Unbelievable Craigslist interaction

[onemorebike]

Atms? Where has this thread gone?

Lots of interesting stories and advice. I have to say though, bring exact change. You know how much it is going to cost and probably have a haggle price in mind too, it isn't the sellers job to plan for those eventualities.

I'm with 153, arebelspy, and swordguy here.

I almost never carry cash on me(nor to most people I associate with). I've also, to my recollection, never seen an ATM that wouldn't dispense $10 bills either. I never expect someone to be able to make change, unless that person is standing directly behind a cash register.

The courtesy here would be to show up with the exact amount so the seller doesn't have to make change, or wait on you to go get change. If I agree upon a price with someone, I expect them to hand me that amount. Nothing more, Nothing less.

Sounds like you're doing it wrong.

So how far do you take this 'expect nothing from the seller' mentality?

Just a few examples of things I've done as a seller, which I would hope other sellers would also do:

Sold a desk. It looked like lots of other desks out there, but since I know a lot of other desks are made of crappy particle board, and therefore light, I included *Real Wood. HEAVY. Will take 2 people to life. Bring a friend.* Should I have just assumed that the buyer will know it's real wood, and bring a buddy to lift it?

Sold a couch. It was nice and comfy, and supported people's body weight really well, but I knew that one of the supports had started to crack- it would no doubt hold weight for another year or longer so long as nobody was jumping or bouncing on it. Should I have just left it to the buyer to figure that out?

Sold an analog TV ~3 months before the US switch to digital broadcast signals. Emphasized in the ad that the TV would require a converter for OTA broadcasts. Was this unnecessary?

Maybe it's a ridiculous standard, but IMO selling things in a P2P environment like Craigslist should be treated with the same attitude as selling in any other avenue. It is how I have always sold things on Craigslist, and until the two transactions which started us on this little tangent, it is how the sellers I have bought from have acted as well. Perhaps I've been spoiled up to this point.

[ace1224]

i always bring exact change even if i have to buy gum at the gas station to break a 20 or i usually just get cash back in the exact amount at the grocery store.

i expect exact change too.  i hate when after emailing back and forth all day and settling on a price when they show up and they're all "well i only brought 30" or "can you break 100"  seriously!!!!

[tuyop]

The concept of a house without a bit of change lying around is also a bit strange. We have a coffee jar with like 80 bucks (last time I checked) in amounts from 20s to rolls of pennies that just accumulates whenever there's extra change in our pockets and tops up whenever we get paid cash for something. It's our "cash" account in YNAB. We use it to go to the farmer's market or other cash things. Both of our parents had a similar arrangement and I thought this was normal.

Actually, I think the car has like thirty bucks in it for tolls and the like as well.

Do most people make sure to spend exact change every time they buy a cabbage or what?

[ace1224]

i just don't use cash for the most part, unless i'm buying something off of CL and then i have to make a special trip to go and get cash.  i use my debit card for everything, or write a check (like to our CSA).  i haven't had cash in wallet for no reason in YEARS

[shedinator]

i just don't use cash for the most part, unless i'm buying something off of CL and then i have to make a special trip to go and get cash.  i use my debit card for everything, or write a check (like to our CSA).  i haven't had cash in wallet for no reason in YEARS

This is me as well, except that I do keep some cash in my home (not wallet). I'm not entirely sure why I do it... it used to be in case of ATM failure, but I now live in an area with dozens of ATMs, have an account that forgives fees, and can get cash back at several hundred nearby stores. Maybe I should stop the habit, but then I don't have change to give when someone shows up to buy what I'm offering on CL... :)

[arebelspy]

Ditto.  Never buy anything with cash, don't live anywhere near tolls, and if I did, I'd get an EZPass.

Swiping is so much less of a hassle, and I don't have a spending problem, so I don't need to put up with the hassle to physically limit my spending.

[Use it up, wear it out...]

Long ago, in central PA, I used an ATM that would give out anything down to nickles... never saw another one though.

[BlueMR2]

Oddly, I've never used an ATM.  I always go inside the bank to get my money when I need some.  :-)

[NumberJohnny5]

Ooh, I wanna jump in too!

I've seen plenty of bank ATMs that give cash in increments of $10 and $20. I don't know the ratio, but $10 is common enough that I can get slightly annoyed when I find one that only gives $20s

If memory serves, once I took out an amount in the hundreds, and I got lots of $10 bills. Odd.

Never seen any give less than $10 though.

If we agreed on $50 and cash-only, and you showed up with three $20s, I'd gladly take it. Oh, you want change? Well, I MIGHT have a $5 bill, but that's it; the only other bills I have are $20s (just like you!).

[KGZotU]

Are all of the people who have never seen an ATM that will dispense only $20s Canadian? And all of the people who have never seen an ATM that would dispense anything other than a $20 American?

I know that there are more than a few "what the f*** are you talking about" moments on here due to the rather even mix of Canadians and Americans.

[153]

I'm American, and my bank has the multi denomination MAC machines. It's a regional bank, PNC, but the region is the Northeast- and there are lots of branches/machines around. 

They also have a contract with Wawa- another regionalism, convenience store/gas- and all the MACs inside Wawas are PNC branded. Wawa is everywhere around here.

I understand Chase has similar machines, though.

[arebelspy]

Are all of the people who have never seen an ATM that will dispense only $20s Canadian? And all of the people who have never seen an ATM that would dispense anything other than a $20 American?

I know that there are more than a few "what the f*** are you talking about" moments on here due to the rather even mix of Canadians and Americans.

Good question.  Except an American (location says KS) started this sidetrack saying he's never seen one that wouldn't dispense $10s.  And another American mentioned the one that went down to nickels in PA.  But he said that was a long time ago (also see: Shedinator's grandfather talking about getting 5s).

Then again ATMs aren't THAT old.

But I am (a young) American, and have never seen an ATM dispense anything but 20s.

Maybe the current state of (most) US ATMs is only 20s and current state of (most) Canadian ones is 10s as well.

Anyone else have anecdotal evidence for or against that idea?

[Richard3]

I'm in Canada at the moment and get twenties and fifties from the two ATMs I use (both in banks in a small town).

In the UK, tens are standard, twenties are the biggest you'll get.

Only used US ATMs in Vegas where they dispense hundreds because you know, craps.

[I Love Cake]

Canadian here. Have only seen 20s and occasionally 50s (if you ask from too much)

[MountainMan]

Used to get $10s from ATMs in early/mid-90s.  Only $20s these days, but I almost never use ATMs.

[secondcor521]

Long time ago USBank ATMs dispensed $5's and $20's.  Now they just do $20's, as have most of the American ATM's I've used in the past several years.

European ATMs dispense 20 Euro notes and/or 50 Euro notes as of last week.

[onemorebike]

Threadjacked.

[Ty Webb]

More than once I've offered stuff for free on CL just to get rid of it and had people ask if I could deliver it to them a half hour drive away!

[arebelspy]

More than once I've offered stuff for free on CL just to get rid of it and had people ask if I could deliver it to them a half hour drive away!

Sure!  Delivery is $50.

[dragoncar]

Aw I missed the ATM discussion :-(

I once had a credit union in NY state that would give exact change (might not have included pennies though).  I didn't use that feature though.  In the US, I'd say at least 99% will only dispense $20s.  It makes sense from an efficiency standpoint.

I love that 153 continues to call them "MAC machines" even though it's a completely local and dated term.

And sorry shedinator, but saying that you have to the ATM does not imply that you will not have exact change.  For all I know, you only had $10, and needed to go to the ATM to get the remaining $40.  Next time, if you are being "courteous," just go get the right amount of money to begin with or at least be explicit that you will require change.

[The Money Monk]

I would always err on the side of being polite.  Which means I would do all of those as the seller, and I would also bring exact change, as the buyer.

I have done a LOT of selling and some buying on craigslist, and for me its not about being polite, its simply a lot safer to assume the other party isn't properly prepared. My goal is to make the sale happen, as a buyer or seller.

As a seller I always try to have change so that I can facilitate the sale. As a buyer I assume they won't have change.

As a seller I list if something is heavy or has an issue, not to be 'polite' but to make sure the sale actually happens and I don't waste time.