Facebook Marketplace is amazing, right? So much stuff, no listing fees, and generally things sell pretty quickly. But oh my goodness it also turns people into monsters with no manners, and I’m pretty sure criminals are looking to buy my phone.
I recently upgraded my phone as I was at the end of my contract, which nicely coincided with the release of the latest range of iPhones. I’m a sucker for a shiny new gadget and couldn’t wait to get my hands on the new one.
It’s also a great time to make a bit of much needed extra cash by selling the still-perfectly-good old phone, just in time for Christmas. So I turned to the trusty Facebook Marketplace and listed it for a bit more than the lowest price I’m willing to accept, because I expect negotiation.
In my head, negotiation is a fine art. It involves politeness (a “hi” before “GIVE IT TO ME FOR HALF THE PRICE YOU HAVE LISTED” is generally considered polite), and gently leveraging your advantages.
For example, you could say “Hi! I’m interested in purchasing this phone. Due to its age and the small crack in the screen, I’d be willing to pay X (reasonable, no ridiculously low) amount. What do you think?”
And then the buyer and seller can haggle a bit and find a nice middle ground that works for both. Instead, I’ve had a plethora of frankly appallingly rude messages demanding I hand over the phone for next to nothing.
Here are a few of the messages I have received in the past 48 hours (for context, the phone is listed for $400).
“$250 cash”.
That’s. It. Were you raised by wolves? If you can’t even say “hi”, young man, I’m not even replying.
“$300? That’s the best I can do.”
Top Comments
OMG you people are cracking me UP!! The most important part of selling is to be able to know when to not waste your time on losers. If you even think it's a red flag...then it IS!. Rule number one: That person is not your customer....Always think that and you will do just fine in your negotiations..which started when you placed the ad.