Yesterday I listed a book. First thing that happened was two people sent messages with their whatsapp numbers asking for more pictures and a video. I ignored these.
Today I got a call from a number which I didn’t recognise, nor answer. Then I received a message from the number saying they had bought the book. I was in the gym, checked my email and indeed there was the Ricardo confirmation of the sale. I printed the package label, posted the item, then received an email from Ricardo telling me the sale was cancelled and the buyer’s account blocked. It looks like a legitimate account was hacked.
Now the “buyer”/scammer is sending me links to check the payment.
I’ve emailed Ricardo but I guess I will be down a book and the postage. I’ll chalk it up to experience and probably never touch Ricardo again
Yeah. Pickup and cash is best. I almost never sell anything, though.
A while ago I bought a used electric stand-sit desk. When I went to collect, it turned out this was the liquidation of the Swiss “Esprit” office and the lady in charge had spent the last 13 years there. She was a bit sad but in good spirit from what I saw.
Facebook Marketplace is as bad if not worse. Most listings are from accounts created this year (lol) and they’re dumb enough to share the same generic pictures. I am looking to get a new steering wheel for my basic sim setup at home, and there is one legitimate listing and 2 more using the same pictures. I only offer to pickup in person, and so far that’s the only way I can think of to filter out the scammers.
There was one listing in Ticino, I was in the area last weekend, and the “lady” said she was not around. I know I should not be profiling but a lady selling a quite specialised bit of gaming equipment was already suspect, but maybe she was doing it for her child or whatever… The shocking part is that I got pictures of a swiss ID, so I’m pretty sure that this is f-ed on so many levels.
i have sold a massive amount of stuff in Ricardo – from high end to junk. (And bought stuff also) There is always a buyer, for the most incredible things! Yet, as @Axa said, better local and better in hand. You meet some interesting (and sometimes extraordinary) people also. From a man who happened to be the curator of the Swiss museum of Ceramics, and had spotted a rare pot from a Swiss XIX century artist, and which went to the fonds of the Museum (certified, and including the ‘how that pot reached my hands’), to people who insisted on paying much higher price for the item that they had bid for, because they really knew its value (some italian XVIII century porcelain); another one who actually bought the item, and donated it to the local museum (the museum called us later), to people who come with a ‘present’ because they bought something for 1 CHF, and they felt they needed to bring a gift for it.
Of course I had a couple of ‘no-shows’, but, well, you just give them a negative review, and put the item again for sale.
There are, though, a large amount of fakes (more or less clear), particularly on luxury goods, and, on the electronics part…that’s a different game - probably a lot of stolen items also, and (I can imagine) younger lads with much less education and manners.
I tried to sell my almost new Samsung S9, and after a week, I decided to remove the ad --that’s where I found all of the scammers, aggressive people, offers of strange things, and what not…
Best of luck, if you try more sales, and don’t let a first experience demotivate you! (remember when you learnt how to drive, for example… )
I have and had a few things to sell, but usually I end up bringing them to recycling center. Recently I decided to sell something worth 3k, very rarely used in the last 3 years I have it, so I figured I’d better sell it for 2k rather than keep it around (IMO really nice discount). I’ve tried FB Marketplace but boy it’s so bad experience that I also finally decided to take down the ad. First of all the FB messaging system is so hard to use, messages popping out from the web page then disappearing somewhere so you can’t return to them next day… the FB page really sucks. The more shocking discovery was that people on FB are weird, assuming that everyone else is online all the time. I guess they use mobile apps, but I would never install the sh* on my phone. In fact I decided that this is a perfect filter, if they don’t write a serious message/offer and won’t continue the messaging when reply with 3-5 days delay that wasn’t worth my time - most likely it would have been a silly annoying chat wasting my time. Of course there was quite a number of bargain hunters “I’ll give you 300 what do you say…”
so yeah, I’m also missing eBay here in Switzerland
Sometimes things I think I can easily sell don’t and vice versa
One time I bought a wall hanging toilet in Germany but changed my mind so sold it. I offered it at half price and put the original price in the ad.
There was a big bidding war and the final bid was around 100 more than I paid, weird
(some italian XVIII century porcelain); another one who actually bought the item, and donated it to the local museum (the museum called us later), to people who come with a ‘present’ because they bought something for 1 CHF, and they felt they needed to bring a gift for it.
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