mikescooling
Well-Known Member
Is cash king on Craigslist? Will you sell to the first person who comes with cash? even if you made a appointment with one guy, then another calls and jumps now with cash?
Is cash King on Craigslist? Or do you hold it?
- Thread starter mikescooling
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
If you made an appointment with someone it is only proper that you keep it. You can entertain the other offer but the appointment should be observed.
The cash is first on the back up list.
I would also say the appointment would only have to match the cash offer.
The cash is first on the back up list.
I would also say the appointment would only have to match the cash offer.
Depends, if its homebrew stuff I will hold it for first person because we are genuinely a trustworthy bunch. Anything else cash is king because you never know how flaky people will be and if they will actually come through
JayDubWill
Well-Known Member
If I made an appointment then I've made a commitment. I would tell the other guy to come back unless I specifically told the first guy there are are other offers and I can't promise it will be here.
snccoulter
Well-Known Member
Cash is always king, but if you made an appointment, you keep it.. Then if he matches the offer it is his, if he does not match the offer you would be a fool not to take the highest offer.
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
I've had people ask me to drive 1/2 hr, they said it would really help them out. Then they didn't show. Or plead with me to hold for them, send all the other buyers away, then they back out of the deal. Brewers are very cool people and the deals go much smoother with them, most of the time.
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
This thread should be called the art of making a deal.
This. It's dirty to make an appointment with someone and then sell it out from under them. If the appointment doesn't work out, oh well. Call the cash buyer back.
sandyeggoxj
Well-Known Member
I tell everyone who calls that it is first come first serve. I have made exceptions for people based on how i read them. I've been pretty successful at reading people.
The problem I have is that no one will call. They all want to text and email when I specifically say that I won't deal unless they call.
The problem I have is that no one will call. They all want to text and email when I specifically say that I won't deal unless they call.
CanadianBacon
Well-Known Member
Next time, Make a appointment at the day they can meet but do NOT give him personal info, phone number address till the day of.. This way you can sell to First come first serve.
90% of the time i noticed they don't show anyways
Most of the people I have purchased from on craigslist have been good about sticking to appointments, but I usually try to set them the same day or as soon as they are available. Although there have been a few times I have set an appointment, called to let them know I was heading their direction with cash in hand, only to get there and find out they sold the item to someone else while I was on a 30+ minute drive.
CanadianBacon
Well-Known Member
Next time, Make a appointment at the day they can meet but do NOT give him personal info, phone number address till the day of.. This way you can sell to First come first serve.
By the way, 90% of the time in my deals they never show anyways.
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
I also get a lot of no shows. It's a bummer after they beg me to drive to meet them, then blow me off.
I'm saying, if I have something for sale and the buyer is saying "I can come get it tomorrow night" then another buyer calls in the mean time and can meet now, I'm not going to turn the new buyer with cash away. I'll call the first buyer and tell him it's sold.
If you tell someone they can pick the item up at a certain time, selling it out from under them is shady. If you're willing to sell it to someone else when your appointment's already made, make that fact very clear to the person who made the appointment. It probably doesn't hurt to give them a chance to make a counter offer if someone does swoop in before the appointment, since they might be willing to raise the stakes a bit to ensure that they get it, meaning a few more bucks in your pocket for your trouble.
This. I have stories upon stories about things I have given away on craigslist and gotten berated because I refused to hold it for them for a day or a week or whatever. I've had people promise me to pay full price if I hold it until the weekend then not show. I've had people negotiate prices on the phone or email, then show up and try to negotiate lower when others have showed up offering more but I turned them away because I've already negotiated a price. I don't trust ANYONE on craigslist so everything I sell is strictly first come, first served.
With that said, don't contribute to what I would consider a problem. If you set an appointment, then honor it. If the guy shows up late, waffles over the price or condition, or tries to change the appointment time, then consider your end of the deal fulfilled and sell you stuff however you see fit. In my opinion, this is the way business gets done on Craigslist and it's just part of the package.
The first come first served only applies if you stipulated it first.
Let the cash in hand guy take a look at the goods, but let them know someone else has first claim. Happened to me when I bought my bike, a guy had prior claim, I was still able to look at and take it for a spin, and when he backed out I got called back and now she is mine.
In your posting you could always just set up a I will be available to show it on X day between Y-Z, contact me by ___ for location.
Basically, in my opinion, if you made a specific appointment, you really need to at least show it to them. If you have negotiated, you need to respect that agreed on cost. It never hurts to have a backup buyer though.
Let the cash in hand guy take a look at the goods, but let them know someone else has first claim. Happened to me when I bought my bike, a guy had prior claim, I was still able to look at and take it for a spin, and when he backed out I got called back and now she is mine.
In your posting you could always just set up a I will be available to show it on X day between Y-Z, contact me by ___ for location.
Basically, in my opinion, if you made a specific appointment, you really need to at least show it to them. If you have negotiated, you need to respect that agreed on cost. It never hurts to have a backup buyer though.
My experience exactly. But if you made appointment, keep it.
Craigslist gets some super unreliable weirdos. 90% dont show and then you've missed 5 other buyers.
When I post for sale, its first come with cash in hand takes it. No appointments. This usually gets the item sold quickly. And I find homebrewers on craigslist are only nominally more reliable.
Ill hold somethng for a couple hours, but beyond that it just starts to get too complicated for a $20 item or whatever. As a buyer if i make an appointment for a couple days in the future, i always say ill text before i head over to make sure they still have it.
I think what is important is being clear.
I think what is important is being clear.
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
Did I say, I'm moving from a bigass house to a little apartment. I've got like 20 post of stuff I'm selling. 2 guys showed up on time and paid in cash, two pleaded with me to make time for them, then they didn't show, no phone call, nothing. 50/50 for the day, not bad.
After enough time and items put for sale you will be at 30/70 for show/no show....I wish you luck!
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
I've started telling people to call me an hour before they want to come and take a look at "whatever". At that time I'll give them my address. I'm still getting some no-show's, when they say "I'm on my way". I bet if I asked the no-show's, what day of the month it was? They couldn't tell me. If they start out being late it's not a good sign. On the other Hand, I sold all the steel to make a brew stand to another brewer on this forum and he turned out to be a good guy, that I'd like to keep in touch with. Brewers a higher grade of people, I'm kinda not kidding.
autobaun70
Well-Known Member
For small items, I say cash is king, but make that clear in your add. For larger ticket items ($500+ in my mind), appointments and holding for 1-2 days is more appropriate. Just always be clear at the summary of any communication as to wether you are or are not holding an item.
Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
autobaun70
Well-Known Member
For small items, I say cash is king, but make that clear in your add. For larger ticket items ($500+ in my mind), appointments and holding for 1-2 days is more appropriate. Just always be clear at the summary of any communication as to wether you are or are not holding an item.
Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew
hunter_le five
Sheriff Underscore
I've had too many people make appointments and blow me off, or change their mind last minute, or show up to a deal and suddenly they don't want to pay the previously agreed upon price, etc, to give too much of a crap about dibs. When selling to people I know, sure, but when it comes to random internet strangers, cash is king.
Unless someone says that they want it for SURE and are willing to come pick it up TODAY, I always notify the buyer in advance that I reserve the right to sell it to the first person to put cash in my hand, regardless of our tentative agreement, but I promise them that I will notify them immediately if I sell the item prior to our appointment.
I've never had anyone object to those terms.
I've never blown anybody off, but I'm not going to wait a week for a tentative deal that statistically (in my experience) might not go through when I have someone who's 100% going to put cash in my hand right this second. People on craigslist are just too flaky to approach a deal in any other way, in my opinion. Ymmv.
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
Unless someone says that they want it for SURE and are willing to come pick it up TODAY, I always notify the buyer in advance that I reserve the right to sell it to the first person to put cash in my hand, regardless of our tentative agreement, but I promise them that I will notify them immediately if I sell the item prior to our appointment.
I've never had anyone object to those terms.
I've never blown anybody off, but I'm not going to wait a week for a tentative deal that statistically (in my experience) might not go through when I have someone who's 100% going to put cash in my hand right this second. People on craigslist are just too flaky to approach a deal in any other way, in my opinion. Ymmv.
Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
OP
OP
mikescooling
Well-Known Member
Their are people who shop and make appointments on Craigslist just for fun. Like people who go to a car dealer just to kick the tires. But the craigslist people don't show up. That is why I say call me an hour before you come and that weeds a lot of people. One guy was 30 minutes late, wehn I called him he laughed and said he'ed be another 40 minutes. No deal there. Another young guy I sold my table saw to, didn't put the cord in his car trunk and as he was backing up, he ripped the cord out of the saw. He should have waited to smoke that last joint.
Similar threads
