So I’m sure many of us have used Craigslist or some similar site to place online ads for stuff, or just look around for some used items. I was looking for a recliner today, and found a link which says “recliner - $100 – (parsippany)” (http://newjersey.craigslist.
I once saw an ad for a coffee table but it was weird in that at the end it said “only leave voice message and we get back!” So anyway, I called and after ringing for a while, a lady answered and spoke in some Chinese or Japanese language. After repeatedly telling her (and later yelling) the reason for my call and her not understanding a word, I hung up irritated and furious. The next day the ad was changed and the message at the end was “only leave voice message and we get back! If someone pickup hangup!” My friend and I laughed real hard at this, and figured that the lady who picked up the phone doesn’t understand English and the others work in the day hence the message.
Once we saw an ad for a dining table and so we got in touch with the guy who posted the ad. So after a lot of email exchanges and addresses being passed back n forth (with landmarks), we just asked the guy where he got the set from and that was it! Something ticked him off and the guy stopped taking our calls. We left a voice message and even sent him an email asking him that we were just asking for our own information sake and that we still like the set and would like to see and if possible like to buy it. But there was silence…for a week! And then one fine evening the guy decides to send us an email stating that he is willing to reduce the price. Umm…helloo…u moron! We did talk to you and you stood us up on the evening we were to come and take a look. We just never replied back and the guy sent us another email the next day stating that we can come up with our best offer…yeah rite! And once this guy was coming to take our old sofa set, and informed us that he is going to get a rental van with driver to come and help him. So sure enough the rental van with the driver turns up on time, except there was no sign of the guy for 2 hrs. Then he finally calls the driver of the rental van and tells him that he found a better deal for the van and a sofa set elsewhere, and that the driver can let us know that our set is no more required…arrrgh!
Sometimes you come across some really strange (scary) people, who during the first few conversations seem like they are normal. Only later on you get the feeling like they are psychos and there were signs all along (remember Sixth Sense). Once we had this girl who got some old stuff from us after exchanging quite a few emails telling us about her and asking about us instead of the items (first sign). She did not have a ride so she asked someone to help her out (second sign). Fine…so she comes one evening and takes the stuff from us and starts a general conversation (didn’t pay attention to the conversation, but I’m sure there would have been a third sign). So in the next 10 minutes she is out the door with her stuff and on her way.
End of story right? Except, she calls the next day and tells us that the things she got from us are really good and appreciates our hospitality…what? (amber light blinking now…) Ok, so a few days after that she calls again (amber light glowing continuously now…), asking if we would be interested in joining her to a concert (The Unforgettable Tour starring a host of Bollywood celebrities) in Atlantic City (OMG…red light glowing and scary mob hit scenes from Godfather and GoodFellas coming to mind). Her selling point…it will be a wonderful concert and if we plan to go, she will accompany us…what really? Uh no thanks! So we tell her that we will let her know (what will I tell the 911 operator if I complain now? should I change my home number?). The next few days we stopped taking her call, and over the weekend of the concert, she left us 7 voice messages and 11 missed calls. One of the messages was, “since you haven’t been answering my call, I have also decided not to go and sell my ticket instead. I was dependant on you to take me there. Would any of your friends be interested? Silence and a long pause”…uh…no you psycho!
