45 Instances That Prove Online Marketplaces Are Unruly Territories

Online shopping is nothing new these days, but buying second-hand from strangers is something else entirely. Most stuff online have no set price, which leaves space for bargaining. Reasonable and polite interactions with buyers and sellers almost always end with both parties happy. Also, it is a brilliant way to reuse outdated products while also helping the environment, which is a win-win situation for everyone, including Mother Nature. Since not every clutch has perfect eggs, as the saying goes, you will encounter people who don’t know how to negotiate or interact with another human being in this article. If you have ever listed something online, the chances of you having met such people are high. That’s what happened to these people on our list, and they’ve decided to share their experiences with the world.

(Violin)ce of action

Violins are wonderful musical instruments. The cost of a good violin depends on factors such as who made it, when it was made, and the materials it was made with. If you are lucky enough to get one for free, this isn’t the right way to say thank you.

Unless they are doing a remake of a classical music movie, there’s no need to ask for another free violin as a donation. We really don’t know the real motive behind this, but this is a really shameful act to be doing.

Putting the nag in “nagotiator”

Certain people have no idea of the value of what they’re seeking. If you’ve ever dealt with an obnoxious haggler, you’ll understand what we’re talking about. They’re not just haggling; they’re attempting to take advantage of you and brag about their knowledge.

The seller clearly didn’t want to negotiate, but this buyer continued to do so anyway. And, not in a sensible way either, but by driving the price ridiculously down. When they get ignored, they get all “classy” by insulting the owner. Like that will solve anything.

First rule of Negotiating: Don’t do this

This is an excellent example as it identifies a low-baller in their natural setting. The best way to identify them is by observing how they react to the word “no.” If they keep on offering low prices when the answer is obvious, you’ve encountered a low-baller.

People like this truly are an exceptional breed, especially online. Not only do they not understand why the owner is not happy with the prices they offer, but they’re also in the mindset that they’re doing the owner a favor!

Just wish you don’t run into people like this

The word cancer can turn any smile upside down. It makes people sad, scared, and worried for those who have it. But, there happen to be people in this world who would use a horrible disease like this for their personal gain, just like in this example.

Telling a lie like this is faulty enough, but to scam the seller like this is taking things way too far. The asking price is 90% lower than the selling price! We really hope the seller didn’t get caught in this scam.

Agreements

The seller here put their Galaxy S10 up for sale. It was 250 dollars, but the buyer here managed to get the price down to 180 dollars because they said to the seller that they had only 160 dollars with them.

Maybe the buyer thought that the seller would be dead-set on selling the phone at a lower price after three days. The seller already knocked off 70 dollars of the original price. But, the buyer made it very clear that they could stoop further.

How not to bargain 101

First of all, the following example seems like a reasonable price for a car like this. Second of all, what’s with the aggressive tone? You’re not doing the buyer a favor here by getting rid of their car at rock bottom prices.

Even though it can be implied that he will be taking the car as it is, it doesn’t validate the aggressive nature of this negotiation. Either this particular seller has a lot of patience, or he must be used to handling trolls like this.

Really?

Like Homer Simpson said, ‘’Money can be exchanged for goods and services.’’ But that’s not the case every time because sometimes, the seller must be willing to barter. That is, to exchange something else instead of money, which isn’t what happened here.

The seller wants money for his bike, and the buyer would like to barter with… pain medication? Yeah, you heard that right! The seller’s expression tells it all. He only wanted to make some money the right way—poor guy.

Time is money

This particular buyer saw an ad for a 30-inch TV, and finding it to be a good deal, he contacted the supplier. The only difference here is that this person happened to be a high-roller than the low-ballers we encountered so far.

But no matter how much they upped their price, there is no way the seller could provide him as he had already sold the TV. How it should have played is that the buyer should have understood it’s not available and leave it at that, which clearly didn’t happen.

Overly sensitive

As we saw in a previous post, sob stories do work if done with finesse. That’s what happened here with this particular buyer. They managed to convince the seller to lower his price. Apparently, even with the discount, the haggling didn’t slow down.

The reason it failed is that the buyer says that the seller is passive-aggressive. If you managed to get what you’re after at the price you wanted, would you really let a snarky remark make you back out on a good deal?

Let’s agree to disagree

When you look at the first two-thirds of this conversation, you may think to yourself, “that’s new.” It’s not every day that a buyer understands the seller’s stance and politely steps down. Both parties look very reasonable in this discussion until you scroll down.

You are backing off means that you’re not interested in the deal. So why on earth would the buyer think the seller would cave in for 50% of the original asking price? There’s no logic whatsoever. We hope that the seller just copy-pasted their reply to this.

Dead broke but must be on fleek

If you concentrate hard enough, you can make out the core meaning of the post. The buyer is relying on a story on the basis that she’s a student and doesn’t have much money, so the seller must be obliged to sell the product at a low price.

If you have ever been a college student, it teaches you how to manage your finances sensibly (if you’re willing to learn). Not only can this person not afford this Gucci bag, but they also don’t want to miss out on the luxury, too. You can’t have both!

Brag much?

On social media marketplaces, rarely will you discover a seller who will give you precisely what you want. Some people will go the extra mile to annoy you to the breaking point. As an example, take this person who answered to a pony-for-sale ad.

Where are they going with this? If they don’t have a pony to sell, don’t go on about their personal matters to a complete stranger you met online. The information here is not relevant for the buyer! This person is really ticking all the wrong boxes.

Take your chances in life, but not like this

There are certain unofficial shortcuts in life that are passed down from generation to generation. One example is the art of negotiation. You start from a low bid and, based on the seller’s reaction, work your way to an acceptable price for both parties.

The buyer here offered a price to which the seller agreed. But, coming back after two days and further reducing 10 dollars on an already low price is really cheap. But thankfully, the seller stood their ground and raised the price, which essentially means no deal.

Not a bankable option

Among the many different types of low-balls, there is the dating app type. These people take the approach towards listings like they approach a potential date. With overconfidence clouding their judgment, they think they have made an offer the seller can’t refuse.

The seller has had enough experience dealing with people like this. They tell the lowballing buyer off in the most creative way possible by telling the buyer to check with his teller at the bank first before meeting up to close the deal.

Karma

The Facebook marketplace can be as dystopian as a place can get. It’s filled with low-ballers and people who really hate having to hear the word “no.” This seller would have been robbed if karma didn’t intervene and save the day.

So, this seller was contacted about a golf putter he was selling. On the same message thread where this business happened, this crooked buyer asked one of his friends to come and help him rob the seller. We really hope the seller contacted the police about this.

Missed out on some real money here

It really amazes us how unreasonable people can get when they don’t get their way. Add to that the fact that they make absolutely no sense with their tantrums. Now, you have the simple formula for another low-baller type.

We side with the seller here. The price they have set for a PS4 with two controllers and a VR unit seems quite reasonable. But to haggle on it to have 80% off looks really extra. Plus, what’s with the constant complaining?

You got owned!

Many buyers you meet online think the ‘customer is always right’ nonsense as gospel. That’s why when they get annoyed and aggressive over anything, it’s justified. But if the seller even gives off a hint of sarcasm, then lord have mercy.

Sixty dollars for a fridge? Well, that sounds about right for a mini-fridge or one of those hand-held ones. But that’s not the case here. If the buyer isn’t interested in your offer, just move on. We appreciate the solid comeback from the seller, though.

Read through before you act

So far, we have analyzed the misadventures of buyers in the land of social media marketplaces. Now let’s observe a reversal of roles. The seller obviously got lost in his train of thought as soon as he saw the word, ‘vegan.’

Then he proceeded to reply to the ad. When the buyer asked him to describe his wife, he went on to list attributes he finds attractive about her. That’s really sweet, but it’s not really what they meant when they asked for details.

That went south quite fast

It started off so well, almost like a Hallmark movie. They were so polite at first. Then, just like that, it turned into a bad day in Bosnia. All over 30 dollars. For what, an iPhone 6+…hold up that doesn’t sound right.

Now we aren’t professional appraisers of second-hand phones, but even we know that the going rate for a used iPhone isn’t 30 dollars. Plus, the level they stoop to sell off their children like that really makes you wonder about some people.

Tit for Tat

Getting the same footing as lowballers is not an exact science. If the offers are no good and seem to just waste your time, just ignore them and go about your business. At the very least, you won’t get high blood pressure.

But, there are times when the lowballers themselves get a taste of their own medicine. The buyer had the audacity to label the seller as spam, so the seller listed his number on a male-to-male dating site. A sword cuts both ways!

To tip or not to tip

Sure, if you can throw money at expensive drinks and food, then you can spare some money for the waitstaff who work hard to make sure you enjoy your meal. Most of these employees make less than the minimum wage.

But, it’s the employer’s responsibility to make sure that their employees are paid and treated well. Happy employees always lead to successful businesses. A tip is something that is entirely at the discretion of the customer at the end of the day.

Keep it simple

Language is a constantly evolving thing. Take, for example, the shorthand we use when texting. It makes sense to use it in an online environment because you want to get your message across quickly. But not everyone will understand what you use for your convenience.

This screenshot is a perfect example of the point we made. You might be using a dialect, but using all caps as well might mean that you are in an aggressive state of mind. This doesn’t fly well when you want to conduct business.

At least he’s polite?

This is not the kind of message you hope to read when you open your gaming account. This happens to be one of the politest hackers we have ever seen. He’s just requesting access to the account which he used unauthorized for over a year.

Looks like a classic case of social engineering. Maybe the owner left his account details in a place this person could easily access. Finer details aside, can you even imagine how awkward this conversation is? The owner’s choice in games must be really great, though.

Cookies!!!

Craigslist is chaos personified. It’s really like one of those places you find in comic books where nothing is normal. All that is made possible by the colorful vendors who make the Craigslist experience really unique and sometimes eyebrow-raising.

It’s a good thing to see that this person is abiding by the law to the letter. But to announce to a whole bunch of unknown people that you’re an offender who has a sweet tooth for girl scout cookies only is not the best way to advertise.

Why sell when you can donate

You have to admire the nerve of this person to guilt the seller into giving them that apple watch for free. They don’t even know the seller, and they thought of taking advantage the moment this listing was seen.

At least this person is willing to pay for the shipping. Well, that doesn’t cut it. Most probably, the seller is trying to raise some money by selling the watch so he can move to a newer model. We hope the seller ignored this.

Practise makes perfect

You got to learn to walk before you run—the same thing when it comes to negotiating. You got to know how to deal by negotiating. Gather the experience by immersing yourself. Also, be reasonable. Don’t offer something that is 80% below the asking price and call it fair.

Also, learn common sense. When the listed price of an item is as low as it can be, don’t haggle on it to bring it even lower. There’s no sense in it. Learn to pick your battles in a way the outcome is favorable to you.

Are you for real?

Of all the surreal online deals we have seen so far, this one takes the cake. You have to admit that this person’s self-confidence and bravado to offer one-fortieth of the asking price make it seem like they’re doing an excellent service to the seller.

Our mistake. They are willing to up the bid by 10 dollars for an all-in-one computer worth approximately 1000 dollars! The seller must have been dazed for a while but came back with the perfect response. Amazingly, the cheap buyer left it at that.

Trying to do you a huge favor here

New electric appliances can be pretty expensive, which is why second-hand appliances on the internet are a godsend. Buying from strangers can be cheap, but there’s risk involved. So, it’s always better to discuss the method of picking up the product beforehand.

This person’s nerve to ask for gas money to pick up the microwave is unbelievable. We don’t think he gave second thoughts to what he was typing as a reply. This is a brilliant response by the seller. How on earth can they justify this demand?

At least it’s 50% off

“Ah! This armchair is free. I was looking for an armchair, and this actually looks good.” This owner must be careful. He actually thought that the owner must have some other things he wanted to sell, so he should play the oldest trick in the book of haggling.

We send our regards to the seller. Not only did they not lose their cool, but they also managed to hit this cheap buyer with a quirky comeback that is a class of its own—perfectly executed. Good luck figuring that out!

Darn autocorrect!

The seller must have been in for quite a surprise when they saw this. “Pretty sure that the sale item is a car, not a body part.” But they seem quite level-headed, so they understood what the buyer meant from the context.

Autocorrect can cause pretty hilarious situations if you don’t pay attention to details. It’s very infuriating at times. But, the thing that we don’t understand is why the fudge the word ‘Prius’ was autocorrected. Has it too become a vulgar word?

Tattoo currency

Most of the information is left out, so we don’t know what happened here. The seller wants to sell a broken game system, and the buyer wants to pay for it with a tattoo. Maybe they thought a cool tribal tattoo would be a reasonable payment in itself.

But the deal didn’t fall through. We don’t understand why the buyer wanted to buy 1) a broken game system knowingly and 2) pay with a tattoo. Maybe he wanted to practice his craft on people. Perhaps he believes in bartering and not currency.

Multitasking

This person pulled out the “just paid an essential bill and therefore short on money” story and actually got away with it. The seller felt sorry and knocked off 105 dollars off the initial price. That’s mighty nice of them.

The buyer kept trying to shoot their shot by adding into the sob story. You just saved 100+ dollars on this item, yet are you really going to haggle over 9 dollars? Yeah, drag your child into this also. Very classy.

What you don’t drive is a hard bargain

If you see some product for sale online and it makes you compare prices with a similar product to see if the pricing conditions are fair, then you are an intelligent buyer. Unlike the buyer in this exchange. Yeesh!

The buyer doesn’t understand the flaw in their logic. It’s like comparing a horse with an elephant. It just doesn’t make sense. But they haven’t toned down their demands, though. The seller has to go down on the price and deliver it to them. Wow!

“I do not think it means what you think it means”

Unless it’s a tabletop souvenir made out of cheap wood, pianos can be pretty expensive. Unless you have the need, the space, and the money for it, don’t go on to buy large musical instruments just because you had a whim.

Plus, how does the seller refusing your ridiculous offer make them a scammer? They were pretty clear that they have received offers up to £1500 when the asking price is clearly £2000. Real mature of you to criticize another person simply because of a disagreement.

I demand a reduction!!!

First of all, why would they wait to ask the price just before they have to run an errand? Second of all, it seems like they live in a remote wilderness where the only decent phone signal they can find is at their house.

Because how on earth can one provide a sensible answer to an accusation like this? Being a parent means you have to manage your time efficiently. Using your child as an excuse to shave off the price of an item is a really cheap thing.

Hold your horses

This is some logic. So, a person has to be famous for them to charge a fee for their work. Unless you happen to be a world-famous figure, aspiring towards something simply won’t cut it. No fame, no pay.

The thought process which goes inside this person’s head to even say something like this must be chaotic. To become a tattoo artist, you have to invest your time and effort because that is how one becomes good at what they do. Really, the nerve of some people.

Help in need is help indeed

People really try the darndest things on other people. It must have been quite an awakening for this particular person. “How can one make a quick buck without having to work? That’s it. Let’s ask people for money and see how it goes.”

How it went was absolutely poetic. Justice was delivered to this freebie in the most creative way possible. They must find some aloe vera to treat that burn because that’s going to sting for days to come. Way to go!

50 purse cent

What are the odds of two random strangers having the same birthday? The same odds of seeing 50% spelled as 50 purse cent, in a way. Plus, this is a classic example of giving someone a taste of their own medicine.

We have to say that the service provider handled this quite masterfully. After all, there should be a balance, as all things should be. It makes sense to give them a discount and add a bonus because both of them have birthdays on the same day.

Thank heavens!

There are instances where people show their true colors. This particular incident happens to be a really great example of it. Just because someone is your friend, you can’t guilt them into offering you a free service. That’s just so rude!

We are thankful because the photographer really found out the level of their so-called “friend.” Unless the photographer is in debt to the friend, there’s no sensible way to ask them to do something which happens to be their job for free.

Thanks but no thanks!

It’s not a waste of time to haggle. That’s how people get a better bargain or avoid having to pay more. After receiving a $50 reduction counter-offer, the buyer thanks the seller for “wasting” their time. What’s the logic in that?

Maybe keep watching TV on your phone if you can’t match a good deal for a smart TV. They must have time to spare if they surf Craigslist looking for good deals. Seems like “wasting my time” has become a generic Craigslist term.

OMG they were mates!

If you receive a message from a person with whom you barely even interacted with while in school, be on alert. There is a high chance that they are trying to lure you into some scheme or a “business” with a high ROI. Put your guard up.

Thankfully, this interaction isn’t something like that, and the friend was actually in need of financial assistance. We salute the other friend for reaching out to help them in need, but it won’t be free. Not even most billionaires hand over cash freely. Go figure!

But this would look great on your resume!

Developers of mobile apps are just like us. They’ve spent years perfecting their skills and aren’t going to provide their talents for free to random strangers on the internet. If you follow the path of app development, you have to learn how to deal with people like this.

There’s no indication that this “super app idea” would even make money in the first place. You’re asking a person to give their time and effort for non-existent profits. How unreasonable is that? Luckily, the app developer knew the perfect way to shut this person down.

They were going to croc their world

It’s a sensible decision to throw an item of value to balance out the shortage of money if you’re going to buy something. The seller here was lenient enough to drop the price by $300 if the buyer purchased the item the same day.

But, in an amazing twist of events, the buyer wanted to pay the balance with a baby crocodile. How is that a fair deal? We highly doubt that this barter is even legal. It makes sense if both of them are near the Everglades.

No tattoo for you!

Like the earlier post with the app developer, artists happen to be the most bothered group of people. They have to experience a never-ending barrage of absurd deals, unreasonable people who don’t understand that they’re being unreasonable, and much more.

Not only did this customer shop around for cheap deals, but they had the audacity to ask the artist who gave the original offer to lower their price. In a brilliant serve of justice, the artist handled the situation with finesse.

Come on guys! Help out a friend here

We simply can’t comprehend how entitled this particular person feels to post a claim like this on Facebook. For everyone to see in the hopes that someone would buy him everything they specifically asked for free. Yeah, don’t be greedy!

Nearly everyone who saw this post had the same sentiment in their minds. One person went ahead and commented, and five people agreed with him. The things that happen in this world really amaze us, and things like this really keep us mired in disbelief.