I hope they at least have to sweat for some time in heck
07-31-14, 07:42 PM
#1
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I hope they at least have to sweat for some time in heck
Went to pick up a bike that I thought I had made a deal on from an add on Clist. Yes, the price was low, but it was the price that the seller listed in his add. Anyway, after getting there, the sellers opens the door, asks if I got their voice message on my phone. I say, "no", thinking that the seller sold the bike to someone else. The seller says that his wife got lots of email offer to sell the bike, so they decided they would pull the add. Then he tells me that they looked it up on Ebay, and that they found a similar bike from company XXXX and it had a sale price of $200. I sorta wanted to look at the bike (when what I should have done was just walk away, having just wasted an hours worth of my life in the drive+return drives). Instead, I end up giving him an assessment of the bike, pointing out all the items that need to be replaced, all the items that weren't necessarily top notch. Then he asked what I would give and I repeated the original price in the add. He said he couldn't do it for that, that he would have to research it more on the net. Then his neighbor rides up on his carbon wonder machine, and tells him he knows a guy that knows alot about older bikes and that his buddy might make him an offer on the bike. I said "nice to meet both of you, thanks for letting me see the bike, and I stand by anything I said in my assessment of the bike". The owner said he would let me know what he wanted for it and I would get first offer rights. Any words of wisdom for me (it's okay, you can go harsh on me, I probably need it).
07-31-14, 07:56 PM
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Sounds like you played it straight. But there's no way I would have walked away with pointing out - with exagGerated politeness - that had he done his research before listing the bike he wouldN't HAVE WASTED AN HOUR OF MY F&4KING LIFE.
I'm pretty direct that way
I'm pretty direct that way
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● 1971 Grandis SL ● 1972 Lambert Grand Prix frankenbike ● 1972 Raleigh Super Course fixie ● 1973 Nishiki Semi-Pro ● 1979 Motobecane Grand Jubile ●1980 Apollo "Legnano" ● 1984 Peugeot Vagabond ● 1985 Shogun Prairie Breaker ● 1986 Merckx Super Corsa ● 1987 Schwinn Tempo ● 1988 Schwinn Voyageur ● 1989 Bottechia Team ADR replica ● 1990 Cannondale ST600 ● 1993 Technium RT600 ● 1996 Kona Lava Dome ●
07-31-14, 08:05 PM
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I learned a long time ago that people don't mind wasting YOUR time, but hate it if your waste THEIR time.
Maybe he will call you back when he can't get any more than what you offered.
Then you can set it up to meet him a half hour from his home...
Maybe he will call you back when he can't get any more than what you offered.
Then you can set it up to meet him a half hour from his home...
07-31-14, 08:13 PM
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Next time, just leave. It will happen again. No point in getting worked up. It is a pain but when that a tuff happens to me I just cut my losses and bail.
07-31-14, 08:43 PM
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can i be "harsh," as you wrote?
add: abbreviation for addition
ad: abbreviation for advertisement
i kid. you were nice to advise the owner. but you didn't mention the results of the v-mail nor its timing. if he did call you in a timely manner, then i wouldn't judge him too harshly. if he did not, he owes you some restitution. if you both agreed to a deal before the v-mail, you probably have a legal right to the bike at the offering price.
add: abbreviation for addition
ad: abbreviation for advertisement
i kid. you were nice to advise the owner. but you didn't mention the results of the v-mail nor its timing. if he did call you in a timely manner, then i wouldn't judge him too harshly. if he did not, he owes you some restitution. if you both agreed to a deal before the v-mail, you probably have a legal right to the bike at the offering price.
07-31-14, 09:22 PM
#6
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Okay, I get that add thing wrong all the time, but you're still making me cry. Just kidding.
When I left, I had the sense that at least I was honest with everything I said to him, and I can live with who I am and how I deal with people (which is to say honestly and courteously). I don't think he necessarily believed much of what I told him, which is queer considering he had little to no bike knowledge of his own. And his neighbor friend didn't help me in the negotiations, offering competition for the bike, since he knew someone else that might make and offer. My guess is the owner will not keep his word, that he will wait some weeks then throw it back on Clist for $200. No way it will sell for that. Karma has a way of evening things out, so we will see. After wasting a hour of my finite lifetime, it's just another sour pill to swallow that I gave him something for free (my knowledge) and for that he threw out flags of doubt.
When I left, I had the sense that at least I was honest with everything I said to him, and I can live with who I am and how I deal with people (which is to say honestly and courteously). I don't think he necessarily believed much of what I told him, which is queer considering he had little to no bike knowledge of his own. And his neighbor friend didn't help me in the negotiations, offering competition for the bike, since he knew someone else that might make and offer. My guess is the owner will not keep his word, that he will wait some weeks then throw it back on Clist for $200. No way it will sell for that. Karma has a way of evening things out, so we will see. After wasting a hour of my finite lifetime, it's just another sour pill to swallow that I gave him something for free (my knowledge) and for that he threw out flags of doubt.
07-31-14, 10:01 PM
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I'm old and while I still have all tact I ever had; sometimes I don't use it. I do not waste energy or time on sellers or buyers who are ignorant or rude; or both. If you have enough sense to create a Craigslist ad with pics, you can research your item. I'm selfish with my time and won't waste it. I'll answer a few emails about a bike and I'll talk on the phone a while, but I never strike a deal or hold a bike for a buyer. I don't expect that when I'm buying. Cash in hand, offers in person only, first come first served. I would have told him he was deceitful and should be ashamed for wasting my time.
Unless it was a chrome Panasonic DX6000...then I would have smiled and paid him.....
Unless it was a chrome Panasonic DX6000...then I would have smiled and paid him.....
07-31-14, 10:51 PM
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I have sold and bought on C/L but have only bought perhaps 4 or 5 bikes and sold hundreds. I did have seller change his price as happened to you,wasting my time. Most of my dealings with sellers has been honest and reasonable. By far the greatest time wasters are buyers who make appointments to look at a bike and then do not show up.
Did you ever notice that the more questions a potential buyer asks the less likely he is to buy the bike. Or how about those buyers who ask lots of questions, negotiate a lower price by email, and then as their last question ask where the bike is located and decide it is too far to drive, or ask if I will deliver the bike(I won't).
Did you ever notice that the more questions a potential buyer asks the less likely he is to buy the bike. Or how about those buyers who ask lots of questions, negotiate a lower price by email, and then as their last question ask where the bike is located and decide it is too far to drive, or ask if I will deliver the bike(I won't).
08-01-14, 12:28 AM
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The seller now thinks he has a bike that's worth a fortune. He will never change his mind.
That's my assessment of the situation. It happens. Should have walked, don't blame you for trying
That's my assessment of the situation. It happens. Should have walked, don't blame you for trying
08-01-14, 05:37 AM
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If a bike doesn't say Huffy, Murray or Free Spirit on it, it's worth thousands of dollars, especially if it's got anything with an Italian name on it. If more than one person responds to an ad, it means the bike is a collector's item and if they hold onto it, American Pickers will show up at their door wanting to buy it.
08-01-14, 06:27 AM
#11
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American Pickers. Antiques Road Show. Pawn Stars. (Un)reality TV, making people think everything old is valuable; making life harder for everyday people. Another wave of BS from Hollywood.
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08-01-14, 06:31 AM
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Technically you had a semi-plausible argument for a binding contract; it'd be difficult to enforce and not worth the hassle but depending on how cranky I was feeling that day I might have mentioned that fact just to see them sweat.
Last edited by ksryder; 08-01-14 at 07:23 AM. Reason: accuracy, coffee hadn't kicked in
08-01-14, 06:44 AM
#13
Keener splendor
I agree with what @fender1 says above. Remind the seller that you're an honorable guy who makes deals and sticks to them. Make no value judgement of him, but allow him to come back to the agreement. It's better to say how much you'd love to take it home, and how happy it would make you. People love a happy buyer and will discount things for someone's happiness.
I've made this mistake, and I will never do this again. Your knowledge is worth something, so don't give it out for free if there is no deal. Once the deal is happening, then feel free to assess it in terms of components but not value or flip potential or anything like that.
I've made this mistake, and I will never do this again. Your knowledge is worth something, so don't give it out for free if there is no deal. Once the deal is happening, then feel free to assess it in terms of components but not value or flip potential or anything like that.
08-01-14, 06:13 PM
#14
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The seller doesn't think the bike is worth a fortune by what I told him, but by the whatever he thinks he saw on the internet that was close to it. It took me like 5 minutes to find what it was and how nice it was, just by typing in the brand and model names. I was hoping to get sympathy and scolding by the crowd here, all that the same time.
08-01-14, 08:06 PM
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OP: In the pursuit of your passion, you had an experience with a flaky seller. Probably won't be your last.
But is any time spent viewing and talking bikes (including this discussion) really wasted?
"...sweat in heck"? Now THAT is harsh.
But is any time spent viewing and talking bikes (including this discussion) really wasted?
"...sweat in heck"? Now THAT is harsh.
08-01-14, 09:15 PM
#16
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I find that it is a really common occurrence for sellers of old bikes to suddenly wonder if their bikes are some sort of valuable collectors item as they are selling them to me or shortly before they sell them. I guess it has something to do with the way I buy them; in a hurry and in a manner that portrays that I know exactly what I'm looking at and what I want. I've had more than one person mention that they looked at bikes on ebay while I was on my way over and realized the bike is worth a lot. But we all know how people ask ridiculous prices on ebay and many will not get any bids.
Just yesterday I had a guy trying to get me to admit that I was planning on reselling the '85 Schwinn High Sierra he was selling me. I told him that I might sell it someday but I really just like fixing up old bikes and was planning to keep it for awhile at least. I was telling the truth, and wasn't exactly stealing the scratched up, rotten tire, rusty cable thing at $60 (don't get me wrong I like it, but it was a fair price).
The reality is that I, like most of you, know that there is no big profit to be made from most old bikes. Unfortunately sellers often mistake our love of bikes for a love of money.
Just yesterday I had a guy trying to get me to admit that I was planning on reselling the '85 Schwinn High Sierra he was selling me. I told him that I might sell it someday but I really just like fixing up old bikes and was planning to keep it for awhile at least. I was telling the truth, and wasn't exactly stealing the scratched up, rotten tire, rusty cable thing at $60 (don't get me wrong I like it, but it was a fair price).
The reality is that I, like most of you, know that there is no big profit to be made from most old bikes. Unfortunately sellers often mistake our love of bikes for a love of money.
08-01-14, 09:18 PM
#17
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...the farthest I've ever driven on a CL bike was about two hours each way to Merced, CA.
It was a very old Schwinn Paramount, which had been obviously updated and repainted very
nicely by someone, and at the price asked was probably about what it was worth to me.
It was, unfortunately, two inches smaller than listed. I had a nice talk with the guy, looked
at his other bicycles (of which he was very proud), got a decent supper at a Mexican restaurant
there in Merced, and then came home. It's Craigslist. There are no controls, and it simply
reflects the wide variety of people who buy and sell on it. Measuring not required, no deal is
final until money has changed hands and the bike is in your car.
Peeps come on here from time to time to vent about it, which is a good outlet, I guess.
But I already have quite a few bicycle cycles, and one more or less at this point is of no matter to me.
I have at least learned to specifically ask sellers to remeasure while I'm on the phone.
It was a very old Schwinn Paramount, which had been obviously updated and repainted very
nicely by someone, and at the price asked was probably about what it was worth to me.
It was, unfortunately, two inches smaller than listed. I had a nice talk with the guy, looked
at his other bicycles (of which he was very proud), got a decent supper at a Mexican restaurant
there in Merced, and then came home. It's Craigslist. There are no controls, and it simply
reflects the wide variety of people who buy and sell on it. Measuring not required, no deal is
final until money has changed hands and the bike is in your car.
Peeps come on here from time to time to vent about it, which is a good outlet, I guess.
But I already have quite a few bicycle cycles, and one more or less at this point is of no matter to me.
I have at least learned to specifically ask sellers to remeasure while I'm on the phone.
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08-01-14, 09:23 PM
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Went to pick up a bike that I thought I had made a deal on from an add on Clist. Yes, the price was low, but it was the price that the seller listed in his add. Anyway, after getting there, the sellers opens the door, asks if I got their voice message on my phone. I say, "no", thinking that the seller sold the bike to someone else. The seller says that his wife got lots of email offer to sell the bike, so they decided they would pull the add. Then he tells me that they looked it up on Ebay, and that they found a similar bike from company XXXX and it had a sale price of $200. I sorta wanted to look at the bike (when what I should have done was just walk away, having just wasted an hours worth of my life in the drive+return drives). Instead, I end up giving him an assessment of the bike, pointing out all the items that need to be replaced, all the items that weren't necessarily top notch. Then he asked what I would give and I repeated the original price in the add. He said he couldn't do it for that, that he would have to research it more on the net. Then his neighbor rides up on his carbon wonder machine, and tells him he knows a guy that knows alot about older bikes and that his buddy might make him an offer on the bike. I said "nice to meet both of you, thanks for letting me see the bike, and I stand by anything I said in my assessment of the bike". The owner said he would let me know what he wanted for it and I would get first offer rights. Any words of wisdom for me (it's okay, you can go harsh on me, I probably need it).
08-01-14, 09:29 PM
#19
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The Pickers must sell directly to collectors. I don't see how they can turn a profit driving a Mercedes van all over the USA. Look at their feedback on Ebay:
https://stores.ebay.com/pickersantiquearchaeology/
https://stores.ebay.com/pickersantiquearchaeology/
They make a living off the network salaries for the TV show. Now they're in bed with Ford, doing Ford ads and driving a new Ford van. Anything they sell is gravy. But I'm spinning off topic here.
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My C&V Bikes:
1972 Bottecchia Professional, 1972 Legnano Olympiade Record,
1982 Colnago Super, 1987 Bottecchia Team C-Record,
1988 Pinarello Montello, 1990 Masi Nuova Strada Super Record,
1995 Bianchi Campione d'Italia, 1995 DeBernardi Thron
My C&V Bikes:
1972 Bottecchia Professional, 1972 Legnano Olympiade Record,
1982 Colnago Super, 1987 Bottecchia Team C-Record,
1988 Pinarello Montello, 1990 Masi Nuova Strada Super Record,
1995 Bianchi Campione d'Italia, 1995 DeBernardi Thron
08-01-14, 10:05 PM
#20
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I don't make offers on the phone, only ask to come see it. No point in promising on a price for what turns out to be a ruin. Not just for bikes, stuff in general.
08-02-14, 08:18 AM
#21
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Hello Uncle Randy, it's your uncle Uncle. I'm pretty sure the neighbor wasn't a shill. He looked like he truly just came back from a bike ride. He said he knew about bikes, it proved out that he new very little about vintage ones (like he was confused why I described it as a 10 speed, when his new carbon bike was sold to him as a ten speed). I was hoping that going through the laundry list of what was required to get the bike up and going again would convince the seller that it wasn't as special as his quick check on the internet lead him to believe. It's hard to explain the nuances of vintage bikes to someone who's is clouded by visions of large stacks of money.
08-02-14, 12:03 PM
#22
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Hello Uncle Randy, it's your uncle Uncle. I'm pretty sure the neighbor wasn't a shill. He looked like he truly just came back from a bike ride. He said he knew about bikes, it proved out that he new very little about vintage ones (like he was confused why I described it as a 10 speed, when his new carbon bike was sold to him as a ten speed). I was hoping that going through the laundry list of what was required to get the bike up and going again would convince the seller that it wasn't as special as his quick check on the internet lead him to believe. It's hard to explain the nuances of vintage bikes to someone who's is clouded by visions of large stacks of money.
08-02-14, 03:03 PM
#23
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The Pickers must sell directly to collectors. I don't see how they can turn a profit driving a Mercedes van all over the USA. Look at their feedback on Ebay:
https://stores.ebay.com/pickersantiquearchaeology/
https://stores.ebay.com/pickersantiquearchaeology/
