Do you screen Kijiji buyers?

[THE SCUD]

What I mean is: based on the email from a prospective buyer, do you screen people out based on their initial/subsequent emails? For instance - I am selling a lawn mower (as you'll see in BST) and I got 5 emails within 2 minutes of posting it. One guy's email was as follows:



It's a guy emailing me and his email is "heart shaped ass" ?!? I have no desire to let a guy with the email handle "heart shaped ass" come to my house...

Does anyone else make snap judgments on buyers and screen them? I mean, if I was desperate to sell maybe gary with the heart shaped ass could come over, but not now...

[billybob123]

You're not curious to see if said ass is actually heart-shaped or not?

This reminds me of work emails (I work at a university) from Students written in text speak and using their "hotstud69u@hotmail" email addresses. Get a legit address - they're free.

[Frank MetaMusil]

I do, for sure. This article is yet another good reason why.

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald...tml?id=5034384

A Calgary man who planned on making some quick cash selling his iPhone online found himself fending off an attacker at knifepoint.

[4X4]

I'd be a little more careful about selling something like an expensive piece of electronics, where the "heart shaped azz" would need to enter the house and have the chance to case it.

With a lawnmower, I'd have no reservation about giving out my address.

[jus_sum_guy]

I usually facebook the email to see if there is a profile. That's how I screen potential buyers/sellers

[Swayze11]

Originally Posted by Frank MetaMusil

I do, for sure. This article is yet another good reason why.

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald...tml?id=5034384

"Meet me in a dark alley and get into my car"... The victim should have maybe used some more common sense.

[Hack&Lube]

I try not to meet kijiji people at my home but usually a busy mall parking lot or something and then try my best to make it not look like a drug deal.

[blankall]

Meh..If he was going to be a thief you'd expect him to use a more generic made up e-mail like: Joe343@hotmail.com.

This e-mail just makes him seem unreliable. Like he'd cancel appointments to show up etc... If he agrees to a specific time to pick up and comes with the cash, I don't see the problem selling to him. Although he's probably stupid.

[YYC in LAX]

You never know...maybe he's cute.

[Reaper]

Whenever I post something for sale on Kijiji I ask to be contacted by phone rather than email. That usually helps me weed out the morons who can't read.

One time I was emailed five times by someone where the emails went something like this:

email 1: is your ____ still for sale?
email 2: is your ____ still for sale? I offer you $40 less than what you listed it at.
email 3: is your ____ still for sale? I offer you $20 less than what you listed it at.
email 4: Did you consider my offer? (which one? derp, derp, derp!)
email 5: You are rude for not getting back to me!

I emailed him back saying that rather than sell the item that I decided to burn it in my back yard so I could avoid the illiterate.

[Jimmy Stang]

I use a different email address for my Kijiji transactions, as infrequent as they are. My other emails either tie me to my last name (which isn't common), or my web site, etc. I'd just rather that the buyer not know my real name (so I came up with something that describes my unique shape of my azz.) And I'll usually give a couple of options - I live in the NW, work in the SW, can meet you someplace in between, etc. and if they're willing to work something out, then they're less likely to be wanting to case my house. Or so I tell myself.

[Kavvy]

I always create a new email for kijiji transactions (and then forget it...).

My favoirt experience was trying to give away a futon and other stuff for free when I was moving. Everyone wanted it, but everyone wanted me to deliver the free futon, it was annoying as heck. Our building had a dumpster which I could pretty much throw anything away in, I wasn't about to drive across the city to give it away.

The worst part were the sob stories, people would have some pretty sympathetic reasons on why they couldn't pick it up (who knows what was true).

[Drury18]

Yes. If you can't spell, use proper grammar, puncuation or capitalization then I won't even respond.

[Thor]

I won't respond to ethnics.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Kavy

I always create a new email for kijiji transactions (and then forget it...).

My favoirt experience was trying to give away a futon and other stuff for free when I was moving. Everyone wanted it, but everyone wanted me to deliver the free futon, it was annoying as heck. Our building had a dumpster which I could pretty much throw anything away in, I wasn't about to drive across the city to give it away.

The worst part were the sob stories, people would have some pretty sympathetic reasons on why they couldn't pick it up (who knows what was true).

A futon should be able to fit in the back of a car. Sounds like people are just lazy.

[Top Shelf]

Originally Posted by jus_sum_guy

I usually facebook the email to see if there is a profile. That's how I screen potential buyers/sellers

+ 1 I do this all the time as well, you might be surprised at all the unlocked facebook accounts out there. Not only does it screen the person, but can also help finding the real reason they are selling

[The Yen Man]

Maybe it's some hot chick named Gary?

[THE SCUD]

Originally Posted by blankall

Meh..If he was going to be a thief you'd expect him to use a more generic made up e-mail like: Joe343@hotmail.com.

This e-mail just makes him seem unreliable. Like he'd cancel appointments to show up etc... If he agrees to a specific time to pick up and comes with the cash, I don't see the problem selling to him. Although he's probably stupid.

That's what I meant - I am not afraid that his heart shaped ass will steal my mower, but rather that he'll be a flake.

I don't mind people meeting me at my house, at most I let them in the foyer where they can't see anything of value - but usually outside or downtown.

[ken0042]

When I was giving away my old dishwasher the first person to respond simply said "Let me know where to pick it up." It just came across as being arrogant. There was a second email a few minutes later where the person was polite, and was asking a question. I ended up giving it to that guy.

As it turned out guy #2 was struggling to make ends meet. Their dishwasher had died a year earlier and they couldn't afford to replace it. He was picking up mine as a surprise for his wife.

So unless you don't think your item will sell, may as well screen them. I emailed the 1st guy back and told him I had somebody ahead of him; and still didn't get anything back.

[Shades]

A lot of the replies are actually email farmers.

I prefer to drop off items at their house. That way:

1- I know where they live
2- they don't know where I live, and
3- in the odd chance that the cash is counterfeit, see #1