We’ve been trying to get my son a bike. The one he wants is like $1,200 (he’s 12).
Being $ conscientious, he started looking around on FB marketplace.
Found a bike, wife had several conversations with the guy. He would often just drop off for two days int he middle of a conversation. We made temporary plans to pick up the bike, but there was never an address given, Got my son’s hopes up so much.
Then…nothing. ghosted. Ad taken down, just to pop up three days later.
Another similar one seemed even more promising. Even better bike, exactly the one my son wants. Told all his friends he was getting it.
Got the kid’s phone # (well, his profile pic showed a HS football player). The corresponded a bit but only in fleeting pieces.
After a delay (“have to get my truck looked at”), they (kinda) decided on a Saturday pick up. So, on Thursday, we asked for an address and told him that I would be calling Sat morning to confirm. Silence.
On Friday he answered back “Yeah.” So I wrote back, “we need the address for pickup for no later than 8:30 AM Saturday [we are an hour away] and my husband will be calling, too.”
Got a thumbs up icon.
Well, as you can kinda figure, it fell through. Nothing at 8:30. or 9 am. Text message from my wife went straight to green. I called, went right to voice mail, but my text went thru as blue (we all have iphones. when I tried calling him again, right to voicemail and texts from me were green. He blocked us both!
So, what do people get out of these games? Is it some sadistic game?
In neither instance did the person wany payment up front or a down payment of any sort.
Also, same thing happens when a company decides to go with another candidate instead of you. They don’t bother contacting those passed over.
These people got better or quicker offers.
You can try going to a bike store. Nothing over $300. It will get stolen and you’re only out $300.
Your money for a non-existent bike. Or at least a bike that’s not really for sale, but an object of desire for the gullible.
Don’t get an address to make the exchange. Tell them that you’ll do the exchange in the parking lot of the local police. I would imagine that they wouldn’t mind it; and you’ll find out real quick if they’re really on the up-and-up.
I went though the flip side of this on FB Marketplace when my daughter and her family moved in with us 14 months ago and brought all their furniture and other belongings from their condo. We had to sell a ton of our stuff to make room. So many folks would agree to buy stuff from us and then never show up. I hate waiting around for someone to show up when they don’t even do the courtesy of a phone call when they decide not to show up.
When I sell stuff online l, I tell them to text me before they come out, make sure I’m home and it’s not sold. The only time I’m making accomodations is when the money’s in the bank.
I hear you. We probably gave away 10 times as much stuff to charities than we sold. Of the hundreds of books we disposed of only my 1974 EB generated any money. I could not bear to trash those beautiful leather bound volumes and no charity or library would take them. Managed to find a good home for them for a token $50.
