Floored By The Entitlement

My wife and I have some experience with trying to sell stuff we don’t need anymore at an online marketplace. The reason we do this is that we don’t like wasting something that could be useful to someone else, but also that, occasionally, it is easier to have big stuff like furniture or an old mini-oven picked up by someone rather than having to get rid of it by yourself.

We’re trying to sell off our laminate floor because it is partially damaged. Our first post asks for some money for it but it gets no response. My wife changes it to “free.” Now, responses come flooding in.

Keep in mind that the ad says that you have to pick up the floor yourself and that we like to discuss who will remove the flooring and who will get rid of the damaged bits as this job would incur a payment.

Customer #1: “I’d like to pick it up.”

Wife: “Great. Now the question: who is going to get rid of the damaged parts? If you do, the floor is yours for free.”

Customer #1: “You. Your ad says I don’t need to do that.”

Wife: “The ad says we want to discuss this, yes, and that’s what we are doing now. You don’t need to take the damaged bits, but in that case, we would like a little payment in return. since getting rid of it will cost us a bit because we don’t own a car.”

Customer #1: “Sorry, I don’t own a car, either.”

Wife: “Well, you said you were going to pick the floor up. This implies you have some kind of transport, right? So, here’s the deal: you make it a bit easier for us and we make it free for you.”

His tone changes.

Customer #1: “Never mind, ‘cause apparently, you can’t read! Just changing it all by the minute! I said I don’t have a car and I don’t want the damaged parts! And now I don’t want any of it!”

Wife: “Okay, bye.”

It was quite clear he thought “discussing” meant he was going to tell us what he wanted and that we just had to obey his wishes.

And then, there was this person who didn’t read the ad:

Customer #2: “I’d like part of the floor, but only if it could be sent over to my place in [Town on the other side of the country].”