I am fuming right now. And I need to rant. Here is what happened.

On Monday I called about a ’85 Trek 600 on sale for $175.

Considering the condition and the market it is a very good deal. I called six minutes after it was posted. The bike is about 2 hours away and our schedules did not work out that there was time we could meet during the week. Knowing this bike would not last until the weekend I decided to assure the seller I would buy it for her asking price, and I would pick it up on Saturday. She agreed to this and said that she would delete the ad and honor our agreement.

I should have known something was wrong when she never deleted the ad.

Tonight I get a call from her saying that she got more calls about the bike. She says that someone offered her $225. When I ask why she did not delete the ad and honor what we discussed she yells that she does not want to get ripped off.

…If I remember correctly, I was buying it for the asking price. How could I be ripping you off? If you think the bike is worth more you should have done research, BEFORE posting the bike and agreeing to the deal.

Ok, $225. Still a good price. I tell her I’ll get in my car immediately and head over the purchase the bike now for $225. About 25 minutes into my about 2 hour drive I get a call from her…SHE NOW WANTS 400 DOLLARS. At this point I am so angry I can barely speak. She asks me if I still want the bike. NO, I don’t still want the bike.

So I turn around and go home. No bike. While it is within her right to ask whatever she wants for the bike. It would be nice if people honored the deals that they agree to, especially if it is at their asking price. And not turn around and ask 230% of that number.

Thanks for letting me rant. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really make me feel any better. But I could be over-reacting.

Has this every happened to you?

yes something similar has happened to me. I was to purchase a bike a few weeks ago, an '89 Bianchi, we had a deal for $500. he seemed to be dodging me for a week or two telling me that he had someone at a bike shop look at it and they wanted it. on the day I was to pick it up I called and left a few messages. he called back to tell me that he had decided to sell the bike to someone else for more money. now that bike is on ebay with a starting bid of $400. I do not know about your seller but this guy is a *blushing* OH we can't type those things.

Personally, I don't have the patience or tenacity to scour CL for deals. When you find a really good deal you have to work with the seller. Sellers aren't happy until they get cash in hand. After they get the cash they aren't likely to want to learn anything else about the item, but until they have that cash anything goes.

Your only mistake was that you didn't get there in 2 hours to get the bike when you first spoke with the seller.

Its your fault for not dropping every thing and heading right over but just think of mad you would be then if she did the same thing! Come to think of it she did you a favor not only did she save you the original $175 but she also saved you bail money because after a 2 hour drive I would be leaving with that bike or it would never be ridden again. POW WHACK SLAM!!

Keep looking that bike wasn't meant to be and good luck!

I once found a Specialized Rockhopper on CL for $75, called within a few minutes, made a deal with the guy, and arranged pickup after work - I called when I was on my way and he said "I think you have a wrong number." I assumed I did because the seller said we had a firm deal - when I got to his house his mom answered the door and said he was out golfing - and that he had sold the bike earlier. I was upset - not because I missed the deal, but more because he was too chicken to tell me when I called to confirm, and he let me waste my time. I no longer get my hopes up until I have bike in hand.

"Yeah Baby , $400 is fine. In fact, since you've done your homework you know that bike is rare and so I'll gladly give you $600 , cash, no check. Can't get it tonight, but I'll be there tomorrow. Most likely late. Day after for sure. I really,really want it and $600 is really fair- PLEASE DON"T SELL ITTO ANYONE ELSE!!!"

But that's just me......

A good rant.

A justifiable rant.

She violated business law - verbal agreements are binding.

She also violated every decent code of conduct.

I hate people like that. I won't do business with them. Keep your money for now.

"...she yells that she does not want to get ripped off."

Ya know, maybe it's just me. And maybe it's just me being old and cranky or having a particular upbringing, etc.. But that phrase "getting ripped off" to describe anything other than an actual theft or fraud sets off alarms for me. Now maybe it's just a different habit of speech than mine or something else benign, but to my mind there's a huge difference between overpaying, or selling something too cheaply and getting ripped off.

I distrust people who don't know the difference. It makes me wonder what's going through their mind when they set a price or offer to buy something. Nobody wants to overpay or be underpaid. Sure, but in negotiating we all represent our own position, the seller wants what he can get the buyer wants to pay the least possible. I don't think of either of them as trying to rip someone off. So this gal (or guy) who thinks in terms of getting "ripped off" what is her goal? Is it to rip someone off. It must be if getting ripped off is the alternative.

Then again, maybe it's just how some people talk. Even then it's a crappy use of language instead of a crappy outlook.

/rant

verbal contracts are worth the paper they're written on. She was oops!!!ty, but not unusual. Yep, until the seller has cash, it's still for sale. I was nervous asking for a day delay on an hour drive just because of schedules, on what turned out to be a 77/8 Trek 500 series. Kept in touch, confirmed the next day, showed up and scored. Luck of the draw...

Yes. MORE than once. Though some CL sellers won't bother to spring the new price on you, until AFTER you arrive, cash in hand (and contrary to some of the posts here, it makes absolutely NO difference if you arrive within the hour, because they never had any intention of selling at the posted price. Some of them will also berate you for walking away.)

Of course the great majority of sellers are not like that - but you just have to accept that they are out there. IMO, they are the ONLY downside to the hobby.
- A

You can always go on a flagging campaign.

This conclusion was perfectly put. I appreciate the way you parsed it out.

j

Give me the ad link. She's going to get an offer to buy for $1,500 "via PayPal" right now.

Wonder how long she'll be waiting

-Kurt

I plan on it whenever she re-posts the ad.

I've had time to cool down. But i'm still mad. What makes me mad is in all likelyhood she will probably close to her $400. I am going to learn from this experience.... Its not mine until its in the back of my car.

It has happened to me twice. I have had the opposite happen too, I was selling a bike on craigslist and got multiple replys. I talked with the first guy to respond to my ad and I promised him I would hold it for him. Guess what? He strung me on for about a week and never showed. That was equally annoying.

You have every reason to rant. Sure, they have the right to do what they want, but it shows lack of character.

She was a weird seller to begin with. Advertising it as "short sale only." Maybe thats a selling technique. I'm not sure.

Now I'll only be able to look at this ad and think of what could have been...
https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/bik/1429080571.html

$400, that's just a stab at squeezing you because she knew you wanted it. Maybe she was worried about your 2 hour drive and being bound to sell for a deal if you spotted anything you didn't like, and scared you off so she could relax. Either way, she sounds like a nutcase.

My worst one was when I replied to a chrome stayed Lotus for $95, and while we're on the phone, the guy asks what its worth. Being a generally honest person, I let on that it was probably worth a bit more than the asking price. Next thing I know he ups the price 50 percent. Still a good deal at $150, so I say I'd probably head out, but first a few questions to make sure it isn't damaged before I drive out. He offers to take photos and send them to me. I was just going to ask some questions, but ok. 15 minutes later no photos, I try calling him, no answer. Then I get an email, "sorry, its sold." Great.

Your rant seems justified to me. She really should have done her research before selling. One time I saw an ad for 2 Schwinn Travelers for $15.00 each (I think, it's been a while) to be sold at a garage sale a couple of days later. I asked if I could buy them that day for full price and pick them up. The seller said yes and I arranged to head over right after work. Before I was done working I got an email stating that there was more interest than expected and she would be taking "bids." A couple days later I got an email saying they were up to $140 for the pair and asked if I wanted to make a better offer. I did not reply.

There is one thing she did that I can understand as a seller. I never take an ad down until money has changed hands. This gives me backup buyers in case the first deal goes through.

It'll be $1,500 by morning...

...with no buyers and a frustrated seller, take my word for it

-Kurt

Craigslist has been nothing but endless hassle for me when buying or selling.

Buying, for the reasons above.

Selling, because I get an endless string of questions to which I give answers from my large pool of bicycle knowledge, over and over until they end up saying they can't or won't or their car broke down or some bs or another and I'm not only that $100 or so poorer but also a few hours poorer too.

actually I should have said that in my case the seller contacted me via the C&V forum and offered me the bike. I would have come the next day but he was not available.

Yesterday I emailed a craigslist seller minutes after they posted an ad for a similar looking trek for $65.
Never got a reply - probably for the best, no telling how many round-and-round exchanges were avoided.

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.

Serious question: What does o.b.o. mean to people on here?

I always thought that it meant an offer less than the asking price. It seems like some people on craigslist have this confused with offers higher than the asking price. I absolutely hate it when a seller on CL tries to turn it into an auction. If they want an auction, take it to ebay.

I once verbally contracted to buy a '73 paramount track for $450, all that was pending was the shipping costs, which would be added to the $450. Later the seller contacted me and explained he had an offer of $650, which I reluctantly matched. In the end I got the bike, but it did not turn out as expected, too many rust patches (unseen in the pics) and 2 sizes too large (size was listed incorrectly). So, I stripped it of the nice period campy track parts and sold the frameset for $450.