Ebay, Gumtree or Facebook marketplace?

[Arapiles]

I'm clearing out the house and have a heap of gear to sell. Some of it, like the UL and Ti camping gear from Japan and the US will be advertised on specialist UL and bushwalking forums.

But for general things - clothes, cooking equipment, that kind of thing - would it be best to use Ebay, Gumtree or Facebook?

I got scammed on Gumtree recently and belatedly discovered that they don't have any support for people who get scammed, so I'm leaning away from posting there.

[Fattima]

I use FB marketplace the most for general bits and pieces I want to sell and buy. Gumtree I find painful to use and for some reason displays terribly in a Chrome browser. Still plenty of scammers on FB.
I recently sold a few bits of old rally equipment that I knew would have interest from overseas so I used ebay for those sort of sales.
When I had to clear my step mothers house I found FB fantastic, admittedly I sold stuff cheaply or gave it away.

[loanrangie]

Same, FB first then gumtree. Only use ebay if i have something that a wider audience will push up the price.

[travelrover]

I have never had a positive experience with Gumtree. Likewise with selling on eBay, I have sold quite a bit of stuff on Facebook market place but you still encounter scams and request to use payId, my cousin will come and look at it etc…

I was selling a stock saddle with on FB and had ‘enquirers’ from Belgium!

Good luck!

[gromit]

Scammers are everywhere unfortunately. Ideally only a face-to-face transaction or get them to send the funds first.
I've had some genuine people contact me via Gumtree but little traffic through there now. Just advertised a s/h mower recently and got 3 scammers within minutes of posting, nothing since.
One of my boys uses Market Place, puts the location in and always gets asked 'where are you located ?
They make an offer then, if/when they eventually turn up, they want to make a lower offer !!

Never had a problem here on AULRO, buying or selling.

A couple of guys I work with would rather throw stuff away than deal with people via Gumtree/MarketPlace.

Last resort ......donate to an Op Shop.

Colin

[travelrover]

Scammers are everywhere unfortunately. Ideally only a face-to-face transaction or get them to send the funds first.
I've had some genuine people contact me via Gumtree but little traffic through there now. Just advertised a s/h mower recently and got 3 scammers within minutes of posting, nothing since.
One of my boys uses Market Place, puts the location in and always gets asked 'where are you located ?
They make an offer then, if/when they eventually turn up, they want to make a lower offer !!

Never had a problem here on AULRO, buying or selling.

A couple of guys I work with would rather throw stuff away than deal with people via Gumtree/MarketPlace.

Last resort ......donate to an Op Shop.

Colin

We recently downs sized from a farm to a two bedroom townhouse and ended up giving the majority of stuff to friends or throwing it out. The rest is in storage, lol. The storage unit is almost as large as our house now!

[Arapiles]

Thanks all, I'll use FB for the non-specialist stuff.

[V8Ian]

Face to face only and cash on collection.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Just be careful of Ebay as well. When we had the business we had someone from WA buy a clutch kit with extras, which I put a tracking number on it an insured it. I use to track all our customers orders so I knew where they are. Any way this person email us saying that they never got it, and yet the tracking number said received. We got and email that they put a claim in on ebay saying that they never got it and Ebay,Paypal put a hold on the money in our paypal account. And it was up to us to prove that it was delivered which we did send copy of tracking number which showed it was delivered. And in the mean time that same person bought something else from us so I did the same tracking, signature and it was delivered. It took about a month before we where cleared to get the money off hold. I blocked this person from buying from us again. Why would you by something again from us when you had put in a case on the other order which was delivered and signed for. Ebay has changed a lot, since we had open the business 14 years ago. So Mario made up is mind to open our own web site which did very well. But we did have ebay going as well. As a seller you really have to cover all bases and have all the paper work in order just in case some one put a case against you. Heather

[V8Ian]

Heather, when you had the business running, you were my first choice of supplier. I always had my order next day (AP Express) to regional Queensland. I don't recall ever signing and definitely never had a non delivery.

[travelrover]

Heather, when you had the business running, you were my first choice of supplier. I always had my order next day (AP Express) to regional Queensland. I don't recall ever signing and definitely never had a non delivery.

Yup never had an issue. Mario rang me a couple of times just to check exactly what I was after if there could be any doubt or confusion, always A+ service.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Heather, when you had the business running, you were my first choice of supplier. I always had my order next day (AP Express) to regional Queensland. I don't recall ever signing and definitely never had a non delivery.

I put signature and insurance on our big priced items, like propshafts, radiators, etc. As I tracked all our orders in the morning to see if they where being delivered, or I will keep tracking until they are delivered, I even message people to tell them it is going to be delivered. I would copy and past off Aust post site on what they say. And would mark it off in the book where we kept the number, as been delivered. Just a side note we always paid the insurance and signature which could range from $10 dollars to $20+,depends on the value of the item, our customers only ever paid the postage

[grey_ghost]

I use FB but my lord I often wonder why…

[p38arover]

This is a decision I also need to make. Some stuff might need a wider audience than FB. For example, I have a set of casting for a Stuart-Turner 10V vertical steam engine I started to build back in the mid-Eighties. I never got far and if I croak, my family wouldn't know what it is or what it's worth so I ned to sel it.

evilbay or FB? I sold a motorcycle manual recently on evilbay and got a buyer pretty quickly but, by heck EB take far whack of the funds - about 13.5%

I have far too much stuff to sell, especially model cars that will go into a skip if I die.

[gromit]

This is a decision I also need to make. Some stuff might need a wider audience than FB. For example, I have a set of casting for a Stuart-Turner 10V vertical steam engine I started to build back in the mid-Eighties. I never got far and if I croak, my family wouldn't know what it is or what it's worth so I ned to sel it.


I have a number of steam engines to sell, I gave up on Facebook & Gumtree.
I asked one person if he was a serious buyer and got a torrent of abuse, so I'm guessing he probably wasn't !

Young bloke some years ago selling a pushbike.
A lad is coming to buy it, young bloke gets a text message "I'm here", look outside and he wasn't there.
Text message "where are you ?" reply "at the railway station" ?! Young bloke sends our address again.
Text message " I'm here", no he wasn't. Young bloke sends text "where ?" reply "at the end of your street".
After many texts he finally turns up.
"I want to take the bike for a test ride", OK says young bloke leave the full amount with me and if you don't want the bike I'll give you the money back. After a drawn out discussion he leaves the money, test rides, comes back say's "I'll have it...do you have a helmet, I need a helmet ?"

Another time he was selling a small engine, for $50. Bloke turns up says he wants it but doesn't want to pay the price advertised. Young drops the price to $45. bloke comes back with "I've only got $35", young bloke says "no problem I'll hold it for you till you come back with $45" After whinging & whining the guy goes to his car and gets a $50 note !

I put a couple of old mowers up for spares parts, one seized and one leaking fuel from the carby (explained in the advert) total $30
Bloke messages and offers $25 and I accept.
Turns up over two hours after the time he said he'd come. Complains that one is seized and one leaks fuel, offers $10
I asked him politely if he could read because that was explained in the advert, he stayed at $10.
I said "absolutely no problem there are three more blokes interested" I got my phone out started dialing and he gave me $25.

I don't remember it being like this when people phoned & spoke with you first.
Nowadays they hide behind text messages & emails, don't turn up on time, make an offer then want to negotiate down further when they finally turn up.

To be fair I have also sold stuff to some decent people recently.


Colin

[3toes]

Do not know why but normally sensible intelligent people go crazy when buying things

Selling some stuff that had sat in the shed and needed some space and cash to buy stuff to fill the new space selling stuff would create. A little circular but think most of us have been there

Had one who said could buy something similar for a very slightly cheaper price. Showed me the add so I could see was genuine and wanted price dropped to match. Pointed out these were second hand so no way to compare actual quality and lower price may be an indication. Even then just the cost of fuel for the trip there let alone the return would exceed any saving on something he was telling me was hard to get so it might be sold when got there. Could see what I had was like new so did he want it? Said only if I matched price. Let him go and sold it the next day to someone who also said they were hard to get and in demand and was surprised it was not already sold as was a good price

[travelrover]

I saw an ad on FB for something recently and the chap had a sign behind whatever he was selling with his phone number and it said call Jim, no SMS’s.

[loanrangie]

I just sold my camper trailer after 2 years of advertising, last week a bloke contacts thru gumtree and we make a date for viewing.
Night before i hadnt heard from yet to confirm the time, did not get a peep from him not even a reply to my txt.
Last friday i get another wanting to view it and we make a time for Sunday am, late Saturday get a call from a bloke wanting to come in 30mins.
He turns up has a look and a chat says he needs to show the partner, 3o mins later calls back and says he'll take it and transfers the funds within 10mins - notification from banking app so all good.
I replay to the other guy and say sorry its sold and then he starts whinging saying why did i make a time with him to view and ends with, disappointing - like f right off.

[Epic_Dragon]

I think fb marketplace these days is the easiest one. I've put a fair few cars there for my dad, always weeding out the.scammers, timecwasters and rude folks who I then refuse to sell to.
I've bought from a lot of genuine folks there as well.

[Tins]

Yeah, well... Spent some time with the old Melbourne Trading Post back in the day. Just as many nuff nuffs back then too.

As for FB, if you have specialised stuff ( vintage HiFi and old FIAT in my case ) then it's a good idea to join groups that have similar interests. To me this is the only point of FB.

Gumtree is an eBay company, for those who don't know. It's not a patch on what eBay used to be, imo. Search for a specific LR part within 50 Ks, and get things like damaged Camry door in Port Hedland. And the seller won't ship! OK, I'm sure I could learn the tricks, but I simply cannot be bothered.

[POD]

I only signed up to FB a few months ago because I had some stuff to sell and it seems to have the widest market. Definitely get more scammers than honest buyers and sellers, also most of the enquiries are just time wasters. i've bought a few things and people always comment with surprise that I show up when I say I'll show up and don't stuff them around. It's like it's expected.
A few months back we bought a new sofa (actually a refurbished Chesterfield) through FB, made arrangements to be at the location- 90 minutes drive- at 10am the next morning. Hook up the trailer, drive there, 5 minutes before the appointed time the seller messages me 'I won't be there until 11.30'. Call him- no answer. Leave an annoyed voicemail. Nothing. Eventually he messages me- he's at a doctor's appointment! Turns up an hour late- with a takeaway coffee! You keep me waiting for an hour then stop for a friggin coffee?!
I advertise the old sofa for free. Two people message me saying they want it, basically both saying they'll come when they feel like it if they've got nothing else on. Get stuffed. Eventually taken by a nice young woman in obvious dire straits.
Unless stuff is valuable, it's just not worth the hassle with these clowns. The local scrap metal bloke now knows me quite well.