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Bad karma in the sale/trade forums!

post #1 of 15
11/27/10 at 3:10am
Thread Starter 

Hey, i just felt like i needed to mention this. When you sell or trade something, it seems pretty rude to in the middle of selling/trading with someone, suddenly just sell it to someone else without even mentioning. At least i think so, and considering I've been here for only about a mont actively and it has happened to me almost five times already, it would seem to be pretty common that people does that.

My point is, please don't do those things because it pisses me of. And even though this might sound selfish, i think most of you guys'n'girls would find it pretty frustrating too...

 

Im not trying to point fingers at anyone, so no one should feel offended by this, not even the people who've done it to me so far, just please. for the love of whatever higher being you want, don't keep doing it! confused_face.gif

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post #2 of 15
11/27/10 at 5:59am

We have a phrase, "Money talks BS walks".

In my selling on Craig's List, I get loads of people asking me to hold something, wanting to negotiate over the phone and what have you.

I won't negotiate or promise to hold something to an email or phone call, and the deal ends with the first person to put an acceptable amount in my hand or paypal account.

That may seem harsh, but why decline the asking price when somebody else is trying to bargain? It doesn't make sense.

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post #3 of 15
11/27/10 at 7:56am

Having completed many flawless transactions with various head-fi members, I can confidently say that there's more to a sale than just money. You're dealing with human beings, not just cash flow. Establishing good relations with people seems to be an antiquated idea at times, unfortunately. This is probably enhanced by the anonymity of the internet as well.

 

Keep in mind I'm not talking about people who try to low-ball or haggle endlessly. It works BOTH WAYS. As a buyer, you need to respect the asking price, and if you feel it appropriate to ask for a lower price (ie, if the seller says she or he is open to offers) then for goodness' sake be reasonable.

 

Likewise, if a seller PMs me asking for me to make an offer, I just ask what she or he wants. I don't like playing games with haggling, and I feel it wastes both the buyer's and seller's time. Chances are, the seller who PMed me is going to refuse the offer and raise it anyway, so to save time let's just be up front.

 

I think the fairest way of doing business is to give the item being sold to the first person with good feedback who PMs meeting the buyer's asking price. I've had incidents where I've been in that position, the first person with good feedback who meets the asking price, only for the seller to turn around and give it to someone who offers them slightly more than their asking price. That, to me, is just plain greedy and repulsive.

 

On one occasion, a seller responded that he was getting a lot of interest, despite the fact that I was the first person to PM him, and so he was going to sell to me only if I gave him $50 more than his asking price. Needless to say, I told him thanks but no thanks.

 

So yes, to get back on topic, I find rudimentary manners and etiquette ARE important in doing business. Chances are, you aren't the only show in town. Why would people want to do business with you if you're a jerk? I know I wouldn't.


Edited by MuppetFace - 11/27/10 at 8:00am
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post #4 of 15
11/27/10 at 9:43am
Thread Starter 

Well i had hoped for some constuctive replies not assuming the worst right away calling me a jerk, but fair enough, ill give you a straight example and then see if you still see me as a "jerk" or making trouble or such. I tried to buy a headphone (not mentioning anything specific to not throw rocks at anyone i don't have to). This particular headphone was listed to..Let's say 170$, and i wrote a comment on the thread stating that i sent a pm. I wrote a pm and said that i would happily like to buy the item if it wasn't gone yet. Seller replied and told that he would go check the shipping rate to Denmark, were i live and that he would pm me later. I replied and told that it was fine by me and so i waited...and waited...and waited. In the end i got tired of it and wrote a pm kindly asking if he had found the shipping rate or forgotten about me or whatever. He replied and had "unfortunately" sold it to someone else. I got annoyed but wrote back that it was okay and wished him a nice day. 

So i ventured on in the forums and found the same phone, slightly more expensive, but hey, i wanted it so i went on and did the same as last, this time stating that a fast transaction would be fine by me if it was required. The seller kindly replied that the shipping would be 50$. I replied it was okay and gave him my address and asked if he would like to have the payment through paypal or eBay etc. Once more, i waited...And waited, and saw that the sales thread now stated "[SOLD]" and that there were another user who hat replied a day later than me stating YGPM (You got a Private Message. I obviously got worried but thought he meant i was sold to me since i apparently were the first to reply the post. So i Pm'ed him and nothing happened...Thats a week ago now and the thread is now long gone and still no replies. Though the user who wrote YGPM now had a thread with a review of the phone he had just bought for the same price as the ones i had been attempting to buy.

This has happened quite a few times now, and i am getting weary of this sort of "trading".

Im sure there's some nice people out there, but it doesn't seem like it's their nicest sides I've been exposed to so far. 

 

So if this is my fault in any way, please enlighten me, because i don't see the connection...

 

Regards:

Victor J. Halgaard

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post #5 of 15
11/27/10 at 11:47am

Um, no one was calling you a jerk? confused_face(1).gif

 

My post was in SUPPORT of your discussion about rudeness. "Why would people want to do business with you if you're a jerk?" is a speculative statement aimed at no one in particular. If anything, it was meant to refer back to the seller in my example, not to you.


Edited by MuppetFace - 11/27/10 at 12:19pm
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post #6 of 15
11/27/10 at 1:06pm
Thread Starter 

Oh, my bad, guess i was going pretty much in my own lil' bunker shooting random by-passers there. Sorry beerchug.gif

 

Oh and yay for getting turned down on another deal for the sam headphone - Atleast this time the guy had a honest reason for it.

 

Best regards:

Victor J. Halgaard

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post #7 of 15
11/27/10 at 9:51pm

Seriously?

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post #8 of 15
11/27/10 at 10:50pm
Hate to say it, but a lot of people aren't crazy about international transactions. There was a thread about this not too long ago. So while you sound like a respectable person, you might be getting passed over for an easier shipment.

You have a few options. There are companies that give a US shipping address, receive the package, then reship it to you. That might make the decision a little easier for US sellers. Another option is to have a friend here who will receive the package and then ship to you. If you don't know anyone here, you will make a US friend at Head-Fi sooner or later who will help you out.

I am sorry about those transactions, though. Hopefully things will go better for you.
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post #9 of 15
11/27/10 at 10:59pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik View Post

Hate to say it, but a lot of people aren't crazy about international transactions. There was a thread about this not too long ago. So while you sound like a respectable person, you might be getting passed over for an easier shipment.

Yep. I really prefer a shipment that is less of a hassle but if an international buyer really wants it and agrees to cover (or help cover) the added shipping cost I have no problem shipping overseas. It's usually first pm first serve for me but I can't blame others for choosing a whoever pays first or is easier approach.


Edited by NapalmK - 11/27/10 at 11:02pm
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post #10 of 15
11/28/10 at 12:58am
Thread Starter 

Hmm...Good points...I ofcourse cover all extra fees for the perlonged shipment. So yea...I guess a "personal" friend that i actually talk to in the US wouldn't harm comming across at some point. I think I'm even going to the states next summer! ph34r.gif Watch out for the stalker...Kidding. ^^

At the moment i think I've found a nice and patient american who i might actually succeed in buying the cans from. He has found the shipping rates etc. and we've chosen the best one and now there's just left for us to come to a final agreement and the trow cans and money at each other and live happily ever after - or at least i hope so rolleyes.gif

 

Thanks for the supportive and helpful replies! Re-established my trust in this seemingly awesome community!

 

Best regards:

Victor J. Halgaard 

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post #11 of 15
11/28/10 at 10:42am

It's not cool to sell something out-from-under an interested buyer. When another offer was made the seller should have contacted you to let you know there was another buying with cash-in-hand and give you the right of first refusal. Now, speaking from experience as a seller, I've had buyers who will drag out a transaction for a week asking questions one-at-a-time. It gets frustrating, especially when the questions were answered in the original FS post, some people just don't read. Since this has happened to you "almost 5 times" I've got to ask, Have you procrastinated about the purchase? If so, speed up the process and I believe you'll have better luck. If you are decisive and offer the seller a quick sale, then I don't know what to tell you to do differently. 

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post #12 of 15
11/28/10 at 3:20pm
Thread Starter 

Well, if the seller has the shipping prices (which can be found on the postal office's webpage) then a transaction could be done in less than a day. The only reason any of my sales has been delayed has been due to the seller wanting to go to the actual postal office instead of just using the homepage.

The nice guy im dealing with at the moment is patient, and his cans are going to cost me slightly more than the previous i found so ill need to get my paycheck in day or two before i can pay up. He's cool with it but with all the other transactions I've had what was needed, so yea....If it was up to me, id have finished those trades in less than a day. But the sellers apparently had other plans...

 

Best regards: 

Victor J. Halgaard

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post #13 of 15
11/28/10 at 3:30pm

I can relate.  I've had that happened to me where between asking about availability and their paypal address they somehow magically sold it (matter of minutes) so I've learned to be just faster and ask all questions at once and that's helped me score some deals.

 

It's a rotten feeling when it happens though.  Particularly when the person who purchased it came a whole day after you, but sometimes you have to roll with it and move on and a better deal might be just around the corner.  Good luck with the current deal, I hope you get the headphones you want bigsmile_face.gif

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post #14 of 15
11/28/10 at 3:43pm

I have a policy when I do my FS threads and I expect the same when I ask about others. I'll answer all the questions as fast as I can but until someone commits it's fair game. It's best to get to the point as ambiguity doesn't get you anywhere.

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post #15 of 15
11/28/10 at 4:59pm
There are a lot of really lame buyers out there. I reserve my right to sell to whomever I wish whenever I wish. Of course, there are plenty of lousy sellers out there, too, which is why I generally try to deal with people I know.

As for international shipping, it's really not as easy as it should be in the US. Some packages require certain special forms, pricing can be bizarre, and tracking can be limited. I have done it several times and each time I swear it will be the last. This has nothing to do with ex-US headFiers and everything to do with US couriers.
Edited by The Monkey - 11/28/10 at 5:00pm
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