bboy314

I’m hesitant to give out my phone number and address, especially after being angrily harassed by someone after they missed out on a free washing machine I gave away. Generally I wait until there’s been sufficient communication before I give out my address, or just meet the buyer somewhere else.

Very curious how “wokeness” factors into this.

roadcrankr

Make sure to alter your FB privacy settings to let only friends see your detailed profile.
Otherwise, potential buyers can see far more info than necessary and possibly wreak havoc.
Joining FB cycling groups and selling via that method helps, but I wonder if you reach a broad enough audience.
Of course, that method hardly works for the crap I peddled in the past: sofas, appliances, power tools, etc.

madpogue 

Oh, I would definitely have her replicate the complete ad on FBM, using my ad copy and photos. But there'd be no way for FB'ers to anonymously contact me; that's where the CL link would come in. CL uses anonymous/burner Email addressing. I assume most FBM communication is by FB DM. I suppose I could have my friend send any inquirers the CL link by DM.

I NEVER sell from home. I VERY rarely sell to the buyer's home. My ads always end with "Cash only. We can meet in a public place (blah blah)....." So far that's served me well, and safely, even in the dead of winter. That's not "woke" (I'm far from that, but I digress..), it's just safe in the modern real world. And anything I sell is (sorry not sorry) too nice for Goodwill; they'd sell my $200 bike for $50.

When buying, I leave the location up to the seller. If it isn't clear or seems hinky, I pass.

This is EXACTLY how I operate when buying on CL (except for the review, which doesn't apply). CL doesn't have an "is this available" template, of course, but I never ask. Opening with a specific question about the item is the best way to assure the seller that you're legit.

RB1-luvr

My initial experience with Fb Marketplace was very good, for about 1-2 years. Recently, all I get are "is this available" despite the ad stating that I will not reply to that question. Additionally, I've been getting offers, to which I agree to, then a thumbs up emoji, and no other reply.

oh, and then I've gotten two shady long-distance requests recently where they want to pay for it but will "send their brother-in-law to get it when he's in my area in two weeks". ya, no.

Infuriating.

Catnap 

the large amount of inquiries followed by inaction is likely because it's the nature of this hobby. people are trying to source old components with scarce documentation or are unsure if the parts are going to work for what they want to do. or it's a "super collector" who knows exactly what they are looking at, but is weighing their options in some way or the other.

managing For Sale listings is a pain in the butt, no matter where you sell. the lowest-BS places (outside of an in-person swap meet) are BikeForums and The Paceline. All my listings go there first, and with a discount over Facebook, CL, or eBay.

nlerner

Wait, I thought the idea was n + 1. You mean, we're supposed to sell our bikes? Next thing you know, someone will claim we're supposed to ride them, too!

prj71

The other reason is that they are probably working with multiple sellers on the same or similar item at a cheaper price. I've done it myself. Similar to working 3 different car dealers for a car.

Bottom line is that Facebook Market is hands down the best place to sell right now. Wide audience and if you skip using Facebook for the transaction there are no fees like ebay. I buy and sell on Facebook Marketplace all the time using PayPal or Zelle. For PayPal I use friends and family to avoid fees. I know some folks don't like that, but it has yet to be a problem for me.

Just put some tires up for sale on Facebook this morning and they were sold within 1 hour.

SurferRosa

I got one of those a couple years ago and responded by giving the guy a bit of a hard time. Turned out, he had zero clue about how the question is most often spam for local sellers. We met, and he was a normal sort of old timer just trying to get back into cycling after decades away.

RustyJames 

Also, I also state that I will only consider in-person offers. The “I’ll give ya 20 bux” messages are ignored.

Catnap 

i'll undoubtably annoy some folks with this statement, but in my experience, selling vintage bikes online usually involves "educating" boomers. many of the folks I've gotten in contact with on FB have never sold an item online before, are uncomfortable with digital payment platforms, and frightened of scammers without actually knowing how to spot them. first, I go through the process of convincing them that I'm a real person who just wants to buy their bike or part, and not a scammer looking to empty their bank account. Second, explaining digital payments and being willing (if necessary) to send cash or cheques through the mail when the seller doesn't have or is unwilling to use a digital payment platform. Third, talking them through the process step-by-step so both parties understand exactly what's going to happen and what's expected of them. For folks uncomfortable with shipping, I usually find a local bike store that will handle the packing & shipping, so the seller just has to drop off the item at the store.

complex? yeah! but when you've got a taste for particularly rare components and the only one for sale on the whole internet is in Bobson Dugnutt's garage in Upper Sandusky, Ohio... well, you figure it out. Similarly, when I'm the seller, there's a process to how the sale is going to go down and I have no problem letting the buyer know. If the buyer can't comply, then no sale.

edit - this is a bit beyond the original post topic, but I often buy components from sellers outside of the USA. that adds a whole new level of complexity. I've wired funding to European bank accounts, used Asian and European package forwarding companies, local facilitators, etc. always a fun time!

cudak888 

^ This. I can't recall how many times I've had this conversation:

"Do you still have it?"
"Yes."
"Will you take X?"
*sighs, I want to get rid of whatever it is* "Yes, if you come today."
"Where are you?"
*Just south of [provides nearby intersection]*
"Oh. I'm in [county 75 miles away]. Far."

At this point, anyone making an offer before they ask where it is just gets ignored unless they really show some indication that they're going to follow through.

Then there's this one, which really ticks the BS meter for me:

"Do you still have X?"
"Yes."
"Will you bring it to me?"
"No. I don't even know where you are."

Mind you, our county is so big that it is larger in square mileage than Rhode Island or Delaware. To make it even more outrageous, many of these people (per their profile) are messaging from the next county to the north. I won't deliver at all, period, but if someone asks this before telling me where they are, I almost always leave the chat immediately.

There's another thing: 10 years ago, younger people visiting Miami wouldn't think twice about hopping on a bus to get a bike. Now, with UBER and Lyft at their fingertips, they whine that getting from their place to here is "too difficult." Give me a break!

It's amazing how regions differ. "Meet in a location" down here equals this:



I won't do them anymore at all. They're almost guaranteed no-shows.

The most recent one that did show up was 30 minutes late after being a no-show. It was the sketchy guy trying to sell a Jaguar XJS as I noted in this thread. When we finally got to the storage unit, he was unable to unlock the storage gates, claiming "they're usually never locked!" What utter BS.

-Kurt

SurferRosa

Usually my prices are firm, and I lower them over time. But if the emailed counter offer sounds reasonable to me, I will reply, "if you made that offer in person this week, I would probably accept it." It's kind of a cordial way of saying, "I'm sort of open to that," and we can meet, but there's still no concrete agreement for either one of us.

abdon 

Facebook has gotten better about scammers but there was a time when ignoring "is this item available?" messages got rid of 100% of them. It also gets rid of 90% of ghosting messages (text you once, never to text you again) and a solid 50% of tire kickers. This may be a very small sample rate but I have found a very strong correlation between people that don't even bother to read the very first sentence in your ad (where it clearly says "Is this item still available" messages will be ignored) and negative interactions on Marketplace.

I may, or may not put that line in there. If it is a $10~$20 item I certainly will; my peace of mind is worth more than that and I would rather throw it in the trash (donate it really) than subject myself to that level of annoyance. Some people still send the line and then catch the text; some get annoyed as if I tricked them somehow and some find it funny and text again. I'm sorry for the good people that get annoyed but it saves me from the 10 imbeciles behind them trying to waste my time.

Oh, and don't get me started on trying to give something away for free on Marketplace, BIG mistake. That's a magnet for the most irresponsible people that can't get their **** together. You always want to put a token amount even if you won't take the money when a person shows up.

SDHawk

I agree and do many of the same things as a buyer. I'm the communication King for sure haha. One thing I will not do is ask for a midpoint meeting place. If they want to meet at Home Depot etc. it's fine, but I'm not gonna insist or even suggest it.

As someone who also sells, I will politely say no to anyone who asks me to meet somewhere. It's not out of fear, but it's just too inconvenient with too great a chance of being a waste of time (no-show, doesn't buy, etc.). I suppose if someone paid in advance, I'd consider meeting halfway. I have buyers come to my house and meet outside. It's easy to tell if buyers are legit when selling vintage bikes. I've sold dozens over the past few years with no problem and have met other local bike geeks. Admittedly, I'm selling sub-$200 bikes for the most part. If I was selling expensive merch, I would be more wary.

cudak888 

Down here, it's not worth it. People have learned to game the "come today and you can have it for $X" approach: They'll commit to a time and then flake out. If you're lucky, you'll get a response two hours after the fact that they "weren't able to come." They never show up after that.

I've had one or two of these people show much later than they expected and they often pass - I've come to realize It's just a trick to make you hold the item while they go look at others.

-Kurt

abdon 

This is actually not bad at all and I appreciate it. Doesn't hurt to ask, don't mind if I say no. At least I am not going out of my way to meet you at your convenience instead of going straight to work, and now you want a discount because it is not as nice as you hoped. You could have done your homework and check it out at the nearest store but instead you are here, pissing me off, and evaporating any chance I could have given it to you for less.

I would not negotiate the price before they actually see whatever it is, but I can certainly let them know if the price is firm.

SurferRosa

Yeah, that's not me. I simply reply to their counter that "I might be up for that if you made the offer in person." They either set a time to meet and we meet, or I don't hear from them again. Either is fine. What I don't want is a long chain of emails.

On the flip side, I don't make any impersonal, emailed counter offer for something I want. I just try to meet as quickly as I can and speak to them face-to-face.

​​​​​​​Sounds like it!

RustyJames 

I have a similar M.O. as a seller. My standard line is that “I am open to in-person offers”. So far, all of the buyers I've interacted with don’t make offers before seeing the goods.

cudak888 

Over here, you might get someone pitching an offer 50% of the asking price and then asking you to deliver it to them halfway across the county.

The BS flies high in Miami. High enough to warrant a flight plan.

-Kurt

friendofpugs

I've bought dozens of bikes on FBM the last couple of years. If I think the price is too high I'll almost always politely make an offer right off the bat, to see if they are flexible on their pricing. I'd rather find out sitting at home on my laptop than after driving an hour to see the bike only to learn they were serious with their pricing. With the vintage bike market being so soft right now, it pays to be polite and patient. Oftentimes I'm the only one to express interest in a bike, even after it's been posted for sale for weeks or months.

madpogue 

Hmm, is this about buying or selling? In any event. in both cases, I find it's the millennials and other younger generations who need "educating". There seems to be some part of "cash only" that some younger people don't understand. I've literally baffled some with the notion that I do not have CashApp/Venmo or a smart phone. When buying on CL, I've also found that most younger people assume that I'll be able to text or Email them when I reach (or approach) the meeting place. I ALWAYS Email the seller before leaving home, give an ETA, and say "I won't have Email or text while on the road, so I'll call when I arrive (or you can call me)." That notion just seems to be lost on some.

Here, there's a safety factor in meeting someplace where the general public is present. Selling bikes, I generally prefer a park that's next to a bike path. Selling components or tools or what-not, I usually opt for a coffee joint, office building lobby, or a grocery store with a sit-in dining area. A lot of sellers specify the lobby of the local Police station.

cudak888 

Same here in regards to payment or just being forthcoming with their ETA. With very rare exceptions, most FB Marketplacers or OfferUppers who have showed up within the last year have been at least an hour late.

Here, people think you're going to screw them over; in a car-centric city, every meeting place is a lonely parking lot. Even then, if there was a mugging in plain sight, you'd probably get more people taking video of it for Only in Dade than anyone physically intervening.

Would you believe that the PD station thing is so rare down here that it usually sets people off as an insult? Even one flipper I know who buys doesn't trust sellers who suggest this. I have done it once before for a particularly high-dollar item, though it was only because the first attempt at a sale went wrong - the first in ~15 years - due to a teenage jerk who wouldn't bugger off after showing up without the agreed dollar value. He subsequently pushed my buttons over it by getting his GF to call and attempting various aliases trying to buy the thing, followed by crank calls when he realized I'd figured him out. Hence, PD station was invoked.

-Kurt

dedhed

Or the "I'll send my driver with a check, money order or similar" I just answer send your driver with cash and never hear from them again. Scammers, most are pretty easy to see. One of my first sales was to a guy in Nashville (I'm in WI) I looked at his profile and he owned an architectural salvage business which was the items he was looking at . Otherwise I'm leary of out of state inquiries on larger items that aren't exactly put in a box and ship.

dedhed

I only communicate by FB messenger. I often get "text me" but tell those DM only. Generally never hear from them again. I have given my phone to repeat customers. When location is asked I give out a nearby major intersection and then address only when they are committed.
Meeting elsewhere really depends on what you're selling. I sold a lot of furniture, farm items, and antique architectural items that aren't moving anywhere until they load on a buyers truck.

RB1-luvr

I've put some decent items at the end of my driveway for free recently just because selling them doesn't feel like the hassle and risk is worth it, and I could really use the money.