advise-is the buyer a flake?

[depechemodefan]

Thur. April 16 I put on Craigslist a listing. It is for a gift certificate for a night stay at a hotel. It is transferable. A person contacted me the same day. She lives far from me (abou 20 miles) and suggest a place near me to meet. She rather I meet her downtown (where I work-and downtown is closer to where she works). I offer to meet her Tues, since that is the day I have my car with me since I work latenight (the rest of the week I take a bus) but Tues. is bad for her. First we try for Wed. Then she emails me that Wed. is bad. So we set to met on Sat., when I'm at work all day. I warn her there is a festival going on but she said she really wants to meet up with me for the certificate.

She never shows up.

Sometime late Sat. she emails me to say she got busy and couldn't come. She wants to wait till Fri. (May 1)when she works half a day.

That's more than two weeks since we started to communicate.

Now I have a list of people who emailed me after she did who are interrested in the certificate. I contacted each of them and told them I had a buyer but I will keep them in mind if this person flakes on me.

The certificate expires June. 19. The person wants to buy it wants it for Mothers Day. I think my time is being wasted.

Should I email the person back and say, "Come today (Sun) to pick it up or the next person gets it"? or tell her "I'll wait for Fri. If you can't pick it up Fri. I will go to the next person."?

[Bella_Vixen]

I'd straight up offer it to the next person without wrning the first. They're dicking you around. You've given them plenty of time to pick it up.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I'm with Bella. She can't want it that badly or she would have made the time to get it. Just email her and say, "sorry, found another buyer."

[Soulstealer]

You should've already tried to arrange something with one of the other intrested people. The current "buyer" is a flake at best and like others said jerking you around at worst.

[depechemodefan]

Ok, thanks, all good ideas. I really hate for this woman to get angry with me .I even told her whre I work, which is a library, and with my luck she will cause a scene. But yeah, she says she still wants them but not obviously bad enough.

Two things I didn't mention because I thought it would be complicated. One was I offered to set up the reservation, so that it won't end up she wants them for Mother's day but it's booked up.
I didn't book the hotel since when I called the reservation system is down.

Also, one email she wrote: I can give you a call.
I think if she wanted to talk to me she could have given me her number first. But maybe it's just me.

[One-Fang]

If she's that keen, she could pay you via internet banking and you'd have the money immediately, overnight at worst. Then you can post it to her and she'll have it in 2-3 days.

That could be a way to still give her a chance.

[Slytovhand]

I'd say, tell her if she doesn't take it, it goes to the next person. Put a limit on how long she's got, and ensure that if she wants it, she's to to make the effort... not you! (ie, I'll be at XYZ at ABC time... if you're not there, you lose out).

[draftermatt]

Yeah just say "Sorry but I don't want to wait that long to get rid of this when I have so many people who want it today. Come get it by tomorrow at _ or I'm selling it to someone else"

And if she shows up at your work and causes a scene call the cops.

[depechemodefan]

If she's that keen, she could pay you via internet banking and you'd have the money immediately, overnight at worst. Then you can post it to her and she'll have it in 2-3 days.

That could be a way to still give her a chance.

I asked her if she had Paypal and she said no.

I called her today, but I got her answering machine. I left a message saying that friday is too long to wait, that she can pick it up today or tomorrow or I will go to the next person.

[Soulstealer]

You're nicer than I would be. I think you've given her more time than she deserves.

[depechemodefan]

I was going to give the woman till Tues. to pay, but no communication. Mon. a girl emailed me saying she would pay $50 for it asap. Now she emailed around 4pm, and I didn't see it until 5:30 and I was leaving early because the skies opened up and it was raining like a motherf'ker. it also rained Tue. morning and much flooding was evident in our fair city, esp. the floating cars on the feeder roads. So I didn't email her Mon or Tue but I emailed her today and said I was willing to sell it to her. Note, I made the list of people to contact, and she was in the middle, but since she wanted to pay $50, I was willing to go to her.

So she emails me back, "how much do you want to sell it for?" Which leads to back and forth that she was willing to pay $50 only on Mon. I replied that because of the storm I didn't think anyone would go out to get the certificate.

She was nice enough but I went to another person on the list who worked downtown (like me). I called him and he was acting confused about what I was selling. He asked if there were restrictions, and I said no, that I put the same info. on craigslist about it was a Fri and Sat accommodations, and it was transferable. he says, "For $25, it sounds like a deal." Maybe it's me, but shouldn't people keep track of stuff they want to buy? It's probably just me, since it was Mon. April 20 when he contacted me, and I know sometimes it's hard to keep track of stuff. But since he doesn't sound like he was dying for it, I have doubts that he will show up.

[One-Fang]

Maybe he was interested in a few different things. Doesn't sound like it's going like hot cakes. I'd definitely ditch the "$50 today only" buyer. Nice trick. Sod off.

[depechemodefan]

Maybe he was interested in a few different things. Doesn't sound like it's going like hot cakes.

Yeah, I think it's hard to keep track of stuff. I guess he might have answered a few other requests.
I think this is a case of people wanting it but developing "prudent spending" when they actually can get a hold of it.

I'm one of those people who say "I will be there today" and I'm there today. I look to make sure I have the time. I don't call back saying, "well, I can't make it today, how about in 2 weeks?" Unless it's "I have to take my mom to the ER, I don't know when I can come by, just go to the next person."
A lot of things I want on craigslist but I look to see if I have the time or man power before I contact the person.

[depechemodefan]

I never had this much trouble selling on eBay. Only reason I didn't was the travel section had some rules that didn't fit with what I had.

Oh well

Anyway, the guy called me around 5:45 and first I though he was going to come into the library to pick it up but he said he was going to drive by. I told him I would wait for him at the corner of M and S at 6, and he said he was ok with that. He would call me when he got there.

So I go out there are 6pm. Abour 6:04 I see a red Kia with 3 guys stop at the corner. I wanted to go to the car but last thing I wanted to look like I was soliciting. And the guy said he would call me. The Kia goes away.

About 3 min. latter I see that red Kia parked up the block behind a cop car. I thought the Kia must be lost and was asking for directions. About a min. latter my ph. rings and the guy says he is waiting for me.

Me: Are you in a red Kia, behind a cop car?
guy: yes.
Me: I see you, just go down the block to the corner, I'm right there.

So he finally pulls up and again he asks when it expires and what nights it is good for. But I'm glad I'm done with it.

As an aside, ther was this grey car driving around too with 2 women. I suppose it's an Art Car since it had a silver tea kettle attached to the hood. And it was a piece of junk. It pulled up to some homeless men and I suppose she was asking for directions. It stays a while and pulls away after a bunch of cars pull up behind it. It comes back around and I was going to see if she needed directions, but then a homeless woman comes up. The woman gets out of the car and gives her a bag of groceries. That was nice of them.