Dumb answers to dumb questions

[Zachary Hoyt]

I used to feel frustrated when I would have listed something for sale on Craigslist or Facebook and included the town where I lived, and instead of looking it up on their devices people would write to me to ask "where is Orwell" (where I used to live) or now "where is Piercefield?". I finally started to write back "Right where it used to be", on the theory that a dumb question deserves a dumb answer. This doesn't lead to any sales, but the folks who ask that question don't have enough initiative to show up anyway, in my earlier experience, so I think nothing is lost. This led me to wonder if other folks on here have stock responses that are useful in life's more pointless conversations.

[Doug Garson]

I guess it depends on whether you want to sell whatever you put up for sale or whether you want to be a wise @ss. You can chose to answer questions from potential buyers even if you think they are stupid or not. Which option is most likely to end in a sale?

[Warren Lake]

I like the politician who was pulled over by a cop at Queens Park. Said to the cop do you know I am? Cop said no but its on your drivers license.

People have asked me enough over the years and common to have them not know where. Just as well, its growing around here and nothing good comes from that. It was as simple as green acres here and lots to be said for that.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Phone calls only, No emails, No texts is my policy for craigslist. I have only been stood up once. I have had a few remarkably enjoyable experiences selling on Craigslist as well as a few Duds. I have found that a little politeness goes a long way with most people. With a few people a huge amount of politeness did no good at all.

[Brian Runau]

I firmly believe in karma, so I try to respond to people from my higher self regardless of what others do or don't do. Not perfect, but that is my personal goal. Brian

[Alex Zeller]

Doesn't every Craig's list and facebook marketplace ad have a map? I guess every person is a potential buyer but I agree with you. I have asked questions repeatedly. Like what's your actual address, when an ad only has the general location and people just assume that I know where they are located. So I expect a bit of dumbness. But if you can't be bothered to click on the map image on the page to zoom out to figure out where the person is I'd be concerned that they may not show up when they say they will. Rarely do I sell anything that I really need to sell so I would rather risk not selling something that waiting my time.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I am happy to answer more specific questions, but in my experience if the buyer doesn't bother to look up the town and find out where it is they won't actually come to look at what I'm trying to sell.

[Lee Schierer]

There are those folks that are not computer literate enough to know that they can use Google and other sources to find things they want. I would suggest being polite instead of sarcastic when replying.

[Lee DeRaud]

There are those folks that are not computer literate enough to know that they can use Google and other sources to find things they want. I would suggest being polite instead of sarcastic when replying.

I vaguely agree with you in theory, but somehow the concept of someone being computer-literate enough to handle Craigslist but not computer-literate enough to handle Google Maps just Does Not Compute.

[Doug Garson]

Let's look at the pros and cons of giving a useful answer:
Pro - the potential buyer may come and buy your item.
Con - you don't get to show your incredible wit
Now, look at the pros and cons of giving a useless answer:
Pro - you get to show off your incredible wit
Con - you probably eliminate any chance of a sale.

MMMM, wonder what the smart choice is?

As for as someone not being computer literate enough to use Google to find your town, maybe they're on their phone with poor cell reception. It took them forever to download your ad and they are interested. Tried to Google your town and took so long they gave up in frustration and asked. They then get a wiseguy response. No longer interested and heading for Bestbuy cause they just threw their phone in the ditch.

[Cameron Wood]

When a response to my Craigslist ad shows a major lack of competence or reading comprehension, I tend to think that the interaction would not be worth the trouble, and don't reply.

It is surprising however, how many "spam" responses turn out to be from real people- when replying to a for sale ad myself, I try to demonstrate that I am a real person- where I'm coming from, when I could look, etc., and never ask "is this still available?".

[Doug Garson]

When a response to my Craigslist ad shows a major lack of competence or reading comprehension, I tend to think that the interaction would not be worth the trouble, and don't reply.

It is surprising however, how many "spam" responses turn out to be from real people- when replying to a for sale ad myself, I try to demonstrate that I am a real person- where I'm coming from, when I could look, etc., and never ask "is this still available?".

You don't have to look too hard on this forum to see posts that are incoherent and possibly spam but aren't. I've been tempted many times to quote someone's post and ask "can anyone translate this word salad into a meaningful sentence?" So far I have resisted knowing it could be seen as an insult.

[Alex Zeller]

Let's look at the pros and cons of giving a useful answer:
Pro - the potential buyer may come and buy your item.
Con - you don't get to show your incredible wit
Now, look at the pros and cons of giving a useless answer:
Pro - you get to show off your incredible wit
Con - you probably eliminate any chance of a sale.

MMMM, wonder what the smart choice is?

As for as someone not being computer literate enough to use Google to find your town, maybe they're on their phone with poor cell reception. It took them forever to download your ad and they are interested. Tried to Google your town and took so long they gave up in frustration and asked. They then get a wiseguy response. No longer interested and heading for Bestbuy cause they just threw their phone in the ditch.

It's not being able to use google. It's just a matter of clicking on the map that's in the page that shows the item. If you can navigate Craig's list or Marketplace to find what you are interested in and then click on the image to get to the page that has the information you need to contact the seller then surely you can click on the image of the map to the right of the pictures of what's for sale. Craig's list even shows buttons to zoom in and out. To me it says "I'm a spam computer and I'm not going to buy this. I just want your contact information". It's like the people who read an ad, see the price listed, and then tell you why it's only worth 1/4 of what you are asking. Some people will never buy. For the one person who just hasn't figured out how to use the map there's 1000s who are not serious or real who are replying to ads.

[Doug Garson]

It's not being able to use google. It's just a matter of clicking on the map that's in the page that shows the item. If you can navigate Craig's list or Marketplace to find what you are interested in and then click on the image to get to the page that has the information you need to contact the seller then surely you can click on the image of the map to the right of the pictures of what's for sale. Craig's list even shows buttons to zoom in and out. To me it says "I'm a spam computer and I'm not going to buy this. I just want your contact information". It's like the people who read an ad, see the price listed, and then tell you why it's only worth 1/4 of what you are asking. Some people will never buy. For the one person who just hasn't figured out how to use the map there's 1000s who are not serious or real who are replying to ads.

My suggestion that maybe they had a weak cell connection would still apply. I consider myself reasonably computer literate, but I just figured out recently that the zoom in/out buttons on the Google map included in Craigslist listings are active. For years I thought it was just a stagnant snapshot and so I would be included in the list of people who would not know where a place was from the map in the listing if I didn't recognize a landmark in the map. Clicking on the map (not on the zoom buttons), doesn't do anything for me.

[Larry Edgerton]

Rarely do I sell anything that I really need to sell so I would rather risk not selling something that waiting my time.

Ditto. I think some people just use it for entertainment. I HATE selling stuff. And apparently the word firm has lost its meaning. If I have a "firm" price and they make me a stupid offer I counter with my price added to their reduction. I am always very honest in my ads, and when they come and try to find things to nit-pick I just tell them that this is not what you want. I know the dumb lowball offer is coming. I give a lot of good stuff away so I don't have to sell it.