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You misunderstand.... I am the seller, (not the buyer)Originally Posted by Jim Koepke
I get an email (via CL) from someone who [apparently] is interested in something I'm selling.
They typically ask if the item is still available.
I reply (via CL) 1) that it is, and 2) please send my your phone number, 3) no texts.
More than half the time I never get that phone call follow-up phone call.
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It also depends on what sort of person you are.”
[OP]
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It's interesting how things come across to different people. To me my answer doesn't sound sarcastic or unfriendly or belittling, just irrelevant and silly. I have tried to answer the question helpfully, but it's hard to know how to do that. I have tried saying what other towns the town I live in is near, but that may not be enlightening to someone from further away who wouldn't know those towns either. I could give latitude and longitude, but that would presumably be unhelpful too, to most people, though it would be very factual. When I would give the distance and compass bearing from the nearest city I would get the answer "That's too far away for me to come" or words to that effect.
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Zach, i just Googled Piercefield and then read the Wikipedia entry. I then went to the town postings, and then was surprised with the number of restaurants in a town of less than 300 people . . . until i noted they were over in Tupper Lake. Conclusion: you really are in a remote location.
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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.
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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.
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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?".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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im guilty of that. I usually dont proof read either so far from ideal. The old guy had poor english at times but good most of the time. I saw past that, he could eat anyone experience wise.
One thing people often dont do is put enough info to be able to answer properly.
Last edited by Warren Lake; 05-08-2024 at 2:08 PM.
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Zachary, I can’t agree with your response, particularly when you have an item for sale. How long would it take to say it’s next to abc or a mile from xyz? Why risk a possible lost sale?
Dennis
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Agree with Dennis I once didnt hire an arborist cause of a joke he told me. After I said your not the guy. Hired someone else and he was excellent.
Ive had struggles with one auction company and its just plain incompetence of the seller and the company.
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Yes, one must resist the inner spelling Nazi and other anti-social voices.
I'm currently selling some plywood that I salvaged. A buyer responded and said " great, do you have a saw I can use to cut it up?".
I did respond to that- "no, sorry".
I have multiple times tied loads down for buyers- folks are often not good at that and you want them and others on the road to be safe.
Last edited by Cameron Wood; 05-08-2024 at 3:17 PM.
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Every lawyer that read that post just broke out in cold sweats. I will help someone tie down a load but make it clear to them, it's your vehicle, you are responsible not me if something goes wrong.
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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.
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