way to guilt trip people into getting what you want

I posted an ad on Craigslist to get rid of some old conveyor belting that is taking up space in my yard. I got it for free and didn't use it and I offered it for free. It was spoken for in about half an hour, but then I got this.....

Yes, please, I'd like to have them. I just got up from a rest and saw the ad.

I'm 70 years old, in poor health and disabled, living on a below-poverty pension. I can't afford to buy anything like this. I'm renting a derelict, leaky, rotten-roofed, old house that's slated to be demolished for development, probably within this year. I can barely afford the rent and I'm struggling to pay the utilities.

I'm hoping to use the conveyor belt pieces for the deck of the inside of my van, assuming the belt will be stiff enough. I drive a Ford van, and I have an 87 Dodge Dakota pickup, too, but that's not on the road until I find someone to install the flywheel ring gear, for a price I can afford, so I can sell the pickup to pay for my unpaid-van.

In fact, I'm trying to sell off the stuff that I had in storage, in order to pay for the utilities. The pieces I don't need for myself, maybe I could sell and install into someone else's vehicle(s).

A trip to XXXX will be expensive and exhausting for me, so I hope it won't be a waste of time. I hope you will hold the pieces for me, so it won't be gone when I get there.

I don't have a telephone connected, until I can pay the bill.

I'm glad I already gave the stuff away. Am I being harsh?

No, you're not being harsh. Probably because that's more than likely a scam.

Swank Force One wrote: No, you're not being harsh. Probably because that's more than likely a scam.

+1. Happens quite a bit.

I'd optimistically guess that there's a 50/50 chance of that being a scam.

you offered it for free and the 70-year-old felt it necessary to tell you he "can't afford to buy anything like this". you know your life sucks when you can't afford free stuff!

But he has a computer and internet to view CL?

Offering to put him out of his misery would be too harsh but I'd be tempted to, just to see if there was a reply.

He can't afford a phone bill but can afford a computer/cell phone with internet connection?

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Offering to put him out of his misery would be too harsh but I'd be tempted to, just to see if there was a reply.

Dude, I want to put him out of my misery.

RossD wrote: He can't afford a phone bill but can afford a computer/cell phone with internet connection?

Your local library doubles as a free internet cafe, and has for a decade.

Sounds like its fishing for a response of any sort. Spammer trying to get valid email addresses?

ShadowSix wrote:

RossD wrote: He can't afford a phone bill but can afford a computer/cell phone with internet connection?

Your local library doubles as a free internet cafe, and has for a decade.

if he's so disabled and has no running vehicles, how the hell is he getting to the library?

In reply to mndsm:

Don't get me wrong, it's a scam, I'm just explaining how poor people get on the internet.

Yep, that is one pathetic guy if that is his life story. Fortunately the market is good for used conveyor belt castoffs and the whole 400 feet was gone 2 hours after posting the add. I got 15 responses. Who knew?

ShadowSix wrote: In reply to mndsm: Don't get me wrong, it's a scam, I'm just explaining how poor people get on the internet.

Yeah, that part just sorta threw a rod in it. Seems to me the more pathetic the ad, the faker it is.

I hear he's soo poor he had to put a Bic Mac on lay-away

badum-bum