This isn’t particularly Melbourne related, but it happened in Melbourne, so this thread will do.
So Mrs P!N2 and I did a fair bit of cleaning over the Christmas break which involved getting rid of a whole bunch of crap that the kids have outgrown or we were just sick of looking at. So I posted some stuff on Gumtree at what I thought were reasonable prices - not a whole lot of interest; some stuff sold, some stuff didn’t, all good.
Then there was a bunch of stuff which I had tried to sell in the past without success, so instead of taking it to the ‘resource recovery centre’ (aka tip) I decided to put it on Gumtree for free. BOOM! From five minutes after posting it I was receiving enquiries - probably 20 or so over the following 48 hours, which is about 19 more than I get for the stuff I’m trying to sell. So the first enquirers got dibs and we organised collection times…but nobody came. So then I go back and offer it to the next person…nothing. As of right now the three items I posted for free are still sitting in my garage. There are people who have told me they are coming, but I’m not holding my breath that they will actually turn up.
Perhaps I’m too nice - I should have just told whoever enquired my address and put it outside, first person who turns up wins. But then I suspect I’ll be getting people knocking on my door at all hours asking where the such and such is.
So are there people who just sit on Gumtree looking for free shit, but actually jumping in a car to collect said shit is too much effort? I know I’m expecting far too much from a free online trading platform, just deadbeat Gumtree users shit me.
It can get a bit Monty Pythonesque when you tell a real bargain hunter they can have something for free, and you deny them the opportunity to use their haggling skills.
Had same from some a couch we put on eBay for 99c to get rid of it after a few fails from $200 down to $20.
Two bidders early in the 3-day auction and then neither is contactable afterwards
Maybe they run op-shops or something and are out to undermine disrupters to their livelihood ??
Or they bid on everything they like the look of and then decide afterwards what they actually want?
I’ve given away random stuff on gumtree, used motorbike tyres and alloy trailer rims. Always got heaps of messages and generally I’ve just left it in the front yard and given them my address. If someone is making a living re-selling this stuff for scrap or on eBay then they’re obviously working pretty hard to make money
I’ve heard some good things about trade sites (as per our viking friends comment above) for getting rid of stuff. defs chocolate/coffee/low value trades.
