Seller etiquette

[JimmyC]

I am posing a few questions to all of you folks out ther about the etiquette that a classifieds seller should have.

1) If a person is the first one to call about an item are they entitled to first dibs on it even if they can't show up for a couple of days ?

My personal experience, has got me to the point that I'm starting to believe in first come (with cash), first served. I've sold stuff and waited a couple days for someone while turning others away, only to have the first person either not show or try to lowball me. As a buyer, especially with CL, I won't even call for something unless I know I can get there within a few hours. This comes from having stuff sold out from under me. I understand that a seller is trying to get rid of something so I can deal with first come/ first serve as long as they contact me before I travel to buy the item and tell me that it is already sold.

I'm just wondering how everyone else feels about this.

Thanks,
Jimmy

[christopheralan]

Set a date to sell your things. Let potential buyers know that on that date you will take the best offer. That way, you will have different buyers to choose from, and if they contact you on the correct date, you might be closer to assuming that they are serious about the purchase. Don't sell early, unless you have to.

Hope this helps.

[Bas]

I've tried to be nice, e.g. if someone replies on Thursday afternoon telling me they can come Saturday morning, I've tried to hold the item. Anyone who replied later I told them it was "reserved" until Saturday.

It doesn't work very well.

Sellers are notoriously bad about not showing up. So you lose a lot of time and a lot of chances on the off chance you have someone who is genuinely interested. My new motto - first one with cash in hand takes it.

[Bigdog72]

I have had some good results from Craig's List but that was when I could drop everything and run. Lately, if I ask a question I am usually to late and I really don't like to drive for something not having answers.

As for your question, Jimmy, it really depends on the item. If you have ten calls take the first one with cash. If you get one call, make an appointment. If the person doesn't show, relist.

[FredP]

well it used to be that a mans word was his bond! If he said he will be there on saturday you could count on that unless he dropped dead on friday. unfortunately there are fewer of those people every day. I would hold it just because thats me. I've been stung on this in the past but I still would hold it for the person because THATS ME. allways do what you feel is right and you will never regret it.

fred

[AndyBarnhart]

I would treat classifieds here (but I haven't used them) differently than Craigslist. If I were to post something here, it would be specifically because I wanted to give people here a chance at it first.

On CL, I ask potential buyers to email me (using the CL generated address) with their phone number and time to call or not call. I do this for a few reasons. First is that I did get a lot of no shows and/or people who started long drawn out email conversations that went nowhere while I was turning away others. Once you make phone contact, people almost always show up or they call if something comes up. You can have the whole conversation in one shot - if your answers cause follow up questions you take care of them right then. Right or wrong (but right more than wrong, I think), I get a feel for the person - reluctance or a non committal attitude shows up more in a phone call than email. Finally, I don't like giving someone directions to my house purely on an email reply to a CL posting. Sometimes I meet people in the parking lot at work or something, but furniture is the thing we have sold the most of (not stuff I made, but stuff getting replaced as babies became toddlers became little kids becoming big kids).

I will hold things for a reasonable amount of time for people I talk to.

[rsitzejr]

From craigslist, or my off road board, it's cash first, unless you put down a non-refundable deposit. You can tell the folks who really want it, from those wasting your time. I haven't sold anything from here, but I would hold something for someone on this board, until I got bit again.

When I sold my VFR, I had 3 people wanting it site unseen. Told all three first to come with cash gets it. The first one that showed was waiting on a check to clear, he gave me $500 to hold it, non-refundable( signed contract too, wife's an attorney) He was there the day he said he would be to pick it up.

Now this also depends on the cost of an item, if it's a $20 item, sure, I'll hold it if I'm reasonably sure I can post it again. But if it's a pricey item, cash talks.

[AndyBarnhart]

I never put people in a race to my house with cash. Someone might come a long way and find the item is gone. Then they are mad and have your address. I think people who post "curb alerts" in the Free section of CL are just begging for trouble.

[WoodWrangler]

For me, that depends on price. A lower priced item I'll gladly hold if you give me your word. If the price goes up, then I would require a "good faith" non-refundable payment (via PayPal or check) to ensure the deal. Usually though, I go with first to commit gets it ... not first with cash.

[sawduster]

Sell things ? Sell things ?

Man I only buy things

[PeteQuad]

I would do as others suggested. On Craigslist, tell them others may be coming for the item so call before they leave to come by. Here, I would set a date for whenever the person could get the item. Worst case if they don't show, don't do business with them again.

[AndyBarnhart]

Originally Posted by FredP

well it used to be that a mans word was his bond! If he said he will be there on saturday you could count on that unless he dropped dead on friday. unfortunately there are fewer of those people every day. I would hold it just because thats me. I've been stung on this in the past but I still would hold it for the person because THATS ME. allways do what you feel is right and you will never regret it.

fred

I meant to mention in my earlier post that I admire this attitude and try to do the same. It gets hard after getting burned a few times, but you're right about not regretting doing the right thing.

As an aside, I notice the smaller town buyers and sellers seem to adhere more to this code. Twice I have bought something that would be on my route when I went out 264 to go sailing, so when I contacted the sellers I explained it could not be before the weekend so I could contact them again on Friday to see if the item was still available. Both times I was told holding it was no problem. I did show up and buy both items.

The one that was really amazing was the seller who told me I really didn't want to pull my boat down the backroads so I should call him when I was on the road and he would meet me at the Mudcats stadium. He loaded a generator into his pickup and drove about 20 minutes from somewhere back in the coutryside past Zebulon to sell me the little Crafstman pinned blade scroll saw for $25. The other item was my new-to-me shop A/C in Bailey. He held it (and I think it was a good deal, so he probably had other responses) and he had it set up and turned on when I got there and told me if I was able to test it (I was headed to a friends place on the Pamlico) and was unhappy to call him and he would be there on Sunday afternoon to give me a refund.

Raleigh is not a big city (I chose to live here after Atlanta and Denver), but there is a little bit of city distrust creeping in. (BTW, I also spent many of my formative years in Cullman and Auburn Alabama, Duluth, Stone Mountain and Rocky Face Georgia; my drawl is genuine ).

[Woodman2k]

From personal experience I wish there was some kind of general rule of conduct.I just found a 8" jointer on Saw Mill Creek that I had been looking for for quite awhile.I e-mail the guy tell him I'll take it and that I
m in NC,he's in Virginia.He e-mails me that it is still available.I e-mail him back for a phone number to contact him,he responds the next say that sorry it's sold and signs it Good Luck.I almost drove up there just to smack the ever ...... .... out of him.Sorry for the rant,yes for me the first person who contacts me about the item gets first dibs!!!If he does not take it and its worth a darn it will sell to somebody else.

[toolman]

Jimmy

You may want to take a deposit (10%, 20%) thru PayPal to hold it for them.

[woodrat]

I recently had a situation where a lady called about an item
I had listed on CL. She swore to me she wanted it and would
be here on (Saturday)to get it. She called several times to
ask about it. Come Saturday, she never showed up, never
called, just vanished. How long do you wait?

So, the first to commit doesn't always ensure results either.
The first with the cash approach seems best to me.