Buying from Leboncoin

[mint]

Eric, the pics are coming, I promise.......as soon as I find out why the camera wouldn't give up its photos!

Anyway, just to tell you of my latest purchase this evening.  It is a very grand coffre en bois.  I only wanted to stick it by the front door to house dog leads, hats, cushions for the outdoor chairs etc.

When we got it home, it was obvious that it was too handsome and too large to sit by the front door.  So, now it's in the dining-room, where it looks perfectly fine and is below 2 windows that open on to our eating-out terrasse.

Now, I can put desserts, plastes, glasses, and so on on top of the coffre and can pass those things out via the windows to whoever is sitting outside eating!

Met a very delightful young couple plus a stranger coming out of a boulangerie from whom we asked directions.  He said, follow me, so we followed his car and he took us practically to the end of the road that we wanted.

Then, this evening, I had a very nice email from the vendeuse, thanking us for our "attention delicate", no less, and saying that we were "très gentils"!

But for your encouragement, Eric, I would have been nervous of buying "stuff" like this; would have worried that my French wouldn't be up to speaking to the sellers and not been at all sure how to go about negotiating, discussing, persuading etc. 

And now, I feel well up to it![:D]

Apart from acquiring some beautiful things at ridiculous prices, we have been to places that we would never have come across, been invited into interesting households, met nice people plus I have learnt some useful French vocabulary!

For example, the dessus de lit; it made me think, is it above or below (dessous), it made me practise the pronunciation of "dessUS" and now, because I am looking for some lights (about 4 or 5), I have learnt that ceiling lights are called "lustres" and that "pampilles" are those glass things that hang on chandeliers! 

[Cendrillon]

Sweets, I think your love affair with le bon coin has now become an addiction!

You could have worse addictions[:)] and what a great way to get out, see new places and meet more people. The only problem I can see is that you'll soon be looking for a larger chateau.[8-|]

[pachapapa]

I hate Ebay![:)]

I luv BonCoin![:D]

Picked up a real bargain from an electronic boutique on a stock reduction exercise recently.

Three pairs of active Samsung infra-red 3D TV spectacles; still in their unopened boxes.

Price €60 + €7 collissimo.

Price in local HyperU  3x79; yes thats right €237.[:-))]

Earlier got another pair from a lady in Haute Savoie at €20 + frais de port.

So now ready with 5 pairs for the European Cup and Olympics on German satellite TV.

If you see something good, get your offer in immediately; if something has been around for a while or readvertised then a Dutch Auction bid is worth a try.

[mint]

[quote user="Cendrillon"]Sweets, I think your love affair with le bon coin has now become an addiction!
You could have worse addictions[:)] and what a great way to get out, see new places and meet more people. The only problem I can see is that you'll soon be looking for a larger chateau.[8-|]
[/quote]

A larger chateau!  Now that's a thought!

I wonder if any are being advertised on leboncoin???[:D]

After all, it won't much matter even if it's a bit ébreché, would it? 

[idun]

I can say 'dessus' 'dessous' and I think that people understand when I say it, it is just my 'ear' doesn't catch the difference when people are saying it to me, so I ALWAYS have to ask 'en haut' or 'en bas'. Apart from expressions which I know, so don't get confused,  as you said S17,  dessus de lit, which is a bed spread, or a cover for the bed.

 

[ericd]

Same here, always had the problem of saying Sheep and Ship so I end up saying Boat.......

[pachapapa]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

I hate Ebay![:)]

I luv BonCoin![:D]

Picked up a real bargain from an electronic boutique on a stock reduction exercise recently.

Three pairs of active Samsung infra-red 3D TV spectacles; still in their unopened boxes.

Price €60 + €7 collissimo.

Price in local HyperU  3x79; yes thats right €237.[:-))]

Earlier got another pair from a lady in Haute Savoie at €20 + frais de port.

So now ready with 5 pairs for the European Cup and Olympics on German satellite TV.

If you see something good, get your offer in immediately; if something has been around for a while or readvertised then a Dutch Auction bid is worth a try.

[/quote]

For the sous sur enigma...just watch the lips of a correct french speaker and copy.

One can see the lips much better on 3D TV.

Just thought whilst on the subject of the Olympics, mentioned above, that I would add a vital link to the Daily Mail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2032240/BBC-screen-Olympics-3D-organisers-plan-10-hours-day-coverage-extra-dimension.html

Thankyou auntie Beeb for economising on formula one to bring me the olympics in 3D.[:-))]

[ericd]

Sweet.......if your camera is playing trics....try LebonCoin, you might find a cheap deal [:D] and at least we would get to see your purchases.....

[mint]

Eric, I have jumped through hoops to show you my pics.

Found the lead for the camera to connect to USB port on computer after prolonged searching.  Eventually, like 2 hours later, found instructions on what to do.

Then, I contacted my Head of Computer Support, one named Pachapapa, and hopefully he'll put the pics here.  I am not sure what order they will come in but I promise to describe them when he has done the necessary.

Now I need to go and rest after all that effort.......

[ericd]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Now I need to go and rest after all that effort.......

[/quote]

 

Just in case     http://www.leboncoin.fr/ameublement/318029366.htm?ca=16_s

 

[:)][:D]

[mint]

Yuck, that is seriously ugly!

As for you, you are a driver des ecsclaves [:P]

 

[ericd]

Conducteur d'esclaves but a nice one [:D]

[mint]

Ah, thank you, Eric, for the correction.  I shall remember that one for future use!

Mais, ou est Pacha?  Et mes photos?[8-)]

[woolybanana]

Keep 'em on Tweety Pie, he is probably dragging the river for his next meal![6]

[pachapapa]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0001.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0002.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0004.jpg[/IMG]

[Patf]

SW17 - I've just read this thread - your purchases look beautiful!

We like Leboncoin too - first bought an oak table, though we had to drive to the Tarn for it.

Then we sold our tractor for quite a good price. Everything open and above-board.

But I've also had some bargains from ebay.fr.

On the other hand our neighbours nearly got sucked into a scam on a website for 2nd hand vehicles. Lessons - always view large items before buying, and be suspicious if they ask for payment by mandate.

[mint]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0001.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0002.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk244/pachapapa/CIMG0004.jpg[/IMG]

[/quote]

Hey, Pacha, thank you so very much for sorting out les "technicalities".

So........for your benefit, Eric, let me now explain and, if you aren't completely bored to tears by the end, I will send you leboncoin II!

The first pic shows the sideboard (my very first toe-dip into leboncoin waters), the one made in cherry wood.  Please notice the plague in pride of place which is a tile that I bought whilst on my Compostelle pilgrimage.  The route (all of which is BTW a World Heritage site) is full of these "shell" arrows.  The shell for those not into these things, is the shell of St Jacques and, seeing that I spent over 6 weeks looking for those arrows and I need to be reminded of my very special experience, I place it on the new sideboard where I can see it everyday.

Pic No 2 shows our existing pine dresser, the position of which we changed with the sideboard.  That is the one that OH had to dismantle into 2 pieces by unscrewing the 3 plates at the back and which we succeeded in moving to its present position by means of 2 blankets (for sliding and pulling) and the top of which fell on OH and gave him a nasty twinge on his shoulder for several weeks.  Not only that, we had to kind of get the top half to rest on the dining table which stands in the middle between the 2 pieces of furniture whilst we drew breath amidst much head-scratching and detailed discussion before completing the task. 

Then, once emptied of crockery, cutlery and everything else in between, me in my best "woman mood," had to wash down and polish and also wash every piece of "stuff" (of which there was a fair number) before replacing into the dresser.  There WAS an upside and that is that I found many items that I feared I had lost forever, LOL.

En suite, we had to move the very heavy new sideboard across to the opposite of the room to go where the dresser was.  As we could only manage to move it about 9 inches at a time, it was a very good job that the room is not big but even so it took us several heaves and cries of "one, two, three, lift" before it was eventually placed in its present position.

Then, we got out our mirror from the sous-sol and OH hung it up except the metal wires broke the first time around and so there was yet another heart-stopping moment.

The third pic shows the rattan and cane furniture that we bought as described in an earlier post.  The owners will be coming soon to see the chairs and table in the cardre of our veranda and I hope nobody would have spilled red wine on any of it before then!

The curtains were my best and finest bargain.  They were sent from Lyon after I persuaded the owner that it wouldn't be such a problem to send them and, not only did he agree to do that, he said he'd pay for the colissimo!  Considering that they weighed about 5 kilos, even though they are only thin net curtains, he must have paid quite a bit.

They are entirely handmade, have a weighted wire at the bottom, are the perfect length and covered 9 metres of windows in some style, IMHO!  Mind you, I wouldn't care to describe the lengths I went to to get the rails and the cost of 90 anneaux made me blanch.  The vendeur, however, had included all 90 crochets so I felt more than a mite pleased.

I would have liked to say that they came from a chateau but, in fact, it would be honest to tell you that they came from No 18 rue du chateau d'eau, T....!  

 

 

[ericd]

Hi Sweet. Sorry it took some time to reply. Now replying from "Da house in France" where I am for a few days (whilst my wife travels to Hong Kong for work). I love the sideboard, lovely colour. Well done.

[idun]

You have got some incredible bargains Sweet17, what lovely furniture.

[Cendrillon]

Lovely pictures Sweets and it looks as though you got yourself some great bargains there.[:)]

I guess le bon coin is a bit like eBay, once you get the taste for it there's no stopping! (says one who knows! [;-)])

[Chancer]

Yes you have good taste [:)]

That was called into question for a while when I thought that the awfull green leather suite was one of your purchases [;-)]

I have a leather suite, identical colour which is (still) very stylish, they must have worked very hard to have made something look so disgusting, and as for the price [:-))], mine cost £995 in the early 90's and is still pretty much as good if not better than new, they all seemed to be about that price and I dont think they have gone up since, I am always gobsmacked by what the French think is the correct price for leather furniture.

Not 5 minutes ago I sold a fridge freezer via Leboncoin, to the first person who phoned (although it had been on line a week) no timewasters, zero ka-ka, zero bla-bla, nice people and they paid the asking price.

I have had a lot of timewasters before but they all seem to be the type that either wont use the phone, or send a texto asking me to phone them, or send E-mail messages with terrible spelling and grammar, I have a pal who pretty much makes his living re-selling on Leboncoin, I go to a lot of auctions with him, he says the timewasters go with the territory and that 100% of his sales have been to people who make contact by phone.

[mint]

[quote user="ericd"]Hi Sweet. Sorry it took some time to reply. Now replying from "Da house in France" where I am for a few days (whilst my wife travels to Hong Kong for work). I love the sideboard, lovely colour. Well done.[/quote]

Bonjour, Eric

Looks like the nice weather has come specially to welcome you back to France![:)]

You know, I should have pulled open one of the drawers in the sideboard to show you.  Just under that beautifully polished top, there are 3 very discreet drawers, no handles but there is a recess at the bottom of each drawer to fit your fingers in.

You're right about the colour, it is very rich and cherry-woodish!  Plus, everybody who's seen it seems to want to just run their hands over the smooth contours.

Chance, well done!  I have a few things which I hope to sell on leboncoin soon.

Guess how much those beautiful curtains cost?  Bear in mind they are cotton or high cotton content, measure 2.30 metres in length and goodness knows what width they are!  They cover 9 metres of windows with plenty of gathers and come with ruflette tape and 90 hooks.  Colissimo included:  trente euros.  Yes, you heard right, trente!

Don't know how it happened as he didn't want to send them, told me there was no "Claude" living at his house (the name on the advert), said 2 of the panneaux had already been sold and that he was looking for someone to get them "sur place".

I guess he had such an earful of my fractured French on the phone that he thought it would be far easier to send me the lot, at his own expense!

I emailed to thank him after they arrived and all he said was he was "heureux" that I was "satisfait"![:D]