Are CL buyers really nuts or what?

Lol Alias - that was just funny.  I was sitting here thinking about the look of that guys face.

Posted this in the wrong thread earlier so apologize for the "double".

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Got a phone call about 9 pm (which I always think is odd for a business call) and guy wants to know if I still have a particular item. It's hard to find, but not valuable (I was asking $30) and he said he lived in "x" city and wanted to know when he could come over to look at it.

Well "x" is 109 miles from me in "y" and beforeI  looked it up after the phone call I had told him it was a good 90 miles one way. His response..."Well, if you haven't sold it by next Saturday, I'm interested."  Imagine a 218 mile round trip at say 20 mpg, that's 11 gallons or so, at $3.55 a gallon here in CA and you come up with about $40 in gas, NOT TO MENTION the roughly 3 to 4 hours of driving....in my book this qualifies this buyer as a total idiot.

I've driven to Portland and to Vancouver BC before.  But I'll make it day.  Road trip. Maybe stay over.
Line  up other things.....


But then again, we've been know to drive up to Canada to get lunch.  When I traded in my civic the sales guy was amazed cause I had put almost 18000miles on it in 14 months of owning it......And my commute to work is only 10miles.

Four months since the last nutty CList post, so here's another one.

I have a sort of specialty item on Clist and do well with this type and save some bucks by not listing them on eBay.
I am selling it for $400 on Clist.

Guy calls me from Los Angeles area (400 plus miles away) and talks for quite a while about it. Doesn't quite want to trust me by sending a postal money order and says he would be willing to drive up to get it in cental California.

I tried to talk him out of it thinking there has to be one of these in LA somewhere, but he wants this particular one and won't be swayed.

So he calls back a few hours later and says he will be coming up today, Nov 29, 2012.

It's an 800 mile (plus) round trip and at least 6 to 7 hours to drive it (one way) depending on traffic, weather, how tired you get driving a monotonous I-5.

Expense at 20 mpg (generous estimate) and $3.55 or more per gallon would be approximately $142.  Combine that with 12 to 14 hours of driving (and maybe a motel for overnight) and this truly qualifies....

..... Clist buyers are nuts !

Edit:

Guy made the trip, laid 4 Benjamins in my hand and turned around and went back. Said he would make it home by dinner and that the only problem on the road up was in Los Angeles..... Ya think !

 I had what I thought was a similar situation......and I screwed myself.

Had a bunch of iPod parts (from my fail at deciding to try and fix them)
All gotten free.  No one wants, been trying or months.

Last ditch effort before tossing I throw on CL for $50.

Kid from WSU calls.   He'll come get but can I hold until he takes his finals?   Since he was the only call, sure!

But I'm thinking that's a long ass drive!  300-ish miles.    I offer to send if he pays shipping. Cheaper then gas.   But he says he is in a dorm and packages often get "lost"

He shows and you can tell this guy is broke.  Crap car but well kept.  Dresses nice but Target stuff (not saying there is my thing wrong with that).  And just the nicest, politest kid.

Now thru all conversations and at meeting it sounded like this was why he came over.

So since it was all free, broke college kid.....I just gave it to him. 

Then, in conversation, he says something that triggers my attention.

I ask:  did you drive all he way here just for this?

Him:  oh, no sir!  (Yeah, he called me "Sir"!).  I'm home on Xmas break.  My parents live just down the block.

Oh well.   It's Christmas.  I'm happy the kid can make some money.  And he was really appreciative.

Looked at the truck I posted about earlier in another thread....

I ask the guy to see he title so I can call in the VIN.
He doesn't have it.  He said his brother-in-law said he'd get it if it sold.

Who owns the truck?  Brother-in-law
Where is he? Mexico.

So if I buy this truck, you want me to wait the time it takes for him to mail in forms, from Mexico, then wait for it to be processed, 4-6 weeks, mailed back to him, mailed to you?  On top of which, he won't be here to sign title or bill of sale? 

Noooo.   You buy and we'll send you everything!

Yeah.  First, I'm not handing you $1500 cash and not getting signed title and bill of sale.  Second, don't waste my time.   Don't post a car for sale if you don't have the title in hand!


Interesting people you meet on CL.......