is Gumtree any good?

[dablk]

Its just picking you battles mate. I am sure you have enough experience to judge the type of item and the type of buyer.

I sold some lego starwars on gumtree as i had tight margins on not making a loss as it was NOS and ebay would have killed that trying to compete with online sellers selling at brand new RRP.

I also sold a raleigh lizzard as the was the expected no love for it on here and its the typical cheap jumble bike you find in the local rag... ideal for gumtree.

eBay is expensive but you hit a big market both local and internationally.

 

[Bullpup]

Re: Re:

hmm think i'll give that a miss then. just can't be bothered with the hassle but ebay is now so expensive to use.

Never had any hassle on Gumtree. Just use your common sense. You get to vet both the item and indeed the seller / buyer before committing. What is not to like. I always respond to texts with a phone call at some point in order to gauge the other party.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

Used gumtree a few times and got mega bargins and they wasn't stolen!

New Tamiya 1/350th USS New Jersey Battleship model kit - purchased for £15... RRP £80.
New ford mats for the Fiesta - £4... RRP £35.
New RC tipper truck - £9... RRP £70.

This old bike for just £100 plus a bag of more parts which was originally fitted to the bike, purchased off a copper!

Which then was transformed into this beauty....

 

[Fudd]

I've bought and sold a few things there but you need to be careful as there seems to be a higher percentage of scammers than on ebay. I had a pair of Oakley Juliets on ebay at £100 starting bid when a member messaged me to say he'd pay the £80 I was asking on Gumtree. I replied that I hadn't listed them on Gumtree so he sent me the link and sure enough there was a seller in Birmingham using the pictures and text from my ad. It was reported immediately but nothing was ever done.

Then you have the lowballing mouth breathers offering "hi m8 swap 4 ifone 4 an ps3 wiv 20 games" for the bike you have listed at 1K...

There are good buyers and sellers, its just that you need to exercise a bit more caution and be prepared for the time wasters.

 

[dyna-ti]

Gumtree is good in that there are no fees payable.
The premium service isn't worth the extra as its much like ebay in that it gets seen when its listed and if you search for something like it, it will be easy to find.
Could understand if it was as big as ebay but all the sub town/city sections make it a bit more local
Always use a mobile number as a contact and if theyre picking up have a friend or so in the vicinity just for safety, not that anythings going to happen but strangers turning up at your door isn't always welcoming.

That said I did have a guy contact me about some tools but he didn't seem to understand its operation(Air clamp) and wanted to come out to get the gist of it. He was well outside the city so that was odd in that you don't spend 20 quit on a clamp not knowing anything about it but drive 70 miles to find out and after a number was supplied it started to go ary. He started to get a bit shirty and in the end I refused to deal with him.
That's been my only odd experience but I thought id share none the less.

They want to barter is the other thing ive noticed. If its popular it sells fast but with it is lots of enquiries or offers, can be a bit of a pain sorting genuine from tyre kickers.


All that said I'm an avid buyer from gumtree as I said being split, it feels more local snips than anything, and you know the good and bad areas and are better at judging if its a possible nicked thing, or whether you want you bring a few hundred quid to a clandestine meeting to an area you know to have a bad reputation.

Folk coming to your house its best to have a friend there.
Going to someone's house is usually fine but again a mate couldn't hurt, and he may have petrol he's desperate to use up

 

[highlandsflyer]

Re:

The wonderful thing about Gumtree is the bargains that can be had. I just picked up a spotless eight year old wee car with only 12k on a replacement engine for £300. Pocket money, barely the price of a meal out with the crew.

 

[Reluctant]

I don't think I've ever bought anything via Gumtree.......but some friends seem to pick up bargains or free things now and then. I use it to sell sometimes but have a very low success rate. I don't want phone calls from drunken lunatics in the small hours, so only ever put up contact details via email. That way I can screen replies and if they seem literate I'll respond. 9 times out of 10 though, I never hear from them again.....wierd really and I sometimes wonder if Gumtree's message system works. Or maybe I just get a very high percentage of time wasters? Who knows? It's a free service and I mustn't grumble!

 

[Ollie]

I picked up some Fizik R3 shoes, RRP: £180. Price I paid: £25. In the original box with spare rubbers for the soles .

 

[Mr Panda]

Re:

I've had no problems on Gumtree - just use your loaf. If you're buying then some real bargains can be had, and you can search nationally not just locally.

Facebay is also handy for local stuff.

Tis all about trust and honour however, which some folk apparently lack :shock: