Trades?

"Trades?"

You may have come across some potential buyers who posed the question to you in your Carousell listing.

It may sound fine if what they are offering is almost on par in value to the item you are selling.

For example a handphone for a tablet with similar market values.

But have you come across the guy who is trying to trade you stuff which even a rag and bone man would not touch, for your spanking new item? 

I encountered plenty when I was trying to sell off a brand new high end earphones.

Although my listing description specifically stated "NO trades", there will always be some who will still try their luck (anyway, its just behind the screen, no face to lose).

Being me, out of curiosity, I will take some time to browse the other party's profile to see what he has on offer. 

Most of the time I will encounter this kind of persons, which I need to warn you about :-

The Scalper

Jacking up the price of a pair of used shoes to $100 and then offering it for trade with a brand new pair of Nike shoes selling for $100 is not a fair trade.

Come on, if you want to offer stuff for trade for someone else's brand new item, at least have some brand new stuff to offer or at least something of decent value. Mind you, value is not something you state on your own junk but the value as perceived in the second hand market, that is, if there is one for your over priced junk.

The Desperado

Stuck with stuff with no takers, this chap just want to get rid of his stuff for something worth some penny. Even if it is something that he wouldn't use nor need to use. At least he has a better chance to resell your item off. 

If you find a use for his stuff, good for you, its a fair trade when both parties are happy.

Just be careful with regards to the true condition and state of his item offered for trade. 

Instead of trading via mail - which I see some female Carousellers doing (and then bitching about the state of each other's item publicly via Carousell rating system) - opt for the safer way to meet up and inspect each other's item before trading. 

If the other party insist on a trade via post instead of meeting up, do be wary, be very wary....especially if your item is really in good condition. But if both of you are lying about the true condition of your items, then both of you really deserve each other!

Still in working condition *ahem* at least there is an image!

The Hustler

I truly wish to warn you of this particular kind of trader and they do exist as I have encountered them personally.

*The item in question is changed but the story is real.

I placed a listing for an iPhone 5S for $xxx. This guy comes along and offered to trade his Samsung S5 phone with me. Nowhere in my description did I ask for a trade for another phone but never mind, I will entertain him since I do not mind trying out a Samsung.

The conversation goes like this :-

Him : "Want to trade with my Samsung S5 for your iPhone 5S?"

Me : "Only if its a one for one trade" (since I am not really keen to "upgrade" to an Android phone)

Him : "No way! You top up at least $200 for my Samsung S5! This Samsung S5 is the latest phone while your iPhone 5S is old model already."

Me : "No thanks, then..." (Hello, since my iphone 5S is old model, why do you still want to trade your so-called latest phone with me?)

Him : "Lowballer, good luck with selling your over-priced iphone 5S!...."

WTF??? You are the one who come and ask me to trade. I have the right to decide what terms I want to trade for - you got the cheek to call me a lowballer? If you think you have a better phone worth much more, go sell it off and then come and buy my phone, goodness sake. You don't even have balls in the first place.

So never be intimidated by such idiots who are just out to scam you because they can't fetch the price they want for their item, so they want to let it off an equivalent value of their exorbitant asking price in cash + goods in kind. 

End of the day, I sold my item at my original asking price to another nice buyer. See?