'I got 104 messages': Guy gets bombarded by Karens after posting a free barbecue on Marketplace, one tries to steal it out of his garage

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 9, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

If there's one takeaway from this guy's experience, it's never give something away for free. Sure, you might be doing it out of the kindness of your heart and goodwill for mankind (plus a healthy dose of not being bothered moving it yourself), but all the word "free" does is dredge up the worst sorts of people. If you post something for free on an online marketplace, you're just going to be bombarded with entitled people looking to take advantage of your goodwill. Getting that single item that you've posted won't be enough for them, and it's incredibly likely that you'll be asked to deliver it or even pay them to take it off your hands. 

While it's regrettable that these entitled individuals ruin it for the rest of us, it is almost a necessity to safeguard your listing to deter these opportunists. One method is to post the item with a small nominal fee, then when the right appreciative person comes to pick up the item you can refuse to take their money and send them happily on their way, resulting in a wholesome win-win for everyone. It's probably also not a good idea to give random strangers on the internet access to your location until you have properly vetted them…

Read on for this Reddit user's nightmare experience of trying to give something away something for free to unappreciative and entitled people. 

Next, see this entitled dude who took over a woman's armrest before becoming the armrest himself.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted a free barbecue and got yelled at and told I deserve bad karma. M This just happened 30 mins ago. I had a BBQ, posted it to Facebook marketplace for free. We're getting renos done and our balcony will be replaced so couldn't keep it. Anyway, I got 104 messages for this thing. Messaged the very first person back and they said they would come at 6pm today. Spent the time cleaning it and bringing it downstairs to the parking garage (not easy) and she no shows. I was annoyed so I slapp
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  • 02
    Font - I go out two hours later and nobody has picked it up. So I opened Facebook to let a few more people know when I see one of them messaged me saying she's recently divorced with 2 kids, doesn't have a lot of money at the moment and she's asking if I would be willing to hold the BBQ for 30 mins while she drives there. She says she will get into her car this minute if I can. I agreed and pulled it into our parking garage, out of sight from our street. I put a sign on it for my neighbours just
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  • 03
    Font - I go to check my mail and when I come back there's a car in the parkade and two people unscrewing the side arms. I asked them if one of them was "Carrie" and they say no. I asked them why they are taking the BBQ apart then and the guy says I told him he could have it. I said I dropped a general pin TO THE CURB and said first come first serve. I said it was no longer on the curb, and therefore it's no longer available (it had already been 2.5 hrs at this point and the lady coming for it me
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  • 04
    Font - explained the whole situation above but he's not having it. He insists that he's here and it's his. I told him he's on my property and it belongs to me and I'm saying it's not. I point out that he has entered our garage out of view of the street. He shows me that he messaged me to say "ok". I show him the 104 other messages I received about it because he won't believe that I didn't specifically invite him to my home and promise him a BBQ. I said that's not a confirmation and you knew ther
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  • 05
    Font - At this point they start yelling at me and threatening me with "karma" - thank god I live in a building with good security. I told them my karma is giving a nice BBQ to a struggling person for free and it's bad karma on them to act like this over an honest mistake and a person who is just trying to do the right thing. At this point my neighbours come out and he backs his car out, but when I say it's bad karma on them he stops his car facing me and there was honestly a moment I thought he
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  • 06
    Font - Anyway, they left and 2 mins later the nicest person shows up and me and my neighbours helped her take apart the BBQ and pack it to move. The whole time she's so grateful and at the end she's like "I really believe in karma, thank you so much for this and I hope somebody pays it forward to you". Lol. What do we think? Was I wrong? Or were these people entitled? I get being annoyed but thats the chance you take for first come first served? I personally would have just said "ok thanks anywa
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  • 07
    Font - LibraryMouse4321 1 day ago . How do those a@@hats know that the BBQ they trespassed into your garage for was the one you were giving away? That could have been one you were keeping for yourself. Just because the didn't see a BBQ at the curb doesn't mean they can go searching for another one in your garage. Should've called the police for trespassing and theft. 750 Reply Share Opinionated BlackGuy. 22 hr. ago Exactly! 72 ↓ Reply Share ●●●
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  • 08
    Font - m mlvsrz 19 hr. ago I hope you learned a valuable lesson, never put something up for free on marketplace. Always charge something, then when someone nice shows up give it to them for free. 225 Reply Share masterOjack OP 14 hr. ago For real 54 · Reply Share ●●●
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  • 09
    Rectangle - Excellent_Ad1132. 1 day ago You did the right thing, sorry this other guy didn't get it, but that is on him, not you. ↑ 94 Reply Share
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  • 10
    Rectangle - LadyxxTay 1 day ago You did the right thing. Some people just don't understand fcfs and having to deal with no shows. 62 Reply Share
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  • 11
    Font - PurePeach2081 · 17 hr. ago Same way he came, others could have come. If it was not on the curb, they should have rung the doorbell not come on your property 10 Reply Share
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  • 12
    Font - Anything-Happy 19 hr. ago If it's being given to you for free, you have no right to complain. If it's NOT being given to you for free, you still have no right to complain. ↑ 13 Reply Share
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  • 13
    Font - Car-n-Truck-Guy 17 hr. ago This is why perfectly good things we no longer need, end up in the trash. Posting anything for free on Facebook always brings out the entitlement crowd. "What, you won't deliver it to me for free? You are only four hours away you lazy little ..." 5↓ Reply Share
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  • 14
    Font - bludstone 15 hr. ago You should never ever post things for free online. It brings out the worst people possible. You charge 5 bucks, and then deny the payment when they show up to get it. 46 Reply Share
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craigslist karens entitlement online shopping facebook karens in the wild free stuff entitled facebook marketplace karen entitled people
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