Facebook Marketplace Rant

Kanpai

Kanpai

Kanpai

Soldato
Joined
19 Jun 2009
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London
So I thought I'd see how this one fares up as I have quite a few household items which I could do with getting rid off and thought I'd put them on Facebook and see how the marketplace is, bearing in mind I've put very considerate prices even for items that are still brand new and unopened, people still have the audacity to offer ridiculous prices.

First example would be a baby video monitor which retails for £109 which I've put up for £70 as it was an unwanted gift. Almost 10 messages asking "Is this available?" and no further reply made after responding, one user messages back and says "£15 will pick up today can pay cash ASAP". I mean, really? What are these people thinking? A part of me just wanted to troll her somewhat for making such a ludicrous offer but figured what's the point.

It's not just Facebook however, have had similar encounters at other places like Gumtree.

Anyone else had similar experiences on these platforms when selling goods? Not sure what's worse, people asking if item is available and then not saying anything more or the absurd offers they think that will get accepted.
 
Not only is the entire internet like this, people have the barefaced nerve to offer below the asking price of houses despite said house being marketed as “ offers in excess of X”.
 
This is one of the reasons why I gave up selling publicly on Facebook, as well as Gumtree years ago - too many time wasters and people who are simply out there who don't want to pay anywhere near what an item is worth. The only things I sell on Facebook nowadays are PC parts within a known private PC group, which is heavily moderated when it comes to listing items.

Liam.
 
SpartaK said:
So I thought I'd see how this one fares up as I have quite a few household items which I could do with getting rid off and thought I'd put them on Facebook and see how the marketplace is, bearing in mind I've put very considerate prices even for items that are still brand new and unopened, people still have the audacity to offer ridiculous prices.

First example would be a baby video monitor which retails for £109 which I've put up for £70 as it was an unwanted gift. Almost 10 messages asking "Is this available?" and no further reply made after responding, one user messages back and says "£15 will pick up today can pay cash ASAP". I mean, really? What are these people thinking? A part of me just wanted to troll her somewhat for making such a ludicrous offer but figured what's the point.

It's not just Facebook however, have had similar encounters at other places like Gumtree.

Anyone else had similar experiences on these platforms when selling goods? Not sure what's worse, people asking if item is available and then not saying anything more or the absurd offers they think that will get accepted.
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In the same boat. I've got a dishwasher on FB. Cost a little over £300 and we used it for 5 months (Moved house and new house has built in)

Put it up at £100 collection or £105 delivered within 10 miles.

A guy messaged me wanting me to deliver it to Stoke-on-Trent (84 miles) and he was offering £50 all in.

uvarvu said:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/
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I was gonna post that too.
 
tom_e said:
You've never sold anything on the MM have you? :D It's the same everywhere.
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Sold plenty of times in MM and never had those "you can't be serious?" moments tbh.

eBay is just as bad in my experience.

Since making this thread I've had another half dozen messages offering as low as £30!
 
SpartaK said:
So I thought I'd see how this one fares up as I have quite a few household items which I could do with getting rid off and thought I'd put them on Facebook and see how the marketplace is, bearing in mind I've put very considerate prices even for items that are still brand new and unopened, people still have the audacity to offer ridiculous prices.

First example would be a baby video monitor which retails for £109 which I've put up for £70 as it was an unwanted gift. Almost 10 messages asking "Is this available?" and no further reply made after responding, one user messages back and says "£15 will pick up today can pay cash ASAP". I mean, really? What are these people thinking? A part of me just wanted to troll her somewhat for making such a ludicrous offer but figured what's the point.

It's not just Facebook however, have had similar encounters at other places like Gumtree.

Anyone else had similar experiences on these platforms when selling goods? Not sure what's worse, people asking if item is available and then not saying anything more or the absurd offers they think that will get accepted.
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As a buyer they can just message 5-10 people with a silly offer and see who comes back with lowest counter offer. Zero effort and generally they'll get what they want :(
 
I don't think it helps that FB offers a button that literally at a press sends the seller a "Is this availiable?" message.

That said, I've done it before when umming and ahhhing about a car, decent advert so needed to ask no q's, asked if was available and it was - therefore gave it further thought but decided to rule it out. Yes probably would have been courteous to send a 'Sorry not for me on reflection' but hey ho.
 
Just people being people.

We did a boot-sale about 5 years ago. My wife wanted to sell clothes and I had loads of old DVD's to get rid of.

Even selling clothes at 50p, people would offer 20p instead! Bizzare.
 
VincentHanna said:
Just people being people.

We did a boot-sale about 5 years ago. My wife wanted to sell clothes and I had loads of old DVD's to get rid of.

Even selling clothes at 50p, people would offer 20p instead! Bizzare.
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That's the fun of a boot sale. We used to go quite regularly when our eldest was a baby - he'd wake us up early and it was good to get out of the house on a sunday morning.

Always got to try to knock them down. it's like foreplay :D
 
cheesyboy said:
That's the fun of a boot sale. We used to go quite regularly when our eldest was a baby - he'd wake us up early and it was good to get out of the house on a sunday morning.

Always got to try to knock them down. it's like foreplay :D
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Yeah boot fair's are all about bargaining. A lot of people aren't cut out for it though.
 
When I had my car on ebay I had people asking me to cancel the auction and sell it to them directly for much less money than the auction had already reached.
 
Hades said:
When I had my car on ebay I had people asking me to cancel the auction and sell it to them directly for much less money than the auction had already reached.
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I had that. And after the car 'selling' for more money 5 times and getting nowhere with actually having people turn up to pay me, I took one of those easy sales.

The car was a non-runner, though. Sold for £500.
 
Sold two items through Facebook, both went on for £30, both had offers for £20 and both went for £25.

Had some friends who put a sofa set, worth £1000, on for £300 for a quick sale and had offers for £50...
 
Ebay is usually awful for selling in my experience. I think it sorta depends on what you're selling though. I found that if I put up something like weight lifting equipment then I get very poorly written messages offering ridiculous prices and wanting me to end the auction early for them. Stereotypical but it seems to be the trend.
 
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