Has This Ever Happened to You?
10-22-09 | 07:07 PM
#51
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,630
Likes: 18
From: Rhode Island (an obscure suburb of Connecticut)
Bikes: one of each
I'll give her $400. Actually, I'll send her a certified check for $4000 and she can deduct the price of the bike and the cost of shipping and send me a personal check from her bank account for the change.
10-22-09 | 07:35 PM
#52
Bike Junkie
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 9,625
Likes: 40
From: South of Raleigh, North of New Hill, East of Harris Lake, NC
Bikes: Specialized Tarmac, Specialized Roubaix, Giant OCR-C, Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, Stumpjumper Comp, 88 & 92Nishiki Ariel, 87 Centurion Ironman, 92 Paramount, 84 Nishiki Medalist
+1000, Now You're lernin'
There's no such thing as it's mine until it's mine. (Yogi-ism)
I've been very lucky with CL both selling and buying. Folks don't believe me, but when I sell I've got a Nut-Case-Filter. I insist they leave their phone number in their e-mail via CL and never list my number. It's amazing how many people that low ball or string you along, don't want you to have their phone number. Straight up types who deal above board aren't afraid to leave their number. When selling, this simple rule has saved my lots of headaches.
When buying, if it's a really good deal, I know I can only get the bike if I offer more than asking, and I've done that. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Overall, my luck is good, I've only had one idiot who sold a bike to someone else after promising it to me.
There's no such thing as it's mine until it's mine. (Yogi-ism)
I've been very lucky with CL both selling and buying. Folks don't believe me, but when I sell I've got a Nut-Case-Filter. I insist they leave their phone number in their e-mail via CL and never list my number. It's amazing how many people that low ball or string you along, don't want you to have their phone number. Straight up types who deal above board aren't afraid to leave their number. When selling, this simple rule has saved my lots of headaches.
When buying, if it's a really good deal, I know I can only get the bike if I offer more than asking, and I've done that. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Overall, my luck is good, I've only had one idiot who sold a bike to someone else after promising it to me.
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10-22-09 | 11:30 PM
#53
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
From: Tucson, AZ
Bikes: 1982 Trek 311, 1985 Trek 420
10-22-09 | 11:51 PM
#54
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,547
Likes: 53
From: Sunny Tampa, Florida
Ripped off is a perception of a transaction and there will always be at least three perceptions - the seller's, the buyer's and anyone else who is aware of the specifics of the transaction. Here is a case that would suggest to people, even me, that I ripped a lady off.
When offered a 1971 Masi for free, I did not tell the offering lady that the bicycle was valuable. In fact, I said nothing at the time because she had left the bicycle outside for me to pick up. However, a day or so later I was convinced that the bicycle was a Masi and worth quite a bit of money.
What should I have done? Return the bicycle and offer to pay a thousand dollars or more? Keep the bike and brag to my friends about what a great deal I got(yup, that's pretty close to the reality mark). My guess is that the lady, of which we speak in this thread, sees the dilemma from the other side.
Or, how about this scenario? I listed an entry level Torpado for $9.99 USD hoping to get between $100 and $150 for the bike. It sold for a whopping $1225.00 USD. The bike was not worth nearly that much to me but it certainly was to the person who bought it. Should I have told the person that he paid way too much for the bicycle and then offer him a refund? Well, I did not do that but I did offer him another Torpada for a reasonable price. He jumped at the second opportunity and I felt a little better about the whole thing. But the fellow still paid way too much for the first Torpado.
It would not surprise me that the Torpado buyer might one day feel that he had been ripped off even though he competed with other buyers for the bicycle. I will always feel a bit uncomfortable about this and similar situations.
Now for those of us who wish to wait until it is convenient for us to go and pick up a bicycle - forget it! Strike when the iron is hot or be prepared to be disappointed.
All that said, the first response to this thread was vehement, to say the least. I hope this toned down version does not offend.
When offered a 1971 Masi for free, I did not tell the offering lady that the bicycle was valuable. In fact, I said nothing at the time because she had left the bicycle outside for me to pick up. However, a day or so later I was convinced that the bicycle was a Masi and worth quite a bit of money.
What should I have done? Return the bicycle and offer to pay a thousand dollars or more? Keep the bike and brag to my friends about what a great deal I got(yup, that's pretty close to the reality mark). My guess is that the lady, of which we speak in this thread, sees the dilemma from the other side.
Or, how about this scenario? I listed an entry level Torpado for $9.99 USD hoping to get between $100 and $150 for the bike. It sold for a whopping $1225.00 USD. The bike was not worth nearly that much to me but it certainly was to the person who bought it. Should I have told the person that he paid way too much for the bicycle and then offer him a refund? Well, I did not do that but I did offer him another Torpada for a reasonable price. He jumped at the second opportunity and I felt a little better about the whole thing. But the fellow still paid way too much for the first Torpado.
It would not surprise me that the Torpado buyer might one day feel that he had been ripped off even though he competed with other buyers for the bicycle. I will always feel a bit uncomfortable about this and similar situations.
Now for those of us who wish to wait until it is convenient for us to go and pick up a bicycle - forget it! Strike when the iron is hot or be prepared to be disappointed.
All that said, the first response to this thread was vehement, to say the least. I hope this toned down version does not offend.
There's an even bigger difference between "I don't wanna get ripped off" and "sorry, with the interest I'm getting and the prices I'm offered I've really got to ask for more."
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Still stupid and seriously neglected..
Still stupid and seriously neglected..
10-23-09 | 06:27 AM
#55
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,303
Likes: 60
From: Detroit
Just to reiterate, when dealing with such (expletive deleted) people, it positively makes no difference if you arrive within the hour, cash in hand: The result is the same.
The essential difference is the difference in people, and unfortunately we will not change that. - Still, I refuse to go all "PC" about it, and so commend the OP, and all the subsequent posters for their rants. (It's healthy to vent a little now and then.)
The essential difference is the difference in people, and unfortunately we will not change that. - Still, I refuse to go all "PC" about it, and so commend the OP, and all the subsequent posters for their rants. (It's healthy to vent a little now and then.)
10-23-09 | 07:00 AM
#56
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 812
Likes: 3
From: Mississippi Coast
Bikes: 198? Raleigh Technium 480, 1970 Raleigh Sports, Motobecane Nomade Sprint
I understand the comments about it being CL and that we should accept that people are d-bags. BUT, flea market or not, there are still some basic courtesies as people that everybody should be able to abide by. If somebody is going to jerk me around or tell me one thing then do another you're damn right I'm going to be pissed. Especially if I had to drive an hour to find out that they jerked me around.
If I went to a flea market and said I'd buy something and the flea market seller said meet me around back and you can pick it up. Then I go around back and he's not there and I find out he sold it while I was on my way around back I would probably be more pissed than I have been at anyone on CL.
If I went to a flea market and said I'd buy something and the flea market seller said meet me around back and you can pick it up. Then I go around back and he's not there and I find out he sold it while I was on my way around back I would probably be more pissed than I have been at anyone on CL.
10-23-09 | 12:03 PM
#57
Junior Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
I guess it's happened to just about everyone.
Fortunately, the bikes I'm interested in are relatively common and inexpensive. If I find a seller has been untrustworthy, I will walk away without an exchange, and maybe treat a friend to dinner with the money I just saved. Other bikes will be along, and life is too short to waste your time dealing with jerks.
Fortunately, the bikes I'm interested in are relatively common and inexpensive. If I find a seller has been untrustworthy, I will walk away without an exchange, and maybe treat a friend to dinner with the money I just saved. Other bikes will be along, and life is too short to waste your time dealing with jerks.
10-23-09 | 12:27 PM
#58
Yes, a few such episodes have happened to me. I just stay polite, thank them for their time and move on.
Caveat emptor, yada yada...
If your alarm bells are going off, it's probably for a reason.
I've had much better luck recently for bike bargains with eBay and newspaper classifieds vs. Craigslist.
Caveat emptor, yada yada...
If your alarm bells are going off, it's probably for a reason.
I've had much better luck recently for bike bargains with eBay and newspaper classifieds vs. Craigslist.
10-23-09 | 03:11 PM
#59
Count Orlok Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 1,856
Likes: 209
From: St. Paul, MN
Bikes: Raleigh Sports, Raleigh Twenty, Raleigh Wyoming, Raleigh DL1, Schwinn Winter Bike
I had the opposite problem yesterday.
A craigslist ad for a '50s vintage raleigh went up the other evening. I emailed the seller very soon after the ad went up and said I would like to look at the bike.
He emailed me back said I was welcome to come look at it, but he couldn't sell it to me, as another seller was driving from Wisconsin to look at it on Saturday. If that gentleman didn't buy it, he would let me know. I went to look at it, and the bike does appear to be from the '50s--56 8 on the hub, old dynohub and light, Brooks saddle. He said he'd keep me posted, and I thanked him for his time.
Nice to meet people with integrity.
A craigslist ad for a '50s vintage raleigh went up the other evening. I emailed the seller very soon after the ad went up and said I would like to look at the bike.
He emailed me back said I was welcome to come look at it, but he couldn't sell it to me, as another seller was driving from Wisconsin to look at it on Saturday. If that gentleman didn't buy it, he would let me know. I went to look at it, and the bike does appear to be from the '50s--56 8 on the hub, old dynohub and light, Brooks saddle. He said he'd keep me posted, and I thanked him for his time.
Nice to meet people with integrity.
10-23-09 | 04:39 PM
#60
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,219
Likes: 5,436
From: SF Bay Area, East bay
Bikes: Miyata 618 GT, Marinoni, Kestral 200, Soma double cross 2002 Trek 5200, KHS Flite, Koga Miyata, Schwinn Spitfire 5, Mondia Special, Univega Alpina, Miyata team Ti, Santa Cruz Highball, Waterford rs11
As it should be.
10-23-09 | 11:20 PM
#61
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 2
From: Metro Detroit
My last CL experience was very nice -- a woman posted a short, non-descriptive ad for a woman's bike, no price. I e-mailed her out of curiosity, asking what it was and how much she wanted. She told me the color and the bike was FREE, as long as I picked it up right away, as she was moving soon. I was about to take my wife on a date that evening, and the lady lived 25 miles away, so I couldn't make it that night, but would she hold it until the next morning? She replied yes, she would, and she did. And I picked up a silver and lavender Ross mixte for nothing more than my drive time, and hauling it out of her condo's basement. She mentioned that she had received a LOT of interest in the bike after I contacted her, but she kept her word and took down her ad. There really are some nice folks out there.
10-27-09 | 12:40 AM
#62
Generalfeldmarschall
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: Tucson and Chandler Arizona.
Bikes: Red 1988 Peugeot Nice Road Bike.
What a *****!
I hope that Karma gets her back for what she did to you! The verbal contract that you made with her is legally binding and not that I would be one to pursue a dispute over this small dollar amount it was still a bad move on her part. She will no longer have credibility among many on craigslist and sounds like this one guy is having some fun with her. I hope that she ends up selling it for the $175 or even less then that.
10-27-09 | 02:27 AM
#63
Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Honolulu HI
Bikes: Masi, Sekine, Zeus, Marin
Anytime I'm interested in a bike... Ebay... CL... whatever
I NEVER NEVER NEVER reveal how interested I am via the phone. I arrange to meet in person, at a specific time, and only in person do I decide whether it's worth my time and my money. And even then... You will still have to negotiate, whether it's for a lower or a higher price. If you are really interested, you make the drive. And even then, even when I deal, I am always prepared to walk away from it. Once you let the other side know how much you want it, and that you are willing to do just about anything to get it, they pretty much have you by the balls. And if you don't get it you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you're dealing with a friend that's another matter. Strangers, IMO, fall into the category of unknowns. It's best to deal with them in an appropriate manner.
Here's the way I see it. A number of people have said the verbal contract is legally binding. But it's a lot like getting hit by a car in a crosswalk - sure you were legally in the right - but you may be dead or never walk again. Ok, maybe that's not a fair analogy, but you'd instead be wasting time in court in a he-said she-said sort of situation.
See buying a bike as a negotiation. Nothing is set in stone until money has changed hands. This has nothing to do with wistfully wishing that the rest of the world has integrity. It's nothing personal, and as far as I'm concerned, it's just business. It doesn't mean you have to be an a** or unscrupulous. Just take the necessary precautions so u don't waste your time and be a bit more savvy in playing the game.
I NEVER NEVER NEVER reveal how interested I am via the phone. I arrange to meet in person, at a specific time, and only in person do I decide whether it's worth my time and my money. And even then... You will still have to negotiate, whether it's for a lower or a higher price. If you are really interested, you make the drive. And even then, even when I deal, I am always prepared to walk away from it. Once you let the other side know how much you want it, and that you are willing to do just about anything to get it, they pretty much have you by the balls. And if you don't get it you're just setting yourself up for disappointment.
If you're dealing with a friend that's another matter. Strangers, IMO, fall into the category of unknowns. It's best to deal with them in an appropriate manner.
Here's the way I see it. A number of people have said the verbal contract is legally binding. But it's a lot like getting hit by a car in a crosswalk - sure you were legally in the right - but you may be dead or never walk again. Ok, maybe that's not a fair analogy, but you'd instead be wasting time in court in a he-said she-said sort of situation.
See buying a bike as a negotiation. Nothing is set in stone until money has changed hands. This has nothing to do with wistfully wishing that the rest of the world has integrity. It's nothing personal, and as far as I'm concerned, it's just business. It doesn't mean you have to be an a** or unscrupulous. Just take the necessary precautions so u don't waste your time and be a bit more savvy in playing the game.
Last edited by evilfkngenius; 10-27-09 at 02:37 AM.
