Facebook selling woes - selling power tools

[scottieb]

After closing the electrical business, I've listed lots of power tools on local FB to sell. I've come to the conclusion that it is a waste of time. Loads of interest has come in on all the items but not one offer was reasonable. Not even one, and not even close. I'll offer you two examples.

1. I listed a corded power tool that currently retails for $550. This is in phenomenal shape and is near new with very very little use. It is complete and I've included a $50 attachment with it. I priced it at $490. One individual sent a screen shot of a similar tool, but not the same one, from Home Depot selling for $520. I replied that the model isn't the same. The one I have is a heavier duty model. Mine also comes with a $50 attachment. The individual asked me to go much lower and I declined. He stated he would go to Home Depot then and buy the different model. He'll have to pay sales tax on that and he doesn't get the $50 attachment so that stinks for him.

2. Another brand new item retails for $160. I have that item brand new and listed it for $110. Out of all the offers I received on this, the highest offer I was $60. Most scoffed in disbelief that I wouldn't sell it for their ridiculously low offer.


It's quite disheartening that this is reality. There exists such a great way to reach a great many people and be able to sell things but it just doesn't work. There are spammers and low ballers and that's it.

So I've started doing something new. When a laughably silly offer comes in I play dumb and respond with "I don't know. What do these sell for new?" Wow, does the worst in humanity come out then! I listed a laser level at $450 and was offered $350 for a near brand new $600 laser level. After my play dumb response, the individual then offered $129, saying that's what they sell for brand new. Then why did you offer $350? Lies and cheats.

[autococker04]

I sold paintball gear on Facebook, very similar experience. I think we are spoiled over here on forgotten corners of the internet.

[RedLeaderSB]

If you are selling things that can be had retail, I am usually not interested unless it’s half retail cost and also less than 20 min drive.
It’s not worth the time and risk to save 20-50$. You might be a safe person but I don’t know until I show up. We had a guy at my old field get killed over an 800$ gun

[Blackmagic71]

Facebook marketplace is a cesspool.

When we moved into our house there was a large dog kennel in our backyard. My wife listed it for free just to get rid of it, and there was a substantial number of people that wanted us to deliver it 1-2 hours away… for free… then some folks would get angry if we wouldn’t deliver it for free.

My wife will periodically sell something like an end table for about $5, which I’m really not a fan of. These days I’d be willing to pay $5 so some stranger doesn’t know where I live or so I don’t have to meet someone at a random gas station parking lot…

[Daltech]

I’d say eBay, the bigger issue is nobody has any extra money to take advantage of good deals. Discretionary funding is at a premium these days between gas groceries and power bills. Extra cash goes to necessities as opposed to good deals. Take from the what you will.

[The G-FOURce]

No offense to the OP, but when selling used items the normal starting point is 70% off retail. There are exceptions, like popular discontinued items, but generally a 30% discount is reasonable for used goods. Selling something you’ve already opened and used for 90% of new won’t exactly wow folks off the sofa and into your driveway. Hell, they can opt into the email solicitations we all see on every retail website in the world to get 10% off and have the same brand new item delivered to them for the same price you want for your used item. And remember, they don’t know you from Bigfoot, so they have no idea what they’d be buying but they do know returns aren’t an option.

[Paintslinger16]

My take way too high, it’s still used, any warranty it may have had is gone. For 30/50 bucks off I am buying new. Sorry most are thinking the same.

[cougar20th]

My experience with selling on marketplace its its crap. Been offered all sorts of things. No I don't want your pot and no I'm not going to deliver you a free item for nothing.

Now I often take items to my dumps 'Still good shed' or just trash the items so that i dont have to deal with people.

People have forgotten that it's another person at the other end of the messages. They wouldnt offer or treat someone like that in person but its ok on Facebook.

[sonixr7]

People that buy from illegitimate sources, ie Facebook and Craigslist cannot expect legitimate prices.

Items that can be easily stolen from legitimate sources can be easily sold using illegitimate sources.

Selling brand new items on Facebook and meeting up face to face is like a drug addict selling a stolen item for any price they can get. That is the competition and therefore explains why people expect to pay not what you want.

Your good deal, is not a great one. Compared to anyone who is forced to sell due to emergency or addiction.

[nak81783]

It's tough, because everyone has a different opinion on percentage of new, dollars saved, communication/negotiation etiquette, etc., and these can change based on item scarcity/alternates available, item condition, pickup/delivery/shipping circumstances, etc. It's typically only a good transaction if the buyer and seller are like-minded on these things.

"An item is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it" is true, but so is "an item isn't worth less than what someone is willing to sell it for".

[Blackmagic71]

They wouldnt offer or treat someone like that in person but it’s ok on Facebook.

That’s the absolute truth. Something about Facebook has led to a massive decline in civil discourse in general over the last few decades.

I’ve been trying to limit my doom scrolling because everything is just a steaming bag of turds online. It has to have a negative impact on our collective mental health.

[Kit352]

I won't even deal with offers online. Just end the conversation and move on.

[The G-FOURce]

That’s the whole of the internet. The anonymity allows people to unleash the worst of themselves and put their inner demons on display. The sterile disconnect of cyber exchange is ruining humanity.

Or maybe I’m just a cynical old man… 🤣

[Cdn_Cuda]

My worst Facebook experience was renting a suite on Facebook. 2/3rds of the people whom had booked a showings never even bothered to show up and couldn’t be bothered to email. Eventually got good tenants out of it but Facebook makes interactions so artificial people just don’t care. Tenants broke up and are moving out so going to have to go through it all again.

Tried to sell the odd thing on Facebook but people rarely follow through even. Absolute crap marketplace other than being able to reach a large audience.

[flyweightnate]

Social media is terrible in general, but Nextdoor, for its many faults, tends to be a far more reliable BST demographic. Still bad, but fewer crazies and lowballers.

I meet at a local coffee shop near the police station, and have done PCs, power tools, bicycles, etc. reliably. Even got refunded when one PC kept blipping out two days after I bought it.

Facebook... I sometimes get a good buy, but I rarely commit to make the drive unless they can coherently answer two separate messages. Which isn't often. And with power tools especially, I really do assume they're the product of a smash and grab at Home Depot, so I never buy anything less than about 5 years old. (I think my Bosch SDS is older than all my kids, combined.)

The exception is specific BST groups. Is there maybe a group for local tradesmen that's a little less riffraffy?