Stoopit Craigslist Sellers

[JoLin]

Ranting a little here. Wife wants a recumbant exercise bike for Xmas. Knowing how this works (like with the treadmill we've hung our clothes on for the last 4 years), I looked for a good used one. Found it, contacted the seller, and it sounded good. $100. slightly negotiable. He's local, so Linda and I run over to see it. Looks good, but no working display.

Guy shows me the empty battery holder that drives the display, programs, friction control... everything- and tells me he doesn't have batteries for it. I grit my teeth, take a look (no markings on the battery holder) and it looks like it takes 4 'D' cells. Get back into the car, run to CVS, buy batteries ($11.00!) and go back to the guy's house. Of course, they're the wrong size- it takes 'C''s. Guy says, "Gee, if I had the batteries..."

I say to him, "I'm done." He says, "What?" I say "Simple. I show up with $100., you show me the working bike in the ad, and we're finished. 10 minutes. You should have had the batteries. Have a nice day"

As we get back in the car, he's shaking his head like I'm crazy. Maybe I am.... :grumpy:

 

[tpenfield]

I wouldn't have even gone to CVS . . . for everything you see that is not quite right in something for sale, there is a reason.

 

[aspeck]

Don't blame you ... it didn't work. It is not your responsibility to fix it. If we wanted to sell it as a working unit he should have had batteries for it. If the display wasn't working, the price should have reflected that. I probably would have said, "Look, I am here to buy this. I will give you $100 if the display works and $15 if the display doesn't." Maybe, just maybe, I would have gone to a coffee shop or something for 30 minutes to give him time to do what he needed to do.

 

[JoLin]

Thanks for the support. My wife sometimes accuses me of not having enough patience with people I think are idiots. If she hadn't been there with me (she liked it), I wouldn't have run for the batteries. Just woulda thanked him for wasting my time, and told him to call me when it was working.

This stuff isn't difficult. My 'job' is to be there at the agreed time with money for the purchase. Seller's job is to be there at the agreed time with what he advertised (in this case, a good working machine'). Like I said, it should be a 10 minute transaction.

 

[64osby]

"easy fix",
"just needs _____",
"ran last time used",
"don't know what's wrong with it",
"works great as it is",
"can't afford to fix",


They all want you to pay top price for something that might work.

 

[lmuss53]

These guys are usually desperate for some $$$, so if the product is reasonably serviceable I will offer them about 25% of what they're asking. Sometimes you get a good deal, sometimes it really is just junk.

 

[southkogs]

I doubt I would have gone after the batteries either. Though, I will have to admit that the couple of gambles I've taken 'cuz the Admiral was gettin' a "good vibe" have worked out just fine. Sometimes her intuition is more solid than my "reasons."

 

[GA_Boater]

I'm in your corner, JoLin.

Working means working! Not the last time out or when it had batteries. :doh:

 

[MTboatguy]

I don't even go look at it, if it is not working, and everytime I go to look at something on craigslist, I ask before I go.. 'Is it Working" If they say it needs anything, I don't go, I won't look at something that is not working, period, end of story! I bought a set of tires the other night for the new truck and I specifically asked him, do they have air in them! He said no, I said thank you, when they do, call me back!

 

[sphelps]

Well ya don't really need a display to hang clothes from it ....

 

[lncoop]

Well ya don't really need a display to hang clothes from it ....

ound:

 

[JoLin]

Well ya don't really need a display to hang clothes from it ....

Okay, YOU tell my wife she 'doesn't need' a clothes rack with a digital display, when all our friends have one.... :facepalm:

(Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving)

 

[sphelps]

^^^ I got one I'll give ya ^^^ .... :facepalm:

 

[GA_Boater]

Okay, YOU tell my wife she 'doesn't need' a clothes rack with a digital display, when all our friends have one.... :facepalm:

(Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving)

Aw - This is only a case of keeping up with the Jones. :rofl:

I'm not telling!