• @robolemmy@lemmy.world
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    1191 year ago

    This is why I give things away to friends and friends of friends. If they ask to borrow something that I’m happy to get rid of, I tell them they can borrow it on the condition that they never bring it back or even mention it to me again.

      • @wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
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        891 year ago

        It’s more the people on kijiji/FB Marketplace are the scummiest most entitled people you’ve ever met. You’d find a more wholesome group at the cantina on tatooine.

        They don’t show up when agreed, they want free delivery, you get to the meet spot or they show up and they only have half the money you agreed upon as a shitty form of haggling.

        I had one lady tried to get us to take a chair we drove to her house back because she changed her mind (she said she was disabled so we delivered it to her, I don’t think she was because she was just a piece of shit all around when we got there).

        The only people who I’ve ever been happy to give stuff to are the ones who seem to be looking for free stuff, so now we just give stuff away. People show up, they’re excited, there’s no haggling, it’s great.

        • @Yrt@feddit.de
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          221 year ago

          Interesting, cause I stopped giving things away for free or at least I don’t write it into the offer, cause in Germany it happend quite a lot that people didn’t show up, when I wanted to just give it away. I don’t know why, maybe if it’s free it’s not that important I guess? So I started to offer things for a few bucks but still I want some money (at least I write that I want money). When someone arrives and wants to pick something up I just tell them to just take it. That way I get rid of so much more stuff and the people collecting stuff are always so happy as well.

          • @QualifiedKitten@lemmy.world
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            171 year ago

            I’m in the US, and this has been my technique too. I’ve found that listing things for free gets me people with a million questions and complications, but if I list something at a cheap price, the whole process is usually much smoother.

          • @wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
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            31 year ago

            Could be our local community on FB is the same as kijiji (canadian craigslist, which has always been quite popular).

        • @Furbag@lemmy.world
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          151 year ago

          The only people who I’ve ever been happy to give stuff to are the ones who seem to be looking for free stuff, so now we just give stuff away.

          I’ve had similar experiences. You ask for a price and then you get hagglers and lowballers tickling you with messages all day, asking a million questions, and then they vanish or ask for some totally unreasonable price when you were just hoping to offload something quickly for a lot less than what it would be worth brand new.

          I once bought a bike from Target for about $100. It was a piece of shit, but at least it functioned. I rode it basically into the ground (broke the pedal right off off it) and I doubt I was going to be able to sell it for much considering the thing was $100 new, so I just offered it for free on Craigslist, mentioned it was not in good condition, and that I would hold it for whoever wanted it as long as they were on their way to get it. A lady responded within about 2 minutes, said she was one town over and driving to my place, and when she got there she offered to trade me a bottle of wine for it since she felt bad for just taking it for free (I didn’t ask for anything, but I accepted the trade). Genuinely the least stressful and most rewarding thing I’ve ever given away.

          • @wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
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            101 year ago

            The best one I’ve ever given away was a couch listed as free to anyone who could get it out of the building. It was a third floor walkup, and the couch had like 3/4" clearance down the hallway.

            This couple showed up ready to help and very excited about the couch. It was like 30C that day, we took the legs and removable parts off, and got to work the four of us, but it still took us an hour to get the thing down the stairs because it had to be lifted above the railing and carefully rotated each flight.

            We were all sweaty so we shared some beer with them after they got it on their truck, and they were just super excited to be getting this good condition and very nice couch. They were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

          • @teejay@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I had a similar experience. I was giving away a wooden table top organizer free on CL. Some guy said he wanted it, so I put it outside by our front door and said he could just grab it once he got here. When he arrived, he took it, then hung a bag of goodies on our front door knob, shouted “thank you!” and left. When we checked it out, it was full of hand-made organic soaps, bracelets, and other random trinkets. He even wrote us a note and said thanks, he makes these things and sells them at farmers markets, and to have a good day. It was such an unexpected and cool thing to do, and so much more pleasant than trying to go through the gauntlet of selling that organizer for $20.

        • @IMongoose@lemmy.world
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          101 year ago

          they show up and they only have half the money you agreed upon as a shitty form of haggling.

          Someone did that to me and I was so mad I was going to just leave. Surprise, they had the extra money the whole time! Actual garbage people who do that. I’d rather throw the thing away than get hustled like that.

        • It’s not just the buyers. I’ve pretty well given up on buying tools on marketplace or Craigslist and am now just sticking to auctions and estate sales.

          I recently tried to buy a joiner, asked the guy if it was still available and what a good time it was to swing by. I didn’t haggle, just told him I’d head over and pick it up. When I got there he told me someone had already purchased it and then he tried to sell me a sander.

          It’s always people trying to screw people over, or people thinking they’re going to get 90% of the retail value for used equipment.

      • @ickplant@lemmy.world
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        61 year ago

        For real. My husband has a side business selling stuff on eBay and FB. Hasn’t been murdered in 7 years.

      • @GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        21 year ago

        If you drove specifically for that purpose, dying on the road can be attributed to the blender

    • @wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
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      91 year ago

      My in laws do this to me, but without asking.

      The second I got a house with a garage it got filled with hand me down furniture that I didn’t ask nor know they were dropping off. We don’t use any of it, and we can’t sell it since it belonged to someone in the family and is now on loan to us forever.

      • @DancingBear@midwest.social
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        221 year ago

        Yea that’s a big no. Just tell them you are cleaning out the garage and ask them directly if they want to keep the furniture otherwise you are giving it away

        • @wise_pancake@lemmy.ca
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          51 year ago

          We have negotiated most things back to their houses, there’re still some things my wife says she’s going to refinish in our garage, but she really hates sanding so I don’t think they’ll get done unless I do the sanding for her (I actually enjoy sanding).

    • FiveMacs
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      271 year ago

      When she says do it, you do it…it’s not the 9$, it’s the weeks of torment afterwards and having the blender still in the house to remind her

      • @GluWu@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        If I ever get married I hope it isn’t to someone that let’s the existence of a blender impact them in any way shape or form. And if it does, they at least have the emotional maturity to be able to handle that themselves, because it is so stupidly trivial.

        Inb4 you don’t understand you need to care for your wife. There a difference between caring for the emotional and physical needs of your partner, and enabling whatever childish dependency that is.

        • My ex wife would make me do things like this all the time. It happens once in a while in every relationship I’m sure, but if it’s routine it’s not worth it. I used to say I had a boss and work and a boss at home but my boss at work was much more reasonable. I realized how much bullshit I was putting up with under the guise of “happy wife, happy life”.

      • pancakes
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        141 year ago

        This gives big “are the straights okay” vibes

    • capital
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      171 year ago

      I’m afraid this price is all wrong. That looks like a Vitamix.

    • @Artyom@lemm.ee
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      41 year ago

      Not if that Subaru right behind him is his car. That car just depreciated in value more than $9 on the drive over.

  • @cosmicrookie@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Imagine being afraid of meeting strangers.

    Most of my second hand sales, I have them come to my home address and pick up. If I am not home I’ll leave the stuff on the porch and let them pay once they have picked up.

  • @HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Had a guy threaten my life after meeting on OfferUp. I’m done w it. Over a bike I was giving away that someone else got to before him btw. If I use any of those marketplaces again it won’t be free just to keep the psychos minimized. I just give to goodwill now

  • Set the meetup location to be in front of a police station. If they’re not comfortable meeting there then you know that they’re not people you’d want to meet.

  • @robocall@lemmy.world
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    161 year ago

    Meet up with strangers at a police station. Especially if you are the one bringing cash. Bad actors will refuse to meet at a police station.

    • @jaschen@lemm.ee
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      171 year ago

      Ya, but you might end up getting shot by the police instead.

      “SIR!!! What is that box in my hands?!?! Drop it now!!!”

      “It’s a blender! It will break if I drop it.”

      “Johnson, I heard explode if he drops it”

      Bam bam bam.

      Job well done. Time for my “administrative leave” while the union sort this all out.

      • @Got_Bent@lemmy.world
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        21 year ago

        That’s funny and I chuckled, but for real the police station down the street has designated parking spaces specifically for these types of transactions.

        • @jaschen@lemm.ee
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          21 year ago

          Unless it’s a specifically designed for it, I probably won’t go to a police station with a box.

  • Funderpants
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    1 year ago

    I’m in this meme.

    But more often I’ve been sent to buy something down hidden screams lane.

  • @daltotron@lemmy.world
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    121 year ago

    Maybe it’s because I’ve only ever bought stuff on FB marketplace instead of selling most of my stuff there, but I’ve never really had much of a problem with it. Everyone’s super accommodating, and super nice every time. Especially when their stuff is free, I’ve gotten like 3-4 CRT monitors from there, a sick huge bean bag with the memory foam, an old IKEA tv stand from like the 90’s or early 2000’s. I dunno. If you’re really that nervous, just meet up in a public location, and make sure you’re packing heat, it’s not too bad.

  • @ohlaph@lemmy.world
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    91 year ago

    I never understood why people sell things like that. Why not give them to people in need. It might be $9, but to someone who needs it, could be life changing. Maybe they will make a delicious milkshake, who knows.

  • @Katana314@lemmy.world
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    91 year ago

    I mean, usually the main reason I sell things like this is to make sure it goes to someone that needs it, rather than a landfill or our clutter cabinet. The $9 is sort of just a small benefit, and used to make sure someone actually sort of wants it, as opposed to taking free stuff for hoarding.

    • @jballs@sh.itjust.works
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      31 year ago

      I felt the same way about my stuff until I had a garage sale and realized that most people were buying just to resell it at the flea market for a higher price.

      • @wjrii@lemmy.world
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        91 year ago

        I wouldn’t get to worked up about it. Unless you’re ready to spend your time running a flea market stall, then your goals are basically still met, but someone who values their time differently is going to capture some of the value you’re not inclined to work for, and it will eventually go to someone who is willing to pay for the privilege of shopping in person. Even if it does eventually end up in a landfill, it had a few more bites at the “usefulness” apple first.