Craigslist Complaint

[EllenFrasier]

I posted an ad on Craigslist that I was looking for Christmas decorations for outdoors. Someone contacted me and said she had a Santa and reindeer and rather than posting them on Craigslist wanted to know if I wanted to buy them. I asked her for pictures which she supplied the next day. I emailed her back and said would she accept $25, she had asked $30. She emailed me back and said sure and gave me her home phone number to call her husband. Since it involved meeting him somewhere, I had my husband call to set things up. The number was incorrect. I emailed her back and let her know that the number was incorrect and she emailed me back with the correct number. Then she emailed me again right away saying that she just talked to her husband and he sold the set to someone else!
I have sold things on Craigslist before and as long as I am communicating with a potential buyer and don't have the feeling that they are stalling or are not for real, I don't sell things out from under people. I contact other interested parties and let them know that someone else has already expressed interest and if the deal falls through I will contact them. I was really upset, but I emailed her back and told her that I would not pretend not to be disappointed but that I was sure I would find other decorations on Craigslist. I really wanted to tell her that I thought what she did was wrong, but I didn't. Do you think I should have? Wouldn't do me any good since they already sold it to someone else. I have no idea who they sold it to since they didn't put it on Craigslist yet. People!

 

[scrapquitler]

I would probably be upset, too. But honestly, it was probably a miscommunication between the woman and her DH. It happens all the time with my husband and I. He is always forgetting what we agreed on and then doing something different.

 

[SandrA9810]

And the husband was probably hoping to get a gold star from her for selling it and getting it out of the house.... It's possible there was a lack of communication between them.

Maybe the next one you find will be a better deal.

 

[limace]

Let it go. It's an honest mistake, is my guess-my husband would totally do something like this.

 

[VAfamily1998]

We sometimes sell stuff on Craigslist, and for us, it's usually a first come (as in first to actually arrive at our house with cash in hand, not first to email us) first serve.

I can't tell you how many times someone has emailed about an item, asked questions about it, stated a specific time they would come pick it up, get directions to our house and...
Never show up!

These were all people that didn't sound like they weren't stalling or weren't for real or anything...
I remember one that we called back, 45 minutes after the scheduled meet up time to find out if she was ever going to come, who told us "she decided to take a nap"!

In the meantime we turned down other potential buyers who, when we emailed them letting them know the sale had fallen through and the item was now available again, had already found something else.

So now, we just go with first come first serve.
We've had it happen to us too as buyers---Dh was once in the car on the way to pick up something, when the seller called him and let him know someone else had already bought the item. It's frustrating, but we understand why that seller had to take the first with cash to show up.

 

[EllenFrasier]

After thinking about it I realize it was probably a miscommunication between the husband and the wife. I don't think she deliberately misled me into thinking she was going to sell it to me.
As far as people selling it to the first one who shows up with the money, I think that is wrong. If you make an appointment with someone to meet and exchange goods for cash, you should keep the appointment - not sell it to someone who can come earlier. But that is just the way I would do it.

 

[phred52]

As far as people selling it to the first one who shows up with the money, I think that is wrong. If you make an appointment with someone to meet and exchange goods for cash, you should keep the appointment - not sell it to someone who can come earlier. But that is just the way I would do it.

My experience with Craigslist is that there are a lot of people out there who get their jollies out of making and then breaking appointments with no call, no show. A lot.

So we now tell everyone upfront that the first to show with cash gets the item......AND we keep a list of phone #'s to notify potential buyers when an item is gone.

We've listened and believed many stories through our Craigslist journey, but our "first to hand over money" policy has cut waaaay down on the number of no-show appointments.

 

[LAH LAH]

Happens all the time!

I wouldn't let it bother you too much.

 

[kinghorse]

This seems like a legitamate mistake between husband and wife and I can understand that you are upset. Craigstlist, Ebay seem to be wrought with fraud. When I sell things I ask the buyer to call right before they leave the house to pickup and only give directions then. I request everyone leave a contact phone number or I will not call them. I have had mostly good luck but one time I drove over and hour and aited an hour and the person kept in contact with me and then cancelled at the last minute. I would never meet anyone anywhere or do a transaction after dark since I feel that is unsafe. Recently I sold several halloween costumes on Ebay and and all were shipped within 24 hours of payment. Everyone was informed they were being sent 2-3 day priority mail Oct 13 and one lady in particular was letting me know she was watching for it. Well over three weeks later after Halloween she contacted me saying that it never arrived. Obviously she is pulling a scam.

 

[wtrmlnlabs]

After thinking about it I realize it was probably a miscommunication between the husband and the wife. I don't think she deliberately misled me into thinking she was going to sell it to me.
As far as people selling it to the first one who shows up with the money, I think that is wrong. If you make an appointment with someone to meet and exchange goods for cash, you should keep the appointment - not sell it to someone who can come earlier. But that is just the way I would do it.

Just gotta say, we did the "give 'em a chance thing" until we lost $1000 sale on our pop up. We had to meet the people, pull it a half hour away (lots of gas) to meet them, they were already coming an hour. We waited and waited time of meet. An hour later, no show. We had told 4 people we'd let them know if it fell through and all 4 either didn't return our call or found something else, in a matter of 3 days! No more for big items. First with cash in hand gets it. I agree I don't like doing this but feel we don't really have a choice. We did eventually sell it though for a bit less $$$$.

Now no, I won't make an apmt with someone and sell it from under them, but apmts are made for the very near future...

 

[Ceila]

So we now tell everyone upfront that the first to show with cash gets the item......AND we keep a list of phone #'s to notify potential buyers when an item is gone.

I think as ling as you're telling people how you run it, then it's fine. I would just be very upset if I had an appointment set and, without being told of any kind of "first-come-first-serve policy," the seller accepted an offer from someone else in the meantime.

 

[tlbwriter]

I think as ling as you're telling people how you run it, then it's fine. I would just be very upset if I had an appointment set and, without being told of any kind of "first-come-first-serve policy," the seller accepted an offer from someone else in the meantime.

I agree. I would probably choose not to do business with you if I knew you might sell it while I was on my way to your house (though I do understand why people do that) and I would want to know upfront.