As someone who sells stuff on craigslist semi-frequently, I am usually appalled by the lack of…
- Common sense
- Grasp of elementary school concepts
- Disregard for any sense of etiquette
…that occurs during most craigslist transactions. While this post is targeted at the annoying things buyers do, there are plenty of annoying sellers, too. So, here are my top five pet peeves about craigslist buyers, in no particular order of annoyance.
RTFD (Read The Freakin’ Description)
What is wrong with this scenario?
Item title: Black and White Wing Back Style Recliner – $135
Buyer’s email: How much for the chair?
(Note: if you can’t figure it out, you’re probably an avid craigslist buyer)
Keep in mind that this buyer was so lazy that he didn’t even finish reading the item title. Oh no, he didn’t even have to delve into the description for this – it was right there in the title!
I tried to sell an iPhone recently. I can’t tell you how many people asked me if the charger was included. Now, granted, this juicy tidbit was in the description, which is a lot of work to find.
Here is another lame-brained inquiry about the iPhone:
Title: iPhone 3G; 16GB; requires AT&T sim & activation – $75
Buyer’s question: Will it work on T-Mobile?
Blerg! How are you still in the gene pool? But my favorite idiotic craigslist inquiry went like this:
Hey what are you selling???
Maybe this one was some kind of scam / phishing attempt. I hope so. If not…there are no words. You just randomly clicked an item, clicked the email address without reading anything, and asked what I was selling?
So to sum it up (if you’ve gotten this far, chances are you don’t use craigslist): Read the description before sending an email (if you really have A.D.D., at least read the title). It makes you look like a moron if you don’t.
Lowballing in a passive aggressive way
This one really irks me.
Let’s be honest – we’ve all made a lowball offer on an item at some point in our lives. So if I’m selling Modern Warfare 3 for $50, and some kid offers me $10, I’ll politely tell him “No Thanks” and we’ll both be on our merry ways.
But have you ever gotten this one? This is an actual email I received from a buyer on craigslist regarding a chair my wife and I were selling:
What would your bottom $ on this be?? thanks so much.
So in other words, this person was too timid to make a lowball offer, and instead wanted me to name a bargain bin price … on my own item! Argh, grow a pair and make the lowball offer yourself. If I listed a chair for $75, it means I want to make $75. I might entertain a reasonable offer – say $65 – but I’m not going to name a ridiculously low price for you.
Buyers expecting sellers to meet ridiculously far away
OK, so you’ve weeded through the idiots and you’ve actually found someone who can craft simple sentences, operate a phone, and read at a 2nd grade level. Congratulations!
Now comes more frustration: they want you to drive halfway across your state to meet them so they can buy your $25 pillow.
If I am selling an old phone for $40, I am not going to drive from Minneapolis to Duluth to meet you. That was a joke; sorry non-Minnesotans! That’s a three-hour drive. I once asked a guy if he could pick a place to meet between my city and his, and he named his own city. Apparently the concept of “between” was not taught in some grade schools.
Note: if it’s a large-ticket item and I stand to make a good chunk of cash, this doesn’t apply – I’m definitely willing to make the drive on bigger sales.
Being snarky with a seller who won’t budge
Here is a fun conversation about a chair I was selling for $150:
Buyer: Would you take $75 cash for the chair?
Me: No, sorry. I am pretty firm on the price and $75 is much lower than I intend to sell it for.
Buyer: Ok thanks for the reply. FYI…Its probably an old chair that someone bought fabric for and re-upholstered. Good luck getting $150
Me: It was new when we got it. It was from a model home. They are selling the chair for new on overstock.com.
This scenario ties into an aforementioned irritant, which is buyers not reading the description. If this buyer had read it, she would have learned that it was actively being sold on overstock.com and was not a re-upholstered chair, as she so snarkily implied. Instead of just walking away, she had to taunt me a bit. Sore loser!
Random “call me” emails with no context
If someone is selling a $40 phone, please don’t send them an email like this:
Hi can you pls call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX?? Thanks!
Um, no. Make an offer. P.S., do you notice how double punctuation is a sure indicator of a dufus?
So there you have it. I hope you are as agitated as I am when I try to sell stuff as craigslist (I am not normally this irritated!). In summary, if buyers could just do the following, craigslist could be a cool & groovy place:
- Do read the description, or at least the title if you are really that lazy
- Don’t be too wimpy to make an offer and expect the seller to suggest a bargain bin price
- Don’t expect a seller to spend more in gas driving to meet you than the item is worth
- Don’t be snarky when a seller doesn’t give in to your crappy lowball offer
- Don’t send random (and creepy!) “call me” emails with no context
I could have gone on and on, but keep in mind my target audience here.
So what agitates you about craigslist transactions? (buyers or sellers, doesn’t matter – I’d love to hear your angst-ridden stories either way)
