Big L on my forehead today....venting...

[Sandi Bo]

Last weekend I put some furniture on craigslist - free if they picked it up.

When someone came for it, it was drizzling. Dummy me offered a tarp (new it's worth about $100). They asked if they could return it the next day, I said sure, no problem.

After several phones calls and an email, I finally heard from him today. I went to his house and picked it up. Destroyed. They didn't try to cut or untie the ropes, just ripped them off, fraying one side, pulling out about 25% of the grommets.

Dummy me, when will I learn to keep my mouth shut. Boy did I misjudge this one.

 

[pjrose]

Oy. What jerks.

 

[6scoops]

Some people can be such jerks!!

Don't beat yourself up for someone else acting like a total jerk. Live and Learn.

 

[Talent312]

I have boundaries.
If someone wants more than a cup of sugar, I point them to a store not far away.

 

[elaine]

Big N for nice person

That was very nice (and certainly over and beyond--for free furniture) of you to do. How pathetic of them! And we wonder what's wrong with our country! Elaine

 

[Sandi Bo]

Thanks guys....

I thought I would let off some steam so went out to work in the yard. DH flagged me down while I was mowing to point out that I needed to empty the bag. Oops... I usually mulch and just didn't notice I was bagging. He then had to explain how I had the engine running too slow and the self-propulsion set too high. I kept asking if I was fired, he said no, I was in training....

Guess I'm learning a few things today. Next will be how to sew grommets back on a tarp.

 

[Sandi Bo]

BTW, broke my own craigslist rule.

Last year my mom moved from her house into a condo. Being 1500 miles away, my contribution was selling things she didn't need on craigslist. I advertised for her, screened the responses, etc. There were several things she said she didn't want any money for, but I still asked a nominal fee for. I felt this would weed out some undesirable responders. Guess I should have taken my own advice.

 

[presley]

The problem I have tends to be with the free stuff. It's never enough - they always want more. Stuff that I sell, people have been buying and not even negotiating - just buying.

Yesterday, I put out a free patio potty. It sells for over $200. I've listed it for sale a couple times, but no takers. So, finally marked it free. A guy picked it up and asked if he could take my landscaping rock. When I checked my email, there was a message from someone asking if I could bring the patio potty to her because it is a 30 mile drive. I should have just dropped it off at Salvation Army.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Sandi Bo -

I have relatives who live near you. They would be just like you and lend them (a stranger) almost anything to help them. They would never expect someone to not be just a careful with their personal tools/stuff/tarp as you would be.

All the reasons why I love them. So stop beating yourself up - they are users. I would get onto Craigslist and look for a newer tarp.

 

[dioxide45]

Sue them in small claims court for the cost of the tarp. You could always end up on Judge Judy

We have sold stuff before or given it away and people who come to pick it up are bumbling fools. All those years in our house taking care of it only to find out that after they got it home, they smashed the glass top unloading it. Didn't matter how much we told them to be careful with it, they thought they knew better than we did.

 

[ampaholic]

L on your forehead is for Lucky:

Lucky you live in a time there is CL to get rid of unwanted items.

Lucky you live in a time there are tarps to keep things dry.

Lucky you can deduct the cost of the tarp from your taxes (as a casualty loss).

But most of all:

You are Lucky you want to get rid of unwanted things - instead of hoarding everything. THEN you would need a different L

 

[Chrisky]

L on your forehead is for Lucky:

Lucky you can deduct the cost of the tarp from your taxes (as a casualty loss)

:hysterical: I'm sitting here in Canada, dumbfounded, you're kidding right? Deduct to loss of the tarp on your income tax? I wish we had such liberal deductions here in Canada.

 

[ada903]

That's why I never list anything for free on craiglist anymore, because the freebies attract the strangest folks.

 

[heathpack]

If you had lent me your tarp, I would have had enough respect to look after it.

The problem is not yours.

H

 

[Zac495]

You are THE Nice guy. Feel good about what you did for someone despite what they didn't do back. Did you ever see /hear from the person to hear his response? (not suggesting you look for trouble)

 

[carl2591]

100 buck for a tarp.. was it gold plated. we buy tarps large enough to cover a small house for 100 buck.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_tarps-covers-canopies-shelters+tarps+silver-tarps

something to cover a truck runs like 25 bucks..

maybe the L stands for Loco.. :whoopie:

 

[Htoo0]

I once lent a brand new tarp to neighbors when it started to drizzle as they packed. Their parents lived next door so I figured it shouldn't be a problem. Never saw the tarp again.

 

[Sandi Bo]

You are so right, ampaholic, I'll continue....

L is for lucky that I at least got it back (I did go pick it up myself)

L is for LOL, the thought of small claims court did cross my mind - as a matter of principal

L is for letting it go, thanks for letting me vent TUGGERS, and for your kind comments

L is for last time I put something on craigslist for free

L is for lucky it was a tarp and not a timeshare rental

L is for lucky for my TUGGER friends

L is for lucky I have a job, gotta run, have a great day TUGGERS!

 

[pkyorkbeach]

WOW!!! Sad. Many of us try hard to help people out, to be nice and kind....Your kindness was genuine. How sad they did not appreciate.



Pam

 

[Kal]

I recently got a call asking if wanted to rent or sell my tarp. It would require a $900 up front deposit to cover advertising and management fees. They had many buyers already identified. If I agreed while on the phone I would receive a free airline ticket and a 4-day stay at a destination of my choice.

 

[pjrose]

I recently got a call asking if wanted to rent or sell my tarp. It would require a $900 up front deposit to cover advertising and management fees. They had many buyers already identified. If I agreed while on the phone I would receive a free airline ticket and a 4-day stay at a destination of my choice.

:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

 

[ampaholic]

I recently got a call asking if wanted to rent or sell my tarp. It would require a $900 up front deposit to cover advertising and management fees. They had many buyers already identified. If I agreed while on the phone I would receive a free airline ticket and a 4-day stay at a destination of my choice.

OK - we are now officially off in the weeds :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

 

[Htoo0]

OK - we are now officially off in the weeds :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

It sounded like it might be just about the opposite to me...

 

[isisdave]

:hysterical: I'm sitting here in Canada, dumbfounded, you're kidding right? Deduct to loss of the tarp on your income tax? I wish we had such liberal deductions here in Canada.

Although there IS a provision for casualty loss, this won't fly:

1. It's on the depreciated value, not new value. Technically, it's on the reduction in value, from what it was "worth before" to what it's worth now, which isn't zero if you're sewing grommets.
2. First there's a $100 deductible;
3. Then it's subject to a deduction of 10% of Adjusted Gross Income


Casualty losses are usually only good for uninsured or underinsured damage to property or vehicles, and sometimes a very big falling tree. Or uninsured theft of jewelry (but this is hard to prove without pictures and receipts).