “will you swap for” replies. A Guy offered me fishing tackle and (I quote) a really good torch for a bike I was selling. I asked loads of questions about how good the torch was and he didn’t respond 😥

I would’ve been well excited about a really good torch.

Did it have Duracell batteries?

antimony - Member
He asked about the best route to get here from Kensington London, I'm in Cheshire!!!!!! We'll see if he turns up?

He'll then ring and say he's arranged a courier to pick it up and he's given a wad of cash (fake notes) to the courier 😀 (probably scammed the courier also, or he's got a mate in Cheshire).

Fair enough but you reply "yes £10 and it's yours" and then nothing they never reply so why ask?

I discovered Hotmail/Outlook junks email replies from sellers, hence the prospective buyer never gets the reply.... unless they check junk mail regularly

glasgowdan - Member
The standard one-off email to any ad you post. Had 5 of these so far on a karcher I'm selling.

Where do these people come from?

I am one of these people, reason being: no-one on Gumtree seems to know how to delete an advert when its sold.

Clue- its in the 'manage my adverts' section.

Sold a few things on gumtree and had a few real hotties turn up, although had a few crackpots too ,0)

Thanks for the heads up about Gumtree guys. Never been on it before but this thread caught my interest. Really keen to buy something through it especially if a hottie is selling it.

Not sure what to buy though. Choices range from a £1 Princess Diana life story book to a £19950 burger van traiiler. Which one will the hottie be selling? Any advice folks?

Contact them and ask for a picture to verify.

antimony - Member
I've just had a bloke (with a strong foreign accent) phone me about the wheels and winter tyres I've currently listed on Gumtree, he seems very keen and is apparently coming tomorrow to buy them - he's already knocked me down £20 to £180. He asked about the best route to get here from Kensington London, I'm in Cheshire!!!!!! We'll see if he turns up?

Bell end magnet of the highest order that gumtree.

It's just a slice of society. Obviously plenty of idiots on there. Normal people too. I've bought and sold on there without issue. Just need to do a bit of filtering and never give out your phone number.

Tried selling a car on there.

"What is your best price?" Seems to be the usual first line. Without seeing it.

Asking to knock several hundred pounds off an already cheap car that's priced to sell quickly, again without viewing.

And trying to get a response from some sellers is nigh on impossible!

I am one of these people, reason being: no-one on Gumtree seems to know how to delete an advert when its sold.

Clue- its in the 'manage my adverts' section.

This

Similar on Autotrader. So far 5 out of 6 cars I've enquired about this week are already sold. Therefore first contact is now V short to waste to much time asking specifics.

Is this thread still going?

gumtree have had varying levels of usefulness as above.

from "will you deliver 40 miles away" (no)
and "I'll turn up, no I won't, have changed my mind"

to meeting a really nice lad who bought our sofa bed, helped him transport it, couldn't have been a better transaction.

My point is that when the seller replies and says "yes"...these people vanish and don't enquire any further. It's like an urge to know that something's still for sale for the sake of it.

Hmm, my first use of Gumtree and within 2 hours of placing the ad I've had 3 replies asking if it is still available. This can only bode well for the sale of my camera. Or not.

As above, usually ask as half the time the thing's already sold but they haven't delete the ad.

Had someone turn up for something of nominal value (< £20) and want to pay for it by bank transfer. It may well have been legit but I could just see it going the way of 'well, I'll just take it' after the transaction didn't show up straight away..

IME it's speculatory/hopeful queue-placing.

ie first respondent = staking a claim, rather than the seller's preference which would be 'first to pay takes it'

Onviously with items that absolutely require viewing first then it's a logistical process that can go on and on

Maybe its cos the message thing on Facebook Marketplace sends "Is this still available" to sellers?
So they think that's the way to contact people (who they want to scam)..

I've never managed to buy or sell anything on Gumtree. Either "is this still available?" and then nothing. Or the seller never responds.

Facebook market place is similar, I've bought and sold a few things, but the ratio of messages to sales is at least 10:1.

On either platform certain categories attract the crayon eating, mouth breathing, spoon bangers. Car boot sales are the place to interact with people whom the concept of haggling is completely lost. "How much for ..(insert item)..?" £5. "Will you take 50p?

grrr, FaceBook market place...

placed ad yesterday for well priced item, expected quick sale as it's ~30% under market rate.

- 7x "is this still available" default pokes, me replying "yes it is, are you interested" => silence
- 3x replies and some back and forth, and agreement to collect, one yesterday, one today, and one on thursday, ALL backed out already
- 2x "is this still available" default pokes, me replying "yes it is, are you interested" to be told, "no sorry my $age offsrping clicked the button, sorry!"
- 2x replies with lots of back and forth, checking details, saying they'll have it.... at 50% of my advertised price!
- 3x replies asking for details THAT ARE CLEARLY IN THE ADVERT!!!!!!!

FFS

Sometimes it goes well, but dear god it's a struggle sometimes.

My experience of selling on eBay for over 10 years is if someone asks a question they will not buy it, they tend to just be timewasters. I pretty much ignore any questions these days based on that.

Well you'd have missed sales from me then! I ask questions quite regularly, often to clarify ambiguous descriptions or to ask for more details with basic listings.

Really annoying when sellers don't reply to genuine questions...

I'm going to close this given that you've got your own thread running also.