Author Topic: Refused to sell Pink Ribbon (Read 2452 times)

Kat · « **on:** July 15, 2009, 09:34:53 AM »

Advertised on Craigslist some lilies for sale & a lady came by yesterday. She immediately started asking me to sell her my big parent plants, especially Pink Ribbon. I showed her what was for sale & they were also blooming plants but smaller because of being in dixie cups. She kept eyeballing the Pink Ribbon & asked 4 times to buy it. Got a glare in her eyes each time I said no. I sold her my parent plant of Perry's Fire Opal with several crowns/potted & she still wasn't happy. Go figure. Wish I had a big enough yard to keep my keeper ponds seperated from my extras ponds.

Had a lady last week that was incredibly thrilled with her purchases, especially the prices. Glad that there are still nice people out there.

Esther · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2009, 09:44:01 AM »

Ya know Kat, ya can't please them all.

Kat · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2009, 09:54:22 AM »

I know what you mean Esther. The thing was is that she had a small preform pond with baby koi & wanted the biggest blooms/plants/pads. With what she picked out she won't have any water surface left, LOL. At least the koi will have places to hide & shade now.

sooks · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:26:05 AM »

I would hate it if that happened to me.

Holldoll · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:12:54 AM »

That's horrible! She should have been happy with what you had to offer.

kitfoxdrvr · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:30:58 AM »

Quote from: Kat on July 15, 2009, 09:34:53 AM

Had a lady last week that was incredibly thrilled with her purchases, especially the prices. Glad that there are still nice people out there.

As a small business owner too, I can feel your pain. It is a shame that the bad customers are the ones that tattoo themselves into your brains...keep remembering those of us that appreciate you, Kat, I guarantee we outnumber the spoiled brats! Of course, some of us are spoiled brats too, we just don't show it too often!!!

Steve

Pa Nancy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:48:39 AM »

That would be the person I would watch out for. If she wanted it bad enough she may come back uninvited. One reason why I don't like that Cragslist.

Desertponder · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2009, 11:54:38 AM »

I had that happen once too Kat. It is really annoying. A couple of summers ago I was selling just my extra floating plants, no lilies. A woman came to get some WH and she saw my Mayla blooming and had a fit. She wanted the lily and I told her no it wasn't for sale. She offered me $20 for it and I again told her no. Then she went to $30 and I still said no.
Then she wanted me to sell her a different one and I told her no because I did not have any extras, they were all my main plants.
She was not happy and she left with her WH. It wasn't long after that that I realized a couple of lilies were missing from the one kiddie pool, pots and all. I don't have any idea if she took them or someone else that had been there getting floaters came back and took them. After that, I don't sell or give away water plants from home. Particularly not now since we are not fenced in and secured like we were at the other place. If I can't get rid of extras online then they get thrown away.
When I had a yard sale late last summer I put extra plants in a couple of preforms and set out with the other items away from the other ponds. That didn't work either because they would spot the other ponds and go over there to look and see something else they would rather have. It was a headache so I put everything back and didn't try to sell any more. It probably would have worked if the other ponds were not visible.

Kat · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2009, 01:55:17 PM »

It is a toss up to sell out of the back yard. Like you say, all it takes is one jerk to steal. The money I get from the lilies isn't much but it certainly comes in handy when a pump breaks or when I want to buy new lilies at retail prices. I did get some empty patio ponds & stuff stolen by someone that worked for a lawn weed killer company. I called & reported them but the person I talked to could have cared less.

Shanna--I think you've run into some bad people as I recall someone else gave you a really hard time, too.

HOWELL · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:08:10 PM »

OMG
I still can't or would like to believe people would take things that do not belong to them.
That will make me completely ugh mad.

I hate jerks...

Julles · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:10:30 PM »

That's just what you need, Kat - more ponds!!!

Sorry that lady was such a jerk. A little off-topic, but I was on a tour of the Police Department Property Room last night, and it's incredible of how rude people can be. VERY FEW people get to see the property room, so it was a special big event for our group to go.

But people kept talking while the guide was talking, making snyde remarks like, "I couldn't hear what you said because I was forced to stand here in the back," and asking stupid questions that detracted from the information the guide was trying to pass along. One (very odd) guy was a total gun nut, and kept bringing every conversation back to guns, and he was really upset that we didn't get to actually see any of the guns in the property room. Your lily nut reminds me of the gun nut.

On another slightly off-topic point, I also had a Craig's List person try to steal something - had all 35 of my iron water meter covers loaded up in their van and would have made off with them if I hadn't heard a slight noise and come outside at just that moment.

As said above, though, focus on the many good people you meet through ponding, and feel blessed that the majority of folks are good people.

Julles · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:12:42 PM »

You know, it takes a little guts, but maybe it would be appropriate to refuse to sell ANYTHING to a person like this. You just say something like, "You know, I'm sorry but, I just don't think we have anything here for you." Then nudge them toward the car with, "I'm sorry you made the trip for nothing."

Kat · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:22:46 PM »

I'm not in the best of moods today, so I'm focusing more on the negative than the positive

It is wonderful when I do meet honest & happy people that will really enjoy the plants.

It would be nice to tell some people to move along & don't come back, but then those might be the type to return at night & be nasty. Unfortunately since it is the sell from home/garage sale type selling people seem to think they push the price down even lower although it is already a bargain.

My brother was selling a piece of car trim/molding for $2 a stick at a swap meet. I guess the pieces were various sizes & this guy kept hassling my brother that he wanted it cheaper because it was a smaller piece. After this guy bugged him 3 or 4 times about it, my brother took the piece, bend it up, & tossed it away, LOL. The guy was shocked but to this day my brother is happy to have done it

HOWELL · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:27:27 PM »

The worse thing is that your lillies are always awesome no matter if they are dixie cup size, and the prices let me tell you are the best, she just did not know how lucky she was because she got to see your ponds and all.
I mean I will be thrilled to just see them.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #14 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:36:08 PM »

Sorry you had to meet such a stick in the mud. I personally do not trust Craigslist after all the bad experiences other people have had. Please make sure there is no way anyone can get back to your ponds, otherwise you will have another worst day.

Hearing other AP members post their experiences with thieves clothed in buyers clothing I definitely would not sell from my home.

On the positive side I wish my lilies looked as "crispy" as yours!

Vickie · « **Reply #15 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:59:24 PM »

I can relate. I come outside and see uninvited people walking around my back yard looking at lilies and my ponds. I cannot believe the nerve. Very few have come to the door and asked. I do sell a few plants but I offer what they can buy. I don't want to deal with the public much.

Julles · « **Reply #16 on:** July 15, 2009, 05:27:11 PM »

Every once in a while, someone (usually a well-heeled someone) will ask for a reduction in my prices. (I'm a wallpaper installer.)

My girlfriend's husband also owns a business, and he gave me this line, "Once a year, I do try to do a reduced or no-charge job, for a charity case." Then I like to describe the time I (and several other contractors who worked for the same designer) did several rooms totally free of charge, for a guy in a wheelchair, quadraplegic (sp?), twisted body and unable to move any limbs, horrid little falling-down apartment with roaches running around, crappy furniture, no job, nothing to do all day but sit and watch TV or listen to music on his very outdated stereo, and how he spent the day cherrifully singing along to the '60's music on my satilitte radio.

People hear a story like that, and they realize WHO actually does deserve a discount.

Oh, and someone taking care of this man, who had nothing, but was so grateful to have his home fixed up and painted and cleaned, somehow arranged to give each of us contractors an American Express gift card - for $75!!!

Now tell me - WHO deserves a discount?

Desertponder · « **Reply #17 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:13:14 AM »

My husband has dealt with far more of these "winners" than I have.

When my husband was still buying/selling/dealing in older Ford pickup parts it was a real test of patience. Nearly every person who called on his ads would make arrangements to come and look at parts and then never show up or they would come and give him such a hard time over the parts that it wasn't even funny.
He also had theft. At that time the place we lived at had commercial chainlink fence with the two strands of barbed wire at the top all the way around the entire property. We always closed and locked the gates if we left. We still had theft. A couple of times we never really figured out how they did it either.
I really miss the money from that venture but on the other hand I certainly don't miss the PITA people and my husband's bad moods from dealing with them.

People are so rude anymore. I get really agitated when we have training nights at the fire dept. We will sometimes have guest speakers or our chief or captain will be trying to do a presentation and people will be sitting there chatting away or texting friends or each other. It drives me nuts!!!

Holldoll · « **Reply #18 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:22:42 AM »

Unfortunately, I think it's in every business. I run a bookkeeping and payroll services company, 90% of my customers are great, the other 10% on some days, make me want to sell everything and not bother with it anymore!

bunny56lbc · « **Reply #19 on:** July 16, 2009, 08:57:19 PM »

It's like that in every business big or small ..
I did put some lost tags plants on craigs list & was very
lucky to have nice people show up ...ya never know about people nowadays.

bonnie

tranquility · « **Reply #20 on:** July 17, 2009, 09:49:48 AM »

I soo know what your saying....I have 4 pools next to the gh that are just my parent lilies also I have all of my parent lotus in the back of my gh.....I can't tell you the number of times I've had to say no they aren't for sale....and still get bugged about them....that Pink Ribbons is one of those this year that I have to keep saying NO its NOT for sale....It is a beautiful lily and one that really stands out amongst the crowd.....and then of course once I tell them how the lily was named---they want it even more.....I'm proud to have it in my collection

.....
Lawanna

greenthumbnails · « **Reply #21 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:44:37 PM »

What is that business saying - something like " 20% of the customers provide 80% of the actual business, and the other 80% provide all the headaches"... I think the AP forum members represent the good 20% of the people that bring in 80% of the business - yes?