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

[a_c_green]

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@itsjustasprain wrote:

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@weststartexas wrote:

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...

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What is she planning to have for dinner?

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I think she's probably going to shoot the bull.

[rugerskick]

Hate to tell you, its a scam.  These are the worst kinds of scammer people that do this low of a thing.

 No one does this.  No one would go into a store and use this scammer sob story on a clerk and expect they should just be given whatever they are scamming for.  But you're online and they try to pull this stuff on you.

It. Is. A. Scam.

[lazarustradingco]

The story is likely bulldoodoo. Block him/her and move on. I get a few of these a year and they all sound similar…death in family, down to their last dollar, etc. The funny thing is, sometimes they forget they sent you the message and they send it again months later…so your dad died a week ago again?! Shameless.

[chapeau-noir]

"Bull Haulin' Blues" by Blind Lemon Pledge.

[cardxcraft]

Same here, I have a strong belief in Karma. What we do in life, and how we treat others comes back to us in rewards or harsh lessons...but, you're here on Ebay to make money, not run a charity.

That being said, if you have it listed for $40 and they're offering $23, I would accept it.

[caldreamer]

I did internet search for "sob story" and "my husband is a trucker" came up (not exact same story though).  Turns out there are various "sob stories" available online (cancer, death in family, lost job).

[fab_finds4u]

I don't  believe it. I'm rolling my pants legs up.

Not too proud to beg, huh?

Who is going to spend their last dollar on something other than food, gasoline or a necessity?

What man is going to waller in the bed most days while the house is on fire? 

I would respond saying sorry, I don't offer discounts and there's  no way I would take your last dollar. You need it for gas because you need to take him somewhere to  get help for his depression.

[yuzuha]

Yeah, no, that one beggars belief. I've had one that I think actually was legit: I had a buyer ask me if it would be possible to use a less expensive form of shipping on a big plush horse from Frozen II because she wanted to buy it for her granddaughter but was on a fixed income. I told her it wasn't (it was too heavy to go First Class and there was no real difference in price between Priority and Parcel Select) but that I would be happy to knock a few bucks off the price for her.

I felt like that one probably was the real deal because it wasn't like she was asking me for a discount on the item itself, just if there was a way to ship it for less.

[albertabrightalberta]

I don't buy the story one bit.

[ittybitnot]

I have 23 dollars to my name as I am writing this to you. 

@weststartexas 

Dear buyer.

I am so sorry for your troubles.  I am sure you need your last $23 for something more important like bills or food.  I would feel so guilty taking that from you, so I have to decline your offer.

Sincerely,

You

[slyders_finds]

Definitely a Fake Story. Its a form letter I have seen before. I would start asking questions and see their attitude change real quick. They may even get aggressive seeing you are on to them. Ask about the company and see if the names match up. I bet they don't. 

[kabilab]

Tex,

I occasionally encounter such folks in my store. Sunday, as an example, a gal wanted to purchase a $30 game, marked down to $21, for $10, as she claimed to be broke; I declined her request. She huddled with a friend and returned with $15; again I declined. Finally, I received $21. ALMOST always, when a shopper states being strapped, they are able to locate the necessary money. I am, though, not completely rigid. A few weeks back, I overheard a male and two children mention returning one game to the display, as they were three dollars short of the needed $63.; my cost was a total of $15. I quickly discounted the price and earned $45 profit.

For me, Brady Hawkes line from The Gambler works in both my professional and personal life. For those unfamiliar with the movie, it is as follows: You got to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold em'...............

[powell-memorabilia]

Who knows if this story is true? Sell the belt, don’t sell the belt – not a big issue, either way.  Me, I look at this as a spouse that doesn’t feel like working. And she wants stuff on the cheap.

and a cheap belt won’t fix whatever issues she might actually have. Her husband isn’t going to feel better by getting something for free. He’ll feel better when he actually does stuff. Funny thing about people is that we feel better when we accomplish things, not when we get free stuff.

[dolcetreasures]

Block and ignore. 

[rschissler]

"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.

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."

I think this is ridiculous and not true, like a belt is going to put his life back together again. If it was somewhat true, he shouldn't have buried his daddy with the belt.  Kept it for himself. His daddy would have been proud for him to have it.