Posted on 01/04/2012 12:27:14 PM PST by Dogbert41
I was unintelligent and posted an item on Craig's List for an amount that I thought it might move. I get a bite immediately and the guy haggles further to get me to include the shipping. My wife then hears what I've done and looks up on the internet a similar item listed for oh, say, 35 times more.
How obligated am I to go through with the deal? The guy knows the true value of this item, where I did not. Now that I do, is it too late to renegotiate or am I obligated to receive his money and allow him to make thousands of dollars off the deal? Do I just take it as a very expensive learning experience?
I emailed him a link to the place that had it for sale, and I said we needed to talk, but I haven't heard back from him...
Shame it was lost/destroyed in a boating accident.
Let you yes be yes and your no be no. YOU posted it and YOU decided on the price, be a MAN and go through with the deal.
Have you accepted payment for the item? If yes, then it is too late - if not, then you can rescind your offer to sell.
Check to see if Craig’s list has rules like Ebay has. If they don’t then don’t sell it - what’s he going to do sue you?
Print a correction ad in Craigslist like the grocery stores do.
Goes without saying that research of an item is important before you sell. But I said it anyway.... :))))
Of course you’re morally and probably legally obligated, based on as much as we know here.
I guess if he has nothing in writing, it’s your word against his. I have no idea the details of your discussion on shipping, etc.
I really wonder if the item is 35 times more valuable than what you thought was a reasonable price. Your wife found a “similar” item. Used is different than new. People give away lots of stuff on Craigs List just to get it carted away.
That said; I've sold many, many things on Ebay, and Craigslist, and on specific Forums that have knowledgeable people on them.
ALWAYS know the value of what you're selling, BEFORE you list it for sale at a given price. Even if you KNOW what it's worth, you still sell at a price you're willing to accept.
If you have no clue what it's worth, don't sell, unless you are ready to give it away (the knowledgeable people are CONSTANTLY scanning Craigslist and elsewhere for items that are under-priced, or hard to find).
Lesson learned.
Until the money is in your hand or bank account the item is not sold.
I think you are obligated, except maybe for the shipping. When you sell something like that, the shipping is usually not included.
I saw a medical book for sale on amazon marketplace for a tenth of what you’d get it anywhere else.
I paid and waited...
It never showed, so I contacted the seller and he said he’d trace, because he had insured it.
He got back to me a couple days later and said the carrier could not account for it so he refunded my money.
I told him thanks for trying, but always suspected he just posted it with the wrong price. I never bothered checking later to see if he posted again w/the more common price.
I just had a case on amazon where I had two of the same book listed, one in acceptable condition, one in very good condition. Over the holidays, I had an order for it, didn't realize I had two, and sent the buyer who bought the acceptable condition book the book in better condition. Yesterday had an order for the book in better condition - I spent more than I received from the buyer to buy a book in equal condition to send him.
But craigslist is a completely different animal. No money has changed hands. About 3/4 of people who contact me on craigslist and say they want an item and set up a time to come look at it, never show up. People say they want an item, come and look at it and don't want it, or they don't show up at all. To me, on craigslist, a deal isn't done until money changes hands.
Another view is that if buyer is trying to continue negotiating, the terms of the deal aren’t firm and you’re under no obligation to maintain your previous position.
You emailed him and you haven’t heard back. Welcome to the world of Craigslist. If you don’t hear from him, you have your answer, if you do hear from him, you’ll continue to haggle.
To me, Craigslist is like selling a home. You list a price and there’s plenty of haggling and no deal until the very end. Sounds like you were still working things out.
I agree with those who say you are not obligated if money has not changed hands. I have nothing to do with Craigslist; but I have bought and sold on Amazon and Ebay. I know many sellers offer the same item on several sites at once. I also know that in some cases, the item is bought by buyers on separate sites at the same time. Obviously, this means someone is not going to get the item because the other buyer did. This has happened to me a few times. I bought the item and later received an email that my purchase was being refunded. I never consider an auction or Amazon seller deal final until the item ships.
I was unintelligent and posted an item on Craig’s List for an amount that I thought it might move. I get a bite immediately and the guy haggles further to get me to include the shipping.
Legally if you offered something for sale and the buyer agrees to your price you have a legal contract. If the buyer then counters the original offer as you said he did to include shipping then there is no contract. Any change from the original contract (verbal or written) nullifies the the first contract. Simple common law.
Your mere post shows that you are already sliding down the slippery slope of moral relativism. Is it OK to break a promise if the dollar amount is sufficienty high? If you break your word thusly, you have afixed a price to it. Is this the lesson you want to teach your children: that you should honor your word unless the price proves too high?
You have a moral obligation to follow through, but since he reopened negotiations, NEGOTIATE.
What’s more important - your pride and the price, or your integrity and soul?
That same thing happened to me on Gunbroker. I purchased a
fine Lithgow No.1 MkIII SMLE for a steal of a price but seller claims my FFL’s signed copy was never received.
Thanks for the advice, everyone. In my heart I knew what was right. Just had a lapse of nature. The buyer is a fortunate guy:)
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