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

Aye well all these stories put me ill at ease over a bike im intending to sell. I dont do FB and given some of the stories that seems to be a good thing, and I dont know enough about ebay pick up procedure, and was intending a cash on collection sale somewhere like gumtree. But it makes me wonder if anywhere is safe.

£2k level bike sale is a lot of money which would attract the wrong sort.

Yeah I wouldn’t sell an expensive bike on Facebook – I’d be concerned that someone would say they are interested, ask for your address, then come round one night to nick it. I only use it for selling cheap stuff, and I hide my expensive bikes from view when people come round to collect.

So, I have sold two of the four bikes I was selling (my old commute bike and my wife’s old bike) but having a nightmare selling my girls’ two old bikes from when they were much younger. I have had loads of interest and then people just don’t turn up. The latest was someone who asked about one, agreed the price, didn’t turn up then messaged me asking if I would take £25 (it’s on at £40) because she had a long way to come and it was going to cost her lots in petrol. Errrr…. not my problem.

Experienced a FB moron non buyer this week. Partner has a dishwasher on FB Marketplace, gets message from bloke, offers £50 below asking, she accepts, he says he’ll collect. She asks me if I can check if he’s ligit. Look him up, “director” of a cleaning co., (yes a CLEANING company) based about 1.5hours from us.. looks ok. So yesterday he’s coming to collect about 7pm, she asks if I can come round make sure all ok. I in home from riding home and now he’s said 6pm and knocked £50 off his offer, so I’ve gotta go straight round now. Get there, 10 mins before the pillock is due to arrive. She’s dragged the dishwasher to a convenient place. 5 mins to go… get a text… “Oh no, sorry I’ve just realised this is a dishwasher. Thought it was a washing machine”. I mean, do these nobrains just enjoy wasting peoples time?