A buyer ask for an item with her long story

[weststartexas]

Today I have a buyer sent me a long story. I don't know what to do. Any advice?

"I know this is a long shot but I want to do something meaningful for my husband for his birthday and father's day and right now I am struggling. Allow me to explain the situation and maybe you will better understand.

My husband is a trucker. A bull hauler to be specific. He was born into a family sporting 5 generations of bull haulers. My husbands father had him with him in the truck since he was only a few months old. Being a single father of an infant and how hard he had to work to take care of his infant son in a 18 wheeler that couldn't do much more than stop to fuel up or else risk the cattle dying from heat... Meanless to say bull hauling is more than in his blood. It is his blood. He and his father shared a special bond and passion for their way of life and the pride that they have is 4 generations thick and was bread into them...

They even started a hauling business of their own and before too long they had 4 trucks and all of the blood sweat and tears finally started to pay off enough that they could afford to rest and set roots at home they just couldn't and wouldn't be happy unless they were behind the wheel doing what they loved and lived for... Hundreds of thousands of miles and memories like no other. Stories that never ended...

A couple of months ago we had to lay his daddy to rest. He died in his sleep unexpectedly and my poor husband... He wanted to give his daddy one final ride and so we placed his coffin on the back of the truck that started it all and he drove him to his final resting place and I know his daddy wouldn't have had it any other way.... My husband hasn't been the same man. He is more than down. The company they worked so hard for us going under because he can't even get out of bed most days ...

I need this belt because his daddy wore one for nearly 15 years that looked an awful lot like this one and we buried him with it. We are so broke right now. I have 23 dollars to my name as I am writing this to you. I know it is worth more...

He needs something to hold on to. Something like this could be what he needs to get back up and maybe put the pieces back together... It probably sounds dumb or crazy but I have to try something.... It's all I have... He is all I have... I will give you every dime I have for it.... It's almost embarrassing that I don't have 40 dollars to buy a belt for my husband and I hope it isn't insulting to you that I would offer so little for it.....

I'm sorry for the book... I just needed to explain why I need it so badly and am offering so little... I appreciate you and God bless you either way. I understand completely if it's not possible. Thank you for your time and consideration.
-his loving hopeful wife, XXX"

I checked the feedback rating. It was 9 positive feedback in the past 12 months and 6 positive feedback in past 6 months. Could this be a real person looking for help? The messages were sent through eBay.

Thank you for reading

[sin-n-dex]

I didn't read all of that... and I wouldn't read all of that if it came via eBay messaging.

If people talk too much, I simply ignore. I have no patience to read long winded diatriabes about stuff I don't care anything about.

I don't know how many people have been truly indigent... I have been. My money paid for an apartment. We had an old desk and chair someone gave us for which we could set up a computer (which we couldn't afford the first 18 months of living there, but computers are somewhat essential nowadays). We slept on the floor. Ate frozen dinners that came from Safeway for 99 cents because we couldn't afford pots and pans and stuff to do cooking with. We owned one set of dishes and cutlery each. A night out was a bowl of guacamole at the local eatery with freshly baked tortilla chips. We didn't own a car, and walked everywhere until we could afford to buy a bicycle (that was one bike, to share).

So unless someone can beat that story which applied to almost two years of my life when I lived in California, I have zero interest in believing anyone's hard luck tale. If your business is going under, you have a business... you have something. When I was poor I couldn't afford to buy a belt from a seller on eBay (or any new clothes at all), nor would I use my last few dollars to get something like that. Our last few dollars stayed in the bank until we could afford to buy a computer.

C.

[dirk12955]

It's Christmas eve,   I had a young couple come into my coin shop to sell her diamond engagement ring.    She took it 

off her finger while he stood there holding their young child.   Maybe a year old.

The ring was 10KT with a tiny diamond chip and was the sort of thing (At that time)  that I had a tray 

full of them priced at $25.00 to $35.00 for sale.

Her with tears in her eyes while he explains they don't have any money to buy the child something for her/his first Christmas.  

I ask him,  "Do you really want to sell her ring?    Isn't there another way"     And of course he's 

all upset and red faced and isn't there anyway I can buy the ring from them.

I very nicely explained that I could only give the $20.00 for the ring (More than I wanted to pay) and 

he tells me that would help them out.

I hand him a $20.00 and I hand her back the ring.    I tell her to go get in the car and when she does,  I 

tell him he needs to get his act together and grow up.    I tell him the $20.00 is a loan, I expect for him to pay me back,   and I'm letting 

her keep the ring.     Merry Christmas!

Never saw them again.   

Absolutely a true story.

[mtgraves7984]

Admittedly, I once sent a note with a low offer which made my total spent exactly  $25... the rules for Dirty Santa gifts. Now... it was no novella (maybe three sentences) and no way the offer was 40% off (maybe 7%), but it worked for me.

As a seller, I know what I'd not  do in your situation. 🤐

[bonjourami]

The op is probably at the top of her high school 'Writing 101' class...just way too involved and detailed with heart wrenching scenes. A baby just a few months old bouncing around in the cab of an overheated, dirty, cattle hauling, truck by his father?

[krazzykats]

For grins, I looked at the feedback of the person who made me the above offer.  Guess what?  They are happily buying collectible golf balls.  A few each month.

[bonjourami]

Ha.. figures!! I want to know where DCFS was when the baby was bouncing around in the cab of that hot, smelly,dirty,noisy cattle truck?

[mn467462]

Block that user, and report them. They can take their sob story to Oprah, or Mr Beast who will gladly help them out. 

[1786davycrockett]

@krazzykats 

"For grins, I looked at the feedback of the person who made me the above offer.  Guess what?  They are happily buying collectible golf balls.  A few each month."

Well, she DID say that her husband's family has been hauling a lot of bull for five generations, right?

And what is the primary END-product inside each bull?!?

[johns-vault]

I love that story.   You are awesome!

[johns-vault]

Good advice from a woman of substance.  

[shag182]

I had one who claims to be a disable vet and a sob story, and asked if I would sell a $60 item for a few bucks???  NO need to reply and a PLEASURE to ADD to my BLOCK Buyer's List and did the happy dance. 😃

[mn467462]

So lemme get this straight. His dad only had one belt ever, his entire life.  And he was buried with that one belt that ever had? Which is crazy, because when my mom died, she left behind tons of clothing. And they are so dirt poor, that they only have $23 in their entire life savings, and instead of getting food, or maybe using to pay bills. And his entire company has gone bankrupt, because he can't get out of bed, and the only thing that will solve everything, is him getting this one belt with the last $23 to her name, that kinda sorta resembles his dad's belt? 

What a story. 

The part that makes me laugh the hardest is that he supposedly comes from 5 generations of big manly bull haulers. And certainly along those 5 generations, the previous generation died at some point. His father taught him everything about life, but never once taught him how to be strong in times of loss? 

[vintagecraze50]

Sob stories aside, If I can afford to sell something at the price they offer then I would do it. If I cannot keep food on the table selling here and need every dime I can get then no.

[maxine*j]

To my ear, the story sounds bogus in all respects.

-

[downunder-61]

Another skeptic here, hell of a long story to explain ''I wanna freebie''

Sad as it all sounds, not your problem and we can't always get what we want..............