I’m in the process of selling my car, a rhd so the market is limited. I’ve had responses from people who got excited by the price and didn’t read the ad - only to be disappointed when I point out to them that it’s rhd. I’ve since changed the ad to make it even more explicit.
Then there are those that simply message me ‘phone me on….’
And then there are those who I think are referred to as ‘time wasters’. Well I suppose that’s what they are, it’s not something I’ve encountered before. In fact whenever I’ve read ‘no time wasters’ on an ad, I thought it almost rude. Who is anyone to say how a prospective buyer can or can’t behave? And would someone really say to themselves ‘I am a time waster so I will not follow up on that ad’ But I think I know what the term means now.
One chap, the first to show real interest, has been back and forthing, to-ing and fro-ing for nearly a week now. I’m actually a pretty patient person as a rule but he is testing me. I’m maintaining my patience and being civil, answering his questions. Oh, hang on, gotta go - he’s just sent me another communiqué.
Are there really people who rejoice in messing others about?
There are what seem to be professional time wasters everywhere. We had a couple when we were selling our house in the UK who visited, asked loads of questions, visited again, asked loads more questions over three or four weeks and then just went completely quiet. A few months later they went through the same process but eventually made an offer of about 50% of the asking price which was refused. They then tried to do the same again at which point we told them to bugger off.
Used to get them at boot sales. After a few go-rounds you learn the “bvgger off don’t waste my time" response is the best to save everyone time and do it the moment they start.
When I practised that, interestingly the response was more “you’ve deprived me of my pleasure in bantering with you" than any disappointment in the opportunity to buy. That got them completely ignored which saved everyone time, but was educational.
Do you think such people actually set about to pfaff you about though? I mean as a deliberate and conscious decision with no other intention. Uncertainty and dithering, I can understand. I’m prone to it myself. But I’d never consider myself to be wasting someone else’s time. Maybe I am when I’m undecided?
In our case, they were never serious about buying the house and used up an inordinate amount of both our and the estate agents time. The estate agents were very happy when we told them to bugger off and not come back.
I’ve experienced that, when I sold some furniture from an apartment I was renting (it was my furniture btw!) I’d a marked price, a fair price, priced to sell as they say, but this particular person seem driven to get it for less. I’ve no idea why, just ‘because’ I guess, their background, upbringing, whatever. I got the feeling I could have marked it at the price they offered and they would have still wanted it for less. Like getting if for less was an essential part of the deal.
A local ‘fixer’ I knew was obsessed with being the person who could get things cheaper. Whoever/whatever he was buying for himself or for a client he would enter into a negotiation in his terrible French. On the odd occasion when I witnessed this it was truly ‘cringe’.
His come-uppence occurred when he bargained a French swimming pool supplier into dropping their price considerably. What he didn’t know was that the supplier just simply didn’t include certain things in order to get the price down, which then caused more expense & a lot of hassle later on.
I agree. Bartering for a finished item is not at all the same as bartering for a service yet to be done. I would not try to bargain a craftsman/artisan down. Try saying you cannot afford or do not want to pay as is, then ask what may be done to reduce it. Full transparency helps everyone
I couldn’t bargain to save myself. It’s just not in my nature. More the fool me perhaps. If I like the price and have the money then that’s it, done deal / marché conclu.
I’ve taken my car off the market for now. There seems to be no genuine interest. No urgency, I’ll maybe try again in 3 months… but probably not as it’s worth more to me than I’d realistically get. It’ll get run into the ground and hopefully not cost me too much in the process.
Hi ,what sites were you trying to sell it on?Your best chance would be on a site like this one.I was and still am looking for a RHD car for my wife,can,t find a decent one anywhere.If you post some details on here you might get less timewasters.
I’m moving to a furnished house 250km away. I have a 27 inch Samsung 1080p monitor , with a universal satellite/terrestrial box (making it a TV) , with speakers in a self standing shelf that has to go. I can easily haul it to ecocycle, with all the other stuff, but I put it on LBC for 20 euros. Yesterday someone was interested and promised to come collect it in the early afternoon, then delayed to the evening, but would not give me an exact time…despite my asking..
it’s 20 euros. Today he asks when I’m available and I told him I drove to Brittany to escape the heat.
He probably would have offered me ten for it, too.
To avoid more of this nonsense, I just gave my proprietor 2 beds and a couch, which were all in great ( 3 years old) condition. I could have easily gotten at least 50 euros each for them, even at a give away price, but I just don’t want to put up with it.
Leboncoin. I didn’t think I could post ads on here? Moot anyway now I’ve decided to hang onto it. Tbh, I got a bit tired of dealing with queries that led to nothing, for whatever reason.
