A Very Kijiji Christmas

Brahm and I have had a couple of old computer monitors sitting around our apartment for a while.  We haven't used them in years and we didn't plan to use them ever again.  They are in perfectly good condition, and modern flat-screens but not being students anymore, we really only use our home computers for surfing the internet and stuff.  I think eventually, someday, maybe, I want to learn about photo editing a bit, but I still have yet another monitor I can hang onto for that purpose - basically, we do not need 3 monitors.

I had tried with no luck a few months ago to get rid of one of them on Kijiji.  I posted it for 40 bucks OBO, figuring I'd let someone talk me down to 20 bucks, but the only reply I got was from a guy who barely spoke English and kept asking me to call him, but I couldn't pronounce his name so I didn't want to call him (and I had put in my add that I only wanted to email).  Eventually I got fed up and gave him my phone number and told him to call me, and I never heard from him again.

So, desperate to get rid of the monitors ASAP this time, I listed them for 10 bucks each OR both for 10 bucks.  I guess it was the best deal to ever hit Kijiji because in less than 24 hours I had well over 20 replies.

I have posted before about proper Kijiji etiquette for sellers but now I am going to complain about buyers.

So basically my ad said that I was selling 2 flat screen (NOT the tube style) monitors, and described the brand and size.  Then I said the neighbourhood in which I was located and that I was not going to communicate over the phone.

Then, I got a bunch of replies like "Are they tube style, if so I don't want them" and "Please call me at ___".

GUYS!  I already said NOT tube style and that I am NOT going to call you!  The best was "are they flat screen?"  UMMM YES they are flat screen, that was the TITLE OF MY AD.

I did not take pictures because I was selling them for so cheap, I am doing you a favour by giving you a perfectly good flat-screen monitor for 10 dollars.  I am not going to waste time taking pictures because I clearly got over 20 replies in like 10 hours.  Of course, someone requested a picture.

PERSON WHO REQUESTED A PICTURE:  if someone is selling something awesome for super cheap, please understand that a LOT of people are going to jump on the ad and the seller is not going to waste her time taking photos for you to leisurely peruse.

So anyway, I gave dibs to the first person who replied.  I told him he needed to come on Sunday between 10-11 and if that didn't work to let me know.  He said okay, he will let me know when he's on his way.

The next morning, I got up and made sure I was showered by 9:30 in case the guy showed up right at 10.  10:55 came and went and I emailed the buyer asking if he was planning to show up or if I should sell them to someone else.  He said "I am coming, but between 12-12:30 if that's cool" and I was like WTF no that is not okay, I will be selling to someone else.  Immediately he replied that he was on his way and would be here in 10 minutes.

Half an hour passed, with me receiving a message every 5-10 minutes or so saying "almost there, 5 minutes away".  At 11:40 I texted back and said "I want 20 bucks for both.  I've been waiting around for you all morning."

Eventually he showed up at the door, apologized for taking so long, gave me 20 bucks, and complained that I should only be charging him 15 since originally I was going to give them both to him for 10.  Ummm excuse me?  I definitely wasted more than 5 bucks of my time waiting for you for almost 2 hours.

Next time I sell something on Kijiji I have a new rule for the buyer.  You come pick it up within 10 minutes of when you say you're going to pick it up, or I don't answer the door.  This is going right in my ad, and possibly as the signature of all subsequent email communications I have with them.

Anyway, Merry Christmas!  Posting will be sporadic for a while.  My Christmas wish for all of you is to not be bad Kijiji users.