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Wed Sep 04, 2024 1:56 am

I had a good experience with FB marketplace the other week. A guy in a nearby village was selling 25l water containers, and I needed some new ones for making salt water for my aquariums.

He wanted £10 for three.

On the way or the door to collect them, I checked my wallet and saw a brown note, so assumed I had enough cash on me (UK £10 notes are brown).

Got there to collect and the guy was working on his roof. Told me where the containers were, and to load them in my car, which was down the street, while he climbed down.

When I got back and went to pay, I found that the note in my wallet was €10 ( euros - ten euro notes are also brown, and are pretty much the same size as £10 notes). I apologised, and said I'd go back and unload, then go and get pounds.

The guy looked at me like I was nuts, and said the euros would be great, because he'd use them in France at some point anyhow.

Nice guy, willing to take entirely the wrong currency for his stuff, and euros are worth less than pounds, so I effectively got a discount too.

Made a nice change from the usual chancers on FB.

Wed Sep 04, 2024 2:09 am

Q-Dog wrote: skills@eurocarsplus wrote: busdaddy wrote: skills@eurocarsplus wrote: ...........just bought this piece of shit.......
Cool!, come on over and clean my gutters and put up the Christmas lights buddy! :D

Long story but the bottom line is after getting fucked around by everyone...electricians, carpenters etc I just bought a truck

The rental fees around here are stupid for a man lift....like 1K for basically a "long weekend" plus a 2-400 "mobilization fee" to get it here

So I set out to find the cheapest piece of shit I could, and boy did I :lol:

Couple more things to finish but i'm happy with it

I goes higher than I want to be and is still terrifying as fuck, but 100x better than working off a ladder
I could use something like that. Power company put up a security light across the street that is so bright we have to draw the shades at night. and they won't do anything about it.

22 caliber night shade….plink…tinkle

:D

Awesome buy skills. I painted my last two story center hall for sale myself, after a 6k quote. I had 20 hours in it for a 70 year old guy on a ladder. I painted it in between the time the guy quoted and when he called back for follow up.

Wed Sep 04, 2024 4:15 am

iowegian wrote: skills@eurocarsplus wrote:

so you're ok with just giving up your address to some schmuck on the internet?

That's why I always use a fake Return Address on packages of stuff that I sell on theSamba. You can never be too careful.
One of two things going on here, you guys either need to move to a decent part of the world or get some help with those fears.

Wed Sep 04, 2024 4:27 am

Xevin wrote: Dude, There’s like 5 people in Iowa. We all know where to find you. You too oprn
:P
I have posted many photos of my license plates, issued a challenge to find me and PM me my address but to this date... nothing in spite of all the plate coverers and their fears!

If a serious disagreement happens in some random meeting place my pockets will only hold so much in terms of equalizers. At home however...

...and I know of places in these here hills even that a coyote couldn't find a body inside of a month! :D

Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:16 pm

again, people are flakes.
l have two large solar panels, l'm fed up moving them about and trying not to break them.
listed for free locally, many folk want them, NO ONE seems to want to actually come and get them.

on the weekend they are going in the land fill.

Thu Oct 10, 2024 4:57 pm

riding my "high" from the econoswine purchase I've tossed up a ton of shit, 3 of the 6 items are sold and it's only been a week.

I'm sure it will all go back to pissing me off soon :lol:

Fri Dec 06, 2024 11:51 am

Marketplace success!

Saw a listing that was the best deal on Marketplace. So cheap, why wasn't it sold? Seller told me he only had an hour early each morning. I lamented that we used to just leave money back when people trusted each other. Hew gave me his location and told me to leave cash under the door mat. Now,

Been there! Done that!

Would you believe it?!!

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Fri Dec 06, 2024 6:02 pm

I just bought a nice, low mileage chevy truck for a great price today. Been on FB for a couple weeks, and the guy had nothing but flakes contacting him about it. He was happy to give me a good deal to drive it away.

Sat Dec 07, 2024 8:30 am

My partner is selling off quite a bit of excess xmas on fbmp with much success.
The flake ratio is still about the same, 50/50.

Sat Dec 07, 2024 11:43 am

This morning on San Antonio, Tx news :

Police investigating shooting ata QuikTrip on N35 & Randolph. Suspects fled & victim is in hospital.

Supposedly met there for an FB Marketplace meeting.

Asking for any info ... COME ON, really !

I've used park-n-ride parking lots to get used surfboards in the past.

Be careful out there ... stay safe

jinx

Mon Dec 09, 2024 5:46 am

A few weeks back, contrary to what I promised myself after the last parking lot meeting turned bad, I did it again. Met someone in a parking lot to look at a car for sale. This time I took my wife for backup.

This time it was not a drug dealer flogging bad parts. Just a shyster with a car that was nowhere near as advertised condition.

"Run Forest! Run!"

We ended up buying one that we viewed at the owner's home. That in my mind adds serious legitimacy to the transaction! A real guy selling a real car, no funny business!

I have no problem with people coming to my home to buy things I advertise. Why? Because I have a neighbor that has my back. He knows our habits and who comes and goes. I tell him if we are going to be away and if someone is coming to water the plants and feed the cat and what they drive. I do the same for him. I make a mental note of any unusual activity at his place and I know he does the same for me.

Some may think that's snooping but there is nothing I do here that I am ashamed of...

Sun Dec 15, 2024 9:21 am

Wait! I got it.

We're all living in a circus "funhouse" these days. It's a funhouse lined with mirrors. Everything is the exact opposite of what we expect or what it should be.

I was very poorly raised, for example am the Robert Frost of profanity. I can cuss quite eloquently. I may have a potty mouth but I still have manners. I understand that I need tp be polite to anyone I may do business with. That means I need to be on my best behavior with anyone and everyone who answers my classified ads.

Why don't people understand that? For example sellers seem to think I'm "wasting their time" when I ask them to clarify what turns out to be deliberately misleading listings. For example "Does it run?" is a simple question with a binary answer, typically yes or no. Sure we're all VW enthusiasts so "will run" may be ambiguous. Sure it will run. It will run when the missing engine is replaced or the debris field that passes for an engine is rebuilt. Same with the debris field that sometimes results from a "body off pan" restoration.

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Sun Dec 15, 2024 2:41 pm

l just posted a free radiator in the samba vanagon, part it forward thread, last time l got flakes a time wasters who were interested in what l wanted to give away, and it ended up in land fill.
lets see if today is going to be any different.

Sun Dec 15, 2024 5:00 pm

Just scored a driver's floor pan and baja exhaust for a very good deal. Guy said I was the first to actually follow through on my initial contact, and show up when I said I would. He gave me a better deal because he was so tired of the flakes, and we will likely do more business in the future. He has a bunch more stuff and cars, and is sick of FB jerk offs. It pays to follow through.

Mon Dec 16, 2024 4:14 am

I’ve used the port Jeff park train circle for FBM meets. It has a public web cam that oversees it and 5-0 is a block away. At 5 pm they come up close up the pier for the night so perfect place for good people.

During Covid, bored rich people refurnished their houses so we got to Ethan Allen our house at about 5 cents on the dollar. We hauled everything on our HF trailer. Quite the score. Last furniture to buy before we head to Depends Land and wait for skills to roll on babbling about SPA Volvos

Mon Dec 16, 2024 8:59 am

cdennisg wrote: Just scored a driver's floor pan and baja exhaust for a very good deal. Guy said I was the first to actually follow through on my initial contact, and show up when I said I would. He gave me a better deal because he was so tired of the flakes, and we will likely do more business in the future. He has a bunch more stuff and cars, and is sick of FB jerk offs. It pays to follow through.

I know how your seller feels. It is bad where I live, I think people haggle as a hobby and once they get the deal they are satisfied with they never bother to actually show up.

Tue Dec 17, 2024 4:09 am

clockworkbox wrote: cdennisg wrote: Just scored a driver's floor pan and baja exhaust for a very good deal. Guy said I was the first to actually follow through on my initial contact, and show up when I said I would. He gave me a better deal because he was so tired of the flakes, and we will likely do more business in the future. He has a bunch more stuff and cars, and is sick of FB jerk offs. It pays to follow through.

I know how your seller feels. It is bad where I live, I think people haggle as a hobby and once they get the deal they are satisfied with they never bother to actually show up.

FBM rules under $2000. No phone or text haggling. Show up in person with the ask price in cash, show me the money , then haggle away.

Wed Dec 18, 2024 5:00 pm

Just sold my wife's ML350 on FB. I have had good luck prior with people just stopping over, paying, and leaving but my last transaction was a nightmare so I was just about to take if off FB when a random guy sent me me "what is the lowest you will sell it for today....CASH" message(like I would take a check?). So I was not too optimistic but I gave him a "I want to be done with hith this" price and he said "can we meet today and I will bring cash and take it"

This time I say "we meet at the police station". He said "OK". So we set a time up, I drive to the police station.....they have an area with a posted sign that says "Area reserved for online transactions. Under video surveillance". And he is parked there. He gets out of the car, looks at my car, we go for a short drive together, pull back in and his wife talks me down a little bit more (I was SO ready for this to be done!), we sign a BOS and I hand him the title and he drives off.

Of course I am 7 1/2 miles away from home with no car, a plate and $11k in cash in my pocket My wife is still sleeping from her night shift in the NICU. Well I texted her and said "Sold the car. I am walking home from the PD. If you get this I could use a ride :lol: "

Well I made it about 4 miles before she came and got me. Went right to the couch for a nap! Losing 60+ lbs due to chemo should make walking a little easier but I think a good chunk of it has been muscle.

I did get a scolding from my VERY concerned wife all the way home :lol:

At this point good scolding is not a bad thing. At least I am alive to get one! I think my FB Marketplace time is nearing an end :roll:

Wed Dec 18, 2024 7:52 pm

jspbtown wrote: I say "we meet at the police station". He said "OK". So we set a time up, I drive to the police station.....they have an area with a posted sign that says "Area reserved for online transactions. Under video surveillance".
Very interesting. And a good idea.

When I sold our 2005 Yukon, we met at a strip mall 1/4 mile from me. I had talked to her husband the night before on the phone after Craigslist listing, the wife was there with money. Smooth deal.

Wed Dec 18, 2024 7:54 pm

jspbtown wrote: I say "we meet at the police station". He said "OK". So we set a time up, I drive to the police station.....they have an area with a posted sign that says "Area reserved for online transactions. Under video surveillance".
Last thing I sold was a set of expensive carbon fiber bicycle wheels. We met at the vestibule of a bank with a ATM in it... plenty of cameras.