I'm selling a bed -- How to be fair?
June 11, 2021 1:24 PM Subscribe
I bought a cute bed that didn't work out for me, mostly cause it was a headache to find muscle to move things. Five people have said they will show up (for safety, I asked everyone who was interested to text me and I would text them the address rather than place it on the FB Marketplace post.)
For convenience, I stated it would be shown between 5 and 7. None of this meeting people at all hours.
How do I decide if two (or more) people want it? My friend suggested bidding wars, but I thought of them picking a number and my friend picking number between 1 and 5 (or however many were there). Nor do I care to perpetuate greed--I just want back what I paid for it.
Nor do I want to do first come, first served. Maybe that's the only way to avoid a headache (besides the little chiclet who thought it was ok to text me at 11:30 at night. Now I'm the one that gets to view a you tube on how to selectively silence people. Ugh.)
For convenience, I stated it would be shown between 5 and 7. None of this meeting people at all hours.
How do I decide if two (or more) people want it? My friend suggested bidding wars, but I thought of them picking a number and my friend picking number between 1 and 5 (or however many were there). Nor do I care to perpetuate greed--I just want back what I paid for it.
Nor do I want to do first come, first served. Maybe that's the only way to avoid a headache (besides the little chiclet who thought it was ok to text me at 11:30 at night. Now I'm the one that gets to view a you tube on how to selectively silence people. Ugh.)
Don't overthink this.
First person who texts you they're interested, you say great, pick up between 5 and 7 pm today at this address, cash only, when can I expect you? They either agree to terms and you see them or you don't.
Second person who texts you they're interested, you say great, I have one other person interested but will let you know if that falls through. Pick up between 5 and 7 pm today near (cross streets), cash only, does that work for you?
Third person who texts you they're interested, you say great, I have a few others interested but...and so on.
Just keep knocking them down until the bed is gone, on your terms. Bidding wars are stupid. Set it for the price you're comfortable with and if people want to haggle and you don't, sorry too bad for them.
posted by phunniemee at 1:29 PM on June 11, 2021 [45 favorites]
First person who texts you they're interested, you say great, pick up between 5 and 7 pm today at this address, cash only, when can I expect you? They either agree to terms and you see them or you don't.
Second person who texts you they're interested, you say great, I have one other person interested but will let you know if that falls through. Pick up between 5 and 7 pm today near (cross streets), cash only, does that work for you?
Third person who texts you they're interested, you say great, I have a few others interested but...and so on.
Just keep knocking them down until the bed is gone, on your terms. Bidding wars are stupid. Set it for the price you're comfortable with and if people want to haggle and you don't, sorry too bad for them.
posted by phunniemee at 1:29 PM on June 11, 2021 [45 favorites]
This kind of stuff is always first come first serve, as long as you're willing to pay full price in my books. If someone offers you less than full price you can tell them you'll let them know if you can't sell it at the listed price.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 1:29 PM on June 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 1:29 PM on June 11, 2021 [6 favorites]
I'd slightly revise phunniemee's script and say to everyone "Thanks for your interest! It's "x" price, cash only, I have a couple of people interested and it's first-come, first-serve, so if you're motivated I advise coming close to 5pm" Unless you get the sense that someone is very serious about buying - but generally I've found people to be flaky with used furniture.
posted by coffeecat at 1:35 PM on June 11, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by coffeecat at 1:35 PM on June 11, 2021 [4 favorites]
I don't think you can get five people to show up at the same time. People are notoriously flaky about showing up for this kind of thing. Plus it's kind of obnoxious to ask them to show up for a one in five chance of ending up with the bed.
Phunniemee has it.
posted by FencingGal at 1:36 PM on June 11, 2021 [19 favorites]
Phunniemee has it.
posted by FencingGal at 1:36 PM on June 11, 2021 [19 favorites]
Response by poster: Last time I held a bed for someone (eons ago) they flaked on me. So then I had a bed and buyers I had refused because I was waiting for this guy to show up. But I did not have your script either. As much as I like your system, I'm not interested in dragging this one out for weeks. I want it OUT!
It may seem obnoxious to you, but I certainly did not mean it that way. Maybe I need to sell more things so I can get it right.
Yeah, I put the price right on it -- not going to haggle.
I guess by first come first serve, I merely meant: One woman wanted to come at 4 and I said, no, that's not possible, that would not be fair.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 1:52 PM on June 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
It may seem obnoxious to you, but I certainly did not mean it that way. Maybe I need to sell more things so I can get it right.
Yeah, I put the price right on it -- not going to haggle.
I guess by first come first serve, I merely meant: One woman wanted to come at 4 and I said, no, that's not possible, that would not be fair.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 1:52 PM on June 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: phunniemee: this here is going into my tutorial notebook of life skills to succeed.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 1:54 PM on June 11, 2021
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 1:54 PM on June 11, 2021
It may seem obnoxious to you, but I certainly did not mean it that way.
I should have phrased that better. Sorry. I just meant that it seemed unfair to the people who are interested in the bed.
posted by FencingGal at 1:55 PM on June 11, 2021
I should have phrased that better. Sorry. I just meant that it seemed unfair to the people who are interested in the bed.
posted by FencingGal at 1:55 PM on June 11, 2021
I wouldn’t arbitrarily limit your hours to a window unless you’re actually busy. Tell people the price, when you’re free, and the first one to show up with cash gets it.
I put stuff out on the curb and listed it as free, and people were still flaking on me for pick ups. If someone is interested at 4, and is a willing buyer, it gets it out of your hair and you should do it.
posted by hwyengr at 1:56 PM on June 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
I put stuff out on the curb and listed it as free, and people were still flaking on me for pick ups. If someone is interested at 4, and is a willing buyer, it gets it out of your hair and you should do it.
posted by hwyengr at 1:56 PM on June 11, 2021 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Well, I am busy, crazy-busy. And I have to have another person here so I had to arrange that as well.
And it sounds like I've done it all wrong so I'll just have to drop the chips and let them go where they may.
But now I feel like I may have unwittingly created a mess, and I will certainly report back to you.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 2:11 PM on June 11, 2021
And it sounds like I've done it all wrong so I'll just have to drop the chips and let them go where they may.
But now I feel like I may have unwittingly created a mess, and I will certainly report back to you.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 2:11 PM on June 11, 2021
If I were a potential buyer, I would be absolutely pissed if I showed up expecting to buy something for the requested price and the seller did not sell it to me. A bed is not an impulse buy; if these people are at your house, they had to go to the ATM to get what I assume is a not-insignificant amount of cash, clear out space in their car (or maybe even rent a truck!), clear space in their house. If they show up, they've done a lot of work, and it's pretty damn rude of you to then say "oh well, sorry".
Buyers may have flaked on you before, but that's no reason to flake on them. And like, I'm personally a nice guy, but I'm not sure how many pissed-off buyers you'd like at your house, because that doesn't sound like a recipe for pleasantry. Rather the opposite, I would guess.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:17 PM on June 11, 2021 [12 favorites]
Buyers may have flaked on you before, but that's no reason to flake on them. And like, I'm personally a nice guy, but I'm not sure how many pissed-off buyers you'd like at your house, because that doesn't sound like a recipe for pleasantry. Rather the opposite, I would guess.
posted by kevinbelt at 2:17 PM on June 11, 2021 [12 favorites]
Response by poster: Well, kevinbelt, I didn't promise it to any of them, I said there would be a showing. And as FencingGal said, most likely they won't all show up. Perhaps some will walk away.
And I hope she's right. Because I'm a nice person, too. Stupid, apparently, but nice.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 2:29 PM on June 11, 2021
And I hope she's right. Because I'm a nice person, too. Stupid, apparently, but nice.
posted by Rumi'sLeftSock at 2:29 PM on June 11, 2021
Beds are not something that need a showing. It's fine to say "I'm not available before 5", but I don't really see how it's unfair.
It sounds like you're trying to ensure that you only have to interact with people once, maybe? I don't think there's any way to guarantee that.
posted by sagc at 2:31 PM on June 11, 2021 [8 favorites]
It sounds like you're trying to ensure that you only have to interact with people once, maybe? I don't think there's any way to guarantee that.
posted by sagc at 2:31 PM on June 11, 2021 [8 favorites]
The nice thing to do would be:
- Make sure that people know if there's a chance they will drive to your house, get friends to come along, get the cash together to pay you -- only to find that someone else got there 5 minutes earlier.
In other words, if you're having some kind of competition, make sure every single person is 100% clear on that.
- If it were me, I would have actual phone conversations with multiple potential buyers, pick the one with the most firm-sounding plans (do they have child care worked out? Do they have someone helping them? Are they clear that there will be no haggling?), then set a time for that person to come; the second-most-promising person would be asked if they can be available 1/2 hour after that just in case the first person can't come. That way, they won't have to actually drive out unless the bed is still available, AND you can motivate the first person to be on time.
posted by amtho at 4:14 PM on June 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
- Make sure that people know if there's a chance they will drive to your house, get friends to come along, get the cash together to pay you -- only to find that someone else got there 5 minutes earlier.
In other words, if you're having some kind of competition, make sure every single person is 100% clear on that.
- If it were me, I would have actual phone conversations with multiple potential buyers, pick the one with the most firm-sounding plans (do they have child care worked out? Do they have someone helping them? Are they clear that there will be no haggling?), then set a time for that person to come; the second-most-promising person would be asked if they can be available 1/2 hour after that just in case the first person can't come. That way, they won't have to actually drive out unless the bed is still available, AND you can motivate the first person to be on time.
posted by amtho at 4:14 PM on June 11, 2021 [1 favorite]
I've sold and given away a lot of stuff on FB Marketplace, craigslist, freecycle, etc. From this I know that the twin truths of selling to strangers online are: 1. Sellers overstimate the value of their item. and 2. Buyers are gigantic flakes.
Just like a new car becomes a used car as soon as you drive it off the lot, your bed is no longer new and it doesn't warrant a new price tag. You are very unlikely to sell this bed for the price you paid for it. Think about it from the buyer's perspective. You know there's nothing wrong with the bed, but they don't. They are buying an unknown item that may end up having a smell, or an obnoxious squeak, or a tear they didn't notice at first. And you're not a company they can easily review negatively or report to the BBB if there is a problem. If you listen to no other advice, listen to this. I can't tell you how many times I've seen overpriced items reposted again and again because they had no buyers. Unless this is an item in high demand that isn't made anymore, if people are going to pay full price, they'll want to do it from an established store.
The likelihood of all 5 people showing up when they say they will, if they are strangers to you and don't face social consequences for flaking, is approximately zero. I once set up 8 half-hour appointment times on a Saturday (for different items) and only one person showed up when he said he would. People will no show, they will late-cancel (for bullshit reasons), they will come without cash (and perhaps leave to get some from an ATM, never to be heard from again), they will "not be able to find" your house and then disappear. Do not give these people any slack whatsoever. Your time will be wasted.
When writing your ad, start vetting for flakiness. In their initial message, potential buyers should be asked to include their phone number and confirm that they can be available at X time on Y date with cash, transportation and people to help if needed. Most will fail this test and you'll get a bunch of generic "is this item still available?" messages, which you should ignore. Those messages are either from bots as a first step of a scam, or from lookie-loo time wasters who have no real intention of buying.
Set up an appointment with your main person and your backups. If someone doesn't show, give it 15 minutes and then call the next person on your list. If that person can't come immediately, you go down to the next person, etc. Sell the bed to the first person who has cash in hand and can immediately move the bed out.
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 8:17 PM on June 11, 2021 [7 favorites]
Just like a new car becomes a used car as soon as you drive it off the lot, your bed is no longer new and it doesn't warrant a new price tag. You are very unlikely to sell this bed for the price you paid for it. Think about it from the buyer's perspective. You know there's nothing wrong with the bed, but they don't. They are buying an unknown item that may end up having a smell, or an obnoxious squeak, or a tear they didn't notice at first. And you're not a company they can easily review negatively or report to the BBB if there is a problem. If you listen to no other advice, listen to this. I can't tell you how many times I've seen overpriced items reposted again and again because they had no buyers. Unless this is an item in high demand that isn't made anymore, if people are going to pay full price, they'll want to do it from an established store.
The likelihood of all 5 people showing up when they say they will, if they are strangers to you and don't face social consequences for flaking, is approximately zero. I once set up 8 half-hour appointment times on a Saturday (for different items) and only one person showed up when he said he would. People will no show, they will late-cancel (for bullshit reasons), they will come without cash (and perhaps leave to get some from an ATM, never to be heard from again), they will "not be able to find" your house and then disappear. Do not give these people any slack whatsoever. Your time will be wasted.
When writing your ad, start vetting for flakiness. In their initial message, potential buyers should be asked to include their phone number and confirm that they can be available at X time on Y date with cash, transportation and people to help if needed. Most will fail this test and you'll get a bunch of generic "is this item still available?" messages, which you should ignore. Those messages are either from bots as a first step of a scam, or from lookie-loo time wasters who have no real intention of buying.
Set up an appointment with your main person and your backups. If someone doesn't show, give it 15 minutes and then call the next person on your list. If that person can't come immediately, you go down to the next person, etc. Sell the bed to the first person who has cash in hand and can immediately move the bed out.
posted by Flock of Cynthiabirds at 8:17 PM on June 11, 2021 [7 favorites]
This is not first come first serve.
Literally it’s first person to physically turn up in your window of hours will get the bed. NOT first person to promise to come.
And that is not how I’ve ever handled first come first served.
First person to say they can pay and collect it is first in the queue and we set a time for them to collect. Anyone else gets “Sorry, it’s promised to someone, but you’re 2nd (or whatever) in line if it falls through.”
Occasionally the first person can’t fix a time, so I end up saying “Sorry, I have other people interested”, and move on to the next. Occasionally, after setting a time, the person doesn’t show - move on to the next. It doesn’t waste anyone else’s time.
posted by fabius at 5:32 AM on June 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Literally it’s first person to physically turn up in your window of hours will get the bed. NOT first person to promise to come.
And that is not how I’ve ever handled first come first served.
First person to say they can pay and collect it is first in the queue and we set a time for them to collect. Anyone else gets “Sorry, it’s promised to someone, but you’re 2nd (or whatever) in line if it falls through.”
Occasionally the first person can’t fix a time, so I end up saying “Sorry, I have other people interested”, and move on to the next. Occasionally, after setting a time, the person doesn’t show - move on to the next. It doesn’t waste anyone else’s time.
posted by fabius at 5:32 AM on June 12, 2021 [2 favorites]
Mod note: Couple comments deleted and a gentle reminder to be kind here; if you're going to answer, please keep the snark to yourself and just give the poster your helpful constructive advice. Thanks.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 5:39 AM on June 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 5:39 AM on June 12, 2021 [1 favorite]
I understand wanting to maximize the chance this gets done in one shot by stacking up interested buyers, but I don't see it working. The problem is that buyers' interest goes down as you go from offering "a bed" to "a good chance at a bed" to "a sliver of hope for a bed."
Quickly a net loss for your interests, because picking up a bed is a hassle. For a maybe-bed I just wouldn't go.
Firm price or firm be-rid-of-it date, can only choose one or the other.
posted by away for regrooving at 1:39 PM on June 12, 2021
Quickly a net loss for your interests, because picking up a bed is a hassle. For a maybe-bed I just wouldn't go.
Firm price or firm be-rid-of-it date, can only choose one or the other.
posted by away for regrooving at 1:39 PM on June 12, 2021
« Older How did you introduce TV/screen time to your kid? | Bad sneakers (but no pina colada) Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by shoesietart at 1:29 PM on June 11, 2021 [26 favorites]