I love .. LOVE Kijiji.
I actually think it is better than sliced bread (which is
pretty great too.) but over my fervent use of Kijiji has lead me to some
interesting experiences – I thought I would share them with you.
I thought it would be good to point out that I am an amazing
buyer – I am courteous, punctual, communicate well and haggle fairly (for the
most part). I say please and thank-you and I drive (so no deliveries are
required) I am also fearless when it comes to going to peoples’ houses. I know
my parents don’t really want to hear that, but the fact that I will go
somewhere without telling anyone with cash to someone’s place is a tad terrifying
– but that’s the name of the game I suppose.
I am a sucker for hand-me-downs, which is why it’s
unfortunate that of all three of my sisters and none of us can share ANYTHING.
Emily is shorter and her feet are much smaller. So, unless I’m preparing for a
flood with sore feet after packing them into her midget shoes – she’s out.
Krissy’s legs are much longer than my own, and her waist is shorter than mine,
and on top of that (or.. below that I guess) her feet are bigger than mine, so
she’s out. Lauren is also much taller than me and out of the country so – she’s
also out (unless of course you’d like to mail them to me.. then I’m so in!). This
leads me to Kijiji for the seconds of others. And good deals, obviously.
It’s a great outlet to try out styles that may also be
outside of your comfort zone as well, and not spend crazy amounts of money to
end up not liking it or something – and also for things that are incredibly
expensive such as Lulu or Bench stuff – I mean people are guilty of buying it
at full price and then wearing and washing it once. You’re going to wear and
wash it anyway, so might as well get it at a 60% (often even greater) discount
for something you’re going to do to a new garment anyway.
Of course it’s also good for everything else too – furniture
and crap too, so it’s great. But then there are the not so great (or hilarious)
encounters.
I left my Mom unattended:
Once I was selling a sweater that I no longer wore (but I
bought it on Kijiji to begin with, so not guilty of the buy-new-and-wear-once
scenario). While I’m average sized, the sweater was a small-medium. So, a bit
tight but whatever. So I received a response and they agreed to come over at
the set time to check it out (the price was 35 bucks) and take it if it pleased
them. At the last minute, work called and asked me to come in so my Mom agreed
to take charge of transaction which was supposed to be very straightforward.
So, this MASSIVE woman shows up at the door and exclaims that she is going to
try on the sweater before buying it. After struggling she gets herself mostly
in the sweater and suggests that she will pay 20 bucks for it. Because there
had been no previous mention of a potential haggling, I had not prepared my Mom
in the event that this should occur. (My bad.) So, my Mom politely declines and
makes it known that she is a third party and apologises for my unexpected absence,
and that the price is the price. With a few grunts and groans, she pulls out
some wrinkled bills from a fold of skin somewhere and haughtily barks “Well, we
had to pay to get here you know!” and promptly pays my Mom and leaves. I’m glad
I wasn’t there to mention that I only paid 20 for it and was making a tidy
profit from this massive human. I also apologised to my Mom for the experience
with a large quantity of coffee.
And he was on the floor naked:
I’m not one to care too much where
you live – we all need a place to stay so whatever. As long as the thing I’m
buying is relatively clean – we’re good to go. One time I went to try on a
dress (which I do frequently because of the amount of Army functions we attend
that have a formal attire requirement) and I showed up to this bachelor
apartment that was a basement of someone’s house. And as I was invited in and
wall of Satan’s fire hit me right in the face – I mean, this place was HOT. And
I would live in a sauna if it wasn’t weird, but this place was incredibly hot. And
when I was lead around the corner to the bathroom, (it was a tiny place) there
was a mattress on the floor, and a guy lying on the mattress wearing just some
undershorts. I get that it’s hot.. but stand up.. and put some pants on. I didn’t
end up getting whatever it was, but seriously – I had to STEP OVER him to get
to the bathroom. I also worked up a sweat just getting up enough step to get
over him.. bleck. So, as a note – please
have clothes on when you’re expecting guests.
I thought she brought a dog:
One time I was selling some dining
room chairs for my step-Dad and had an older couple come over to take a look at
them. They seemed lovely but as the interaction continued it kept getting
weirder. The woman inspected them quite thoroughly but while she was going
about her inspection she made like, weird crying noises. You know, when the dog
wants something, and he just makes an annoying whining noise to get your
attention.. yeah? That! She wouldn’t stop! I thought she had actually brought a
small dog.. but nooope! It was her the whole time! And don’t get me wrong, she
bought the chairs, which is awesome, but I couldn’t get over the strange
inspection noises she made the whole time.
She didn’t live there:
When I was in North Bay I learned
the city by picking up some stuff on Kijiji. This one time, I went to a house
to pick up a Volcom Sweater (which, as most of you know, I own 4) because I
love them so much. Anyway, so I got there at the appointed time and knocked on
the door and the people who answered the door claimed she didn’t live there..
and then got around to admitting they knew who she was but that she was working
and they didn’t have any idea what I was talking about when it came to picking
up the sweater. It was a bit
embarrassing so I emailed her when I got home and she gave me some broken story
about.. something. Anyway, I got a new address and picked up my sweater, but
still. The whole thing was weird.
I thought about calling 911:
I went to a really nice place on
the outside of town a few weeks ago to look at some stuff and they had a super
grand staircase (the kind you see in the movies) that wrapped its way up the
whole entrance way. It was amazing. Anyway, so at the top of the stairs was the
bathroom and blah blah, so when I came out the girl who had let me in came
flying up the stairs and tripped on the hardwood and smashed her face on the
way up. It happened so fast that I made a weird noise and dropped what I as
holding – it took her a few minutes to move and slowly get herself up, but I was
worried when she did say something she had knocked out all of her teeth or
something horrid. She giggled a weird and kind of broken giggle and said she
was okay.. but I had dialed 9-1 in the phone already and was glad I didn’t have
to call her an ambulance. I offered to help her out with a ride to emerge if
she wanted it, but she declined and I left awkwardly. It was seriously so weird.
She wished me lick:
I was selling a Bench jacket once
and had it priced for like 70 bucks or something. Anyway, I got an email asking
if I would let it go for 20 – I politely declined and received an angry
response claiming that the jacket was being sold in the store for 25 and I am
ridiculous for suggesting it was worth any more. I thought it was a bit
forward, (I guess they’d never been told no before) but what I don’t understand
is that if they’re being sold in the store for that why not .. go to the store?
I mean, for the sake of 5 bucks you’re going to argue with me? Anyway, so I told
her that in fairly polite words and she responded: “Well, when you realise your
mistake, I’ll give you 20. But good lick anyway.”
Good lick to you too.. I suppose? Rude.
I think I may have a small
addiction to the ease and practicality of Kijiji, but it has certainly been an
outlet for picking up things I need or some new threads or whatever. So, don’t
be an annoying buyer who doesn’t show up or is wicked late or.. rude or
whatever. And seriously.. have clothes on when you answer the freakin’ door.
This post gets the colour Citrine, because Kijiji is mostly yellow.
