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Craigslist rant

H

htguru1982

Member
Warning, this a long post. There is a gentleman selling Polk speakers on my local Craigslist. He has a couple sets of speakers that I'm really interested in. He didn't list prices in his ad but I also didn't want to make a low offer. Although it should be noted that he specifically mentioned that "I'm aware of the prices of these, and I have them for cheap!"

Here is the first email I sent to him and the many pointless emails that followed:

"I'm interested in the LSi15's and possibly the center speaker and surrounds. Please let me know how much you're asking. Would you also be interested in a trade for vintage Polk Monitors? RTA12C, Monitor 7C, and 5B's. If not, no worries. I'll just have to unload them before I can purchase yours.

Thanks,
Tom"

Simple enough, right? Wait a minute, his reply is pretty interesting. His response:

"Whatever price you find on the Internet, email me the lowest found price and we will work off that one.

Nik"

Hmmm, ok. It would have been simpler to just have named a price but okay. My response after spending about 2 minutes on Ebay:

"The lowest I've found for the LSi15 is $500. And I think it's something like $80-$100 for the CSi30 and $180 for the FXi50's. I would be most interested in the Lsi15's and Fxi50's. For my center, it's probably best if I stick with the LSiC just so that the front soundstage is timbre matched. Let me know if we can work something out.

Thanks again"

Innocent enough. I didn't make a lowball offer. I was told to find the lowest prices I could and we would go from there. I did exactly that. Apparently, these speakers sell for a little less than what he thought. Instead of simply saying "no thanks", he comes up with a BS reason about why he can't sell them. His response:

"I would really like to keep my Polk Audio set together. It's a 5 piece set that is hard to sell separate from one another.

Nik"

Haha! Really? The speakers he's selling aren't even a "set". I've already expressed interested in buying the front speakers and surrounds. Would it really be that difficult to find a buyer for the center. My reply:

"Can't be that hard to sell them separately if someone's already interested in 2 out of the 3. Not to mention that the set is not really a "set" as they are from 2 completely different series. But hey, your listing has been on Craigslist off and on for a year so what do I know?"

Now this irritates him. And so much to point of lying. His response:

"Yea on and off for a year because I refuse to sell something I paid over $4000 for to sell to cheap people for $1000. Not hurting me, they sit in my garage.

Nik"

Well that's rich. He's telling me he paid $4,000 for speakers that retailed for get this, a mere $2,300. Nic apparently doesn't understand that electronics depreciate in value over time, especially electronics that are 10 years old. Not only that, I guess he forgot what his very first reply to me was. And I find it especially funny that he calls me cheap for simply doing what he asked. My reply:

" 'Whatever price you find on the Internet, email me the lowest found price and we will work off that one.'

Tell me, exactly what was the point of saying that then? LOL Also worth mentioning that the retail price for the LSi15's was only $1,700 while the FXi50's retailed for $600. That comes to a grand total of $2,300. So either you're incredibly stupid or you're just a liar. I'm guessing a little bit of both. You can keep your speakers. And you can shove them up your *** while you're at it. Next time, list prices in your f***ing ad so neither of us has to waste his time. I'll be sure to make a reply to your ad on Craigslist and post our little conversation so people know to avoid you like the plague. $4,000? What a f***ing joke."

There you have it. This guy could have listed prices in his ad and this could have easily been avoided. I mean seriously, what was the point of asking someone to find the "lowest prices" and "we will work off that one"? And why should I have had to do that in the first place? He's the one selling. Shouldn't it be HIS RESPONSIBILITY to research prices and "work off that". What a genius. I'll bet you his ad will be posted again and again over the next year.

In the end, I know I sort of lost it. I dropped a couple of F bombs but this guy had me fuming by this point. I probably should have left well enough alone after he mentioned he didn't want to break up the "set". I guess I just don't know when to quit.

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Maybe the guy is just lonely. Some people post things on Craigslist just so they'll have someone to interact with.

Hi, my name is Max.
...and just for the record, I don't live with my mother....she lives with ME.
 
my guess is that he has had so many offers or emails from craigslist that he is overwhelmed and has no idea what he is doing.
or he is trying to squeeze every bit of cash out of the buyer that he can, instead of just trying to part with them.
what i would do is email him and tell him you are interested. find out his name so you can be sure to avoid him in the future.
 
IMO, flag the ad, since it should have a price in it for part or all of it. CL is not supposed to be an auction, offers, or "find your own price".
 
Maybe he bought the speakers for $4000 from Crazy Eddie and got ripped off? Everything else in the email exchange screams the seller is not that bright, why not this scenario?
 
Ha ha ha- Crazy Eddie. Forgot all about him, and the commercials. Very entertaining, and being watched out-of-market on WPIX-11 when growing up in central PA.
 
Tom, posting your rant on both AK and St. Louis craigslist is a little counterproductive. This guy is quite different if you actually deal with him in person, judging from past experience. You can win the fight proving you are smarter, more logical, and more knowledgeable than the seller, but in the end he still has the speaker(s) you want.

Go to his house, deal with him in person with cash, and you may get what you want. Then again, he may be even crazier. :scratch2::D
 
Wow, someone is irritated that the things they are selling are no longer worth a good percentage of the price they paid for them. There's a shocker.

In my experience, the moment a person mentions how much they paid for something way back when, we're not going to come to an agreement. They're dealing with emotion, not logic, and I'm not interested in being part of their fantasy where the things they buy don't decrease appreciably in value over time.

I am somewhat aided in my iron resolve by being on a strict and very low budget. I simply cannot argue with the deluded, so the "I really want this" urge that could up-end my better judgment simply isn't present. I may really want something that some screwball has for sale, but if he's not reasonable about the price, there won't be a deal, end of story. And there's some feeling of liberation in that. I don't get twisted around the axle about goofy sellers now. I just move on.

"But I really wanted them" is a formula for making poor decisions and getting angry for no reason, IMHO. Being broke has taught me that. Take it for whatever you feel it's worth.
 
There's someone on Boston CL selling a pair of McIntosh speakers for like $100 less than he paid for them 30 years ago. He's dropped the price, he used to be asking the same as the new price. Go figure.
 
RossW said:
There's someone on Boston CL selling a pair of McIntosh speakers for like $100 less than he paid for them 30 years ago. He's dropped the price, he used to be asking the same as the new price. Go figure.
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That method worked fine for selling the rest of his Mc gear, he must be very puzzled why the speakers aren't selling.:D
 
Over the years I have found that George Washington, USS Grant, Alexander Hamilton, and Abe Lincolns talk much better than I do. Sometimes it is better to talk little, show what you are willing to go to, and be prepared to let it go and move on.

It is much harder to see money walk out the door than it is to always be right about what your gear is worth.:thmbsp:
 
htguru1982 said:
"I'm interested in the LSi15's and possibly the center speaker and surrounds. Please let me know how much you're asking. Would you also be interested in a trade for vintage Polk Monitors? RTA12C, Monitor 7C, and 5B's. If not, no worries. I'll just have to unload them before I can purchase yours.

Thanks,
Tom"


"Whatever price you find on the Internet, email me the lowest found price and we will work off that one.

Nik"

"The lowest I've found for the LSi15 is $500. And I think it's something like $80-$100 for the CSi30 and $180 for the FXi50's. I would be most interested in the Lsi15's and Fxi50's. For my center, it's probably best if I stick with the LSiC just so that the front soundstage is timbre matched. Let me know if we can work something out.

Thanks again"


"I would really like to keep my Polk Audio set together. It's a 5 piece set that is hard to sell separate from one another.

Nik"

"Can't be that hard to sell them separately if someone's already interested in 2 out of the 3. Not to mention that the set is not really a "set" as they are from 2 completely different series. But hey, your listing has been on Craigslist off and on for a year so what do I know?"

"Yea on and off for a year because I refuse to sell something I paid over $4000 for to sell to cheap people for $1000. Not hurting me, they sit in my garage.
Nik"


" 'Whatever price you find on the Internet, email me the lowest found price and we will work off that one.'

Tell me, exactly what was the point of saying that then? LOL Also worth mentioning that the retail price for the LSi15's was only $1,700 while the FXi50's retailed for $600. That comes to a grand total of $2,300. So either you're incredibly stupid or you're just a liar. I'm guessing a little bit of both. You can keep your speakers. And you can shove them up your *** while you're at it. Next time, list prices in your f***ing ad so neither of us has to waste his time. I'll be sure to make a reply to your ad on Craigslist and post our little conversation so people know to avoid you like the plague. $4,000? What a f***ing joke."

In the end, I know I sort of lost it. I dropped a couple of F bombs but this guy had me fuming by this point. I probably should have left well enough alone after he mentioned he didn't want to break up the "set". I guess I just don't know when to quit.
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You got shitty first. And I don't think you would say those things to anyone in person, so you shouldn't have put it in an email. Around here that kind of talk in person will your eyes dotted and your nose bloodied.


I think we all know what kind of seller this is, and you didn't handle it right at all.

First, you are 'invested' in these speakers. Never good as a buyer. Car dealers LOVE this.

First and a half, You want them, but don't own them, yet. Your objective is to own them. Don't get distracted by crazy talk, there's plenty out there. Walk away if you have to. They made more than ONE pair of speakers.

Second, always be respectful of a seller. That's just self control. Acting any other way is being a spoiled brat. Remain unemotional. Walk away if you have to.

The way to handle this guy is to politely inform him of what they are worth, using completed ebay auctions to reinforce your knowledge of the market. Make on offer contingent on your personal inspection, and what you want to pay. Remind him that you know that may not be what he wants to hear, but it is honestly what you are willing to pay. Leave the door open for him to call or email you back in the future, possibly months from now.

I buy and sell ALL the time. I complete almost half the deals I work.

I OFTEN have people sell to me because they WANTED to, they tell me. I act and speak in a way that makes that so.

It's like getting laid...

Considering that you wanted these, it was an epic fail.
 
sheltie dave said:
Over the years I have found that George Washington, USS Grant, Alexander Hamilton, and Abe Lincolns talk much better than I do. Sometimes it is better to talk little, show what you are willing to go to, and be prepared to let it go and move on.

It is much harder to see money walk out the door than it is to always be right about what your gear is worth.:thmbsp:
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Great comments, and congrats on post 3000!
 
DCinDC said:
Around here that kind of talk in person will your eyes dotted and your nose bloodied.
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Wow, assault charges must be pretty commonplace where you're from. I frequently use sarcasm when haggling with unrealistic sellers, and while I agree that he played this the wrong way by not understanding the seller and not keeping a level head, the idea that sarcasm and playful back-and-forth between people could get you assaulted is laughable and ridiculous.

:bash: ooops. There I go getting assaulted again.
 
True, I've been looking for these particular speakers. But I don't want them that bad. I had to go out of my way to do what he should have done in the first place. In the end, if he wasn't interested in selling them at the prices I found online, he should have said "no thanks" and we would have left it at that. And keep in mind, I never offered him anything. He asked me to find prices and the idea was that we would "go off that". When he said he wanted to sell them at as a set, I knew that was BS and that he simply didn't want to sell the speakers for the prices I found. I simply wanted him to be honest about it. At that point, I was no longer interested in purchasing a single thing from this guy. But I was confused as to why we had to go through this in the first place. Even more mystifying was the fact that he claims his prices were "cheap" in the ad itself. :scratch2:

Also of note, the guy claimed that they were HIS speakers in this email exchange. HE paid $4,000. In an email I got from him after I made this post on here, he then claimed that were his dad's:

Exactly, slightly less than half of the price is cheap for what you are getting. I had a guy offer me $300 for my whole set, and that pisses me off. And i would have sold you the 3 speaker separate but the speakers are not mine, they are my dads and everything has to go through him and he wants to sell the 5 together. Have a nice day

Nik

Here is the guy's ad if anyone's in reading it. http://stlouis.craigslist.org/ele/3022031140.html

DCinDC said:
You got shitty first. And I don't think you would say those things to anyone in person, so you shouldn't have put it in an email. Around here that kind of talk in person will your eyes dotted and your nose bloodied.


I think we all know what kind of seller this is, and you didn't handle it right at all.

First, you are 'invested' in these speakers. Never good as a buyer. Car dealers LOVE this.

First and a half, You want them, but don't own them, yet. Your objective is to own them. Don't get distracted by crazy talk, there's plenty out there. Walk away if you have to. They made more than ONE pair of speakers.

Second, always be respectful of a seller. That's just self control. Acting any other way is being a spoiled brat. Remain unemotional. Walk away if you have to.

The way to handle this guy is to politely inform him of what they are worth, using completed ebay auctions to reinforce your knowledge of the market. Make on offer contingent on your personal inspection, and what you want to pay. Remind him that you know that may not be what he wants to hear, but it is honestly what you are willing to pay. Leave the door open for him to call or email you back in the future, possibly months from now.

I buy and sell ALL the time. I complete almost half the deals I work.

I OFTEN have people sell to me because they WANTED to, they tell me. I act and speak in a way that makes that so.

It's like getting laid...

Considering that you wanted these, it was an epic fail.
Click to expand...
 
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It's sellers making buyers sell to themselves. Generally they're either too lazy or too stupid. Why claim 'cheap' if you have no prices? Why lie if you just want more money? Do they think people can't do basic addition as to the price paid for the speakers?
 
dosto233 said:
Wow, assault charges must be pretty commonplace where you're from. I frequently use sarcasm when haggling with unrealistic sellers, and while I agree that he played this the wrong way by not understanding the seller and not keeping a level head, the idea that sarcasm and playful back-and-forth between people could get you assaulted is laughable and ridiculous.

:bash: ooops. There I go getting assaulted again.
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It's the mean streets here...

'sarcasm and playful back and forth' it wasn't. Laughable and ridiculous it isn't. Remember I said 'in person'. Try it and report back.

htguru1982 said:
When he said he wanted to sell them at as a set, I knew that was BS and that he simply didn't want to sell the speakers for the prices I found. I simply wanted him to be honest about it.
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But you don't KNOW that it was BS. Wanting to sell them as a set sounds completely reasonable to me. I know they are not technically a set, but to him they are.

I want everyone to be honest. It will never happen, and it would be boring anyway.

This type of seller is not unusual on CL. Exhasperating, annoying, immature, ignorant, etc. But not unusual. :)

There's better things to raise your blood pressure over. And believe me, I'm not preaching at you from above, I'm telling you like someone who if I could remember the doozy sales stories it would curl your hair. But I try to forget them almost immediately or I would die of a heart attack.

The wheel will turn and there will be an amazing, happy CL story for you in the future.

PS, never look for something in particular, look for what presents itself. I don't choose the car I drive, the opportunity does.
 
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