[binary visions]

Question to you guys who buy parts online, or other sellers.

I've noticed that potential buyers will contact me, requesting information about the part. Sometimes they'll go a step further and say they're interested or they'll give payment information. Then, for some reason, it's like they disappear into thin air.

I'm a pretty reasonable guy, and would never want to sell a part out from under an interested buyer, so I usually hang tight for a couple days and send a few inquiries asking if they're still interested. I've never once heard back on these inquiries.

What's the deal here? Isn't it common courtesy to respond back with a polite, "Sorry, I'm not interested"? Wouldn't a buyer be irritated if a seller went as far as to tell them they'll sell it, but then disappeared, or sold it out fron under them? I know I would be.

Do all of you sellers see this happen a lot? How many of you guys would do this to a seller - just ignore them instead of responding to an inquiry like "Hey, are you still interested?"

 

[Acadian]

It’s happened to me a few times – I've had items packed, labeled and ready to go - just waiting for the $$ via paypal when all of a sudden they either disappear, say they don't want the item(s) anymore or they bought something else

I guess that's something you have to deal with when selling items online.

but for the most part my experiences have been good..

 

[Brian HCM#1]

I've been there before too, however I will NOT package anything up until I recieved payment. It's just part of selling stuff, there are a lot of flakes out there.

 

[jdcamb]

It's a 2 way street. I have been ready to buy and have had the seller disappear too.....jdcamb

 

[JRB]

It's a 2 way street. I have been ready to buy and have had the seller disappear too.....jdcamb

Scratch my complaining. The dude that I pm'd sent me one today and I will paypal him the money tonight.

* I have not had too much trouble.

**MMcG is the best I have dealt with for communication.

 

[binary visions]

all of a sudden they either disappear, say they don't want the item(s) anymore or they bought something else

Well, I'd be much happier if they actually $#%*ing told me that they don't want the items or bought something else.

It's the disappearing act that bugs me. I had a guy interested in a fork. We went through the whole process, during which I took a bunch of pictures, sent a money request and... Poof. The guy was gone. I sent a few follow up emails/PMs just asking if he was interested, and if he wasn't, could he just let me know. I got nothing.

For the time I invested to take all the pictures, send emails, make sure he knew the fork's condition, sent a money request, etc., it was really too much trouble for him to say, "Sorry, I don't want the fork"?

 

[berkshire_rider]

There's no excuse for people not to take 15 seconds out of their life to say "no thanks" to your email(s) inquiry. Especially after taking a bunch of extra pictures and agreeing to a sale. Relist it or sell it to someone else. :nuts:

 

[Spunger]

I've been there before too, however I will NOT package anything up until I recieved payment. It's just part of selling stuff, there are a lot of flakes out there.

I couldn't have said it better. I wait until I have payment before putting anything in a box and paying the postage on it. I'm not about to take a risk of getting screwed on anything period!

 

[binary visions]

I couldn't have said it better. I wait until I have payment before putting anything in a box and paying the postage on it. I'm not about to take a risk of getting screwed on anything period!

This isn't really about getting screwed. Of course you shouldn't shell out a nickle for packaging materials or postage before you receive payment.

It was just a question of courtesy, and I was curious as to how many other sellers deal with phantom buyers like this, or how many buyers consider it appropriate behaviour.

 

[MikeD]

Common courtesy isn't. Expect none; be happy when you get it.

 

[mack]

Why is my quote in your sig?

 

[berkshire_rider]

No harm in packaging it, if you are going to sell it to someone eventually. Just don't address it or print labels until you have COB.

 

[MikeD]

Why is my quote in your sig?

I assume you're talking to me...that's not good threat etiquette or common courtesy.

But since we're already there, well, I just thought it was such a good quote it deserved to be shared. Werd.

MD

 

[mack]

I assume you're talking to me...that's not good threat etiquette or common courtesy.

But since we're already there, well, I just thought it was such a good quote it deserved to be shared. Werd.

MD

Do I detect sarcasim

 

[MikeD]

Do I detect sarcasim

Perhaps, but there may have been a Freudian slip, too...I meant "thread" etiquette, not "threat." Or it might have just been a typo. In any case, let's let Binary's thread get back on topic, like polite people.

MD

 

[jacksonpt]

FWIW... The couple of times I've sold stuff online, I get the same thing. They ask for info, say they're interest, whatever, then disappear. It's frustrating, but I suspect that most of those people were never all that interest in the first place.

 

[Crashby]

"Common courtesy" has largely disappeared from our culture... I guess its just natural as we start maxing out our society with information.

Take looking for a job for example... I applied to over 100 companies a couple years back and only heard back from 2. Its a matter of bandwidth I guess... as people are assaulted with an ever increasing volume of media, advertising, spam, etc... they can only process so much, so the disappearance of follow up and "common courtesy" is a by product of shrinking human bandwidth so to speak...

 

[mack]

I have never had any problems selling stuff online or buying any thing. And I always take the time to write a nice formal email with good spelling.

 

[MikeD]

they can only process so much, so the disappearance of follow up and "common courtesy" is a by product of shrinking human bandwidth so to speak...

It's also a function of less personal human interaction. You don't have to look people in the eye on the Internet...they're screen names and nothing more, not even really people.

MD

 

[BMXman]

that's why I'm such a hardass about selling items. I provide links to tech info and large pics....anything more than that and I better know the buyer...I have had 3 separate people bail on me on the same bike...so until I get the money I hold nothing for anyone unless I already have done business with the buyer or know them personally...sometimes people get mad because I didn't wait...but money talks...D

 

[MikeD]

Yeah, on the courtesy flipside, I'm with BMXman...I've had people be angry with me that someone else beat them to the punch. Just because you inquire first doesn't mean I'm "holding" an item for you,or you're the only interested party. I'm not KMart and I don't have layaway plan, and I don't care if you get your allowance next week or not. It's hard enough selling to faceless people in a world where you'll be taken advantage of at every opportunity...I'm not going to make it harder on myself for someone else's benefit.

Now, if someone agrees to pay me within a specified time period, that's a different thing...I'll queue up other buyers pending the sale in case it doesn't go through. And if it doesn't go through at the specified time, deal's off and first man to get the money in my hand gets the item.

MD

 

[binary visions]

Soo.. You guys are basically saying that I'm a great big pussy and I should quit trying to be a nice guy to people I'm selling to

Okay, okay, I get it... Maybe I'll just be a dick right back and start a bunch of blank threads in the Bad Seller's forum saying, Bad Buyer: <username>, with no explanation

 

[jon cross]

What's more annoying yet is when someone snipes your Ebay auction and then decides he doesn't want to return your emails or pay you- you get charged listing fees and Ebay still takes a percentage of the "sale". I paid almost 50 dollars to have my Crossmax wheels sold on Ebay twice, and yet, they still sit here with me because of dickheads with computers.

 

[binary visions]

What's more annoying yet is when someone snipes your Ebay auction and then decides he doesn't want to return your emails or pay you- you get charged listing fees and Ebay still takes a percentage of the "sale". I paid almost 50 dollars to have my Crossmax wheels sold on Ebay twice, and yet, they still sit here with me because of dickheads with computers.

I'm told you can get your listing fees back if the buyer backs out.

 

[jon cross]

That's what I thought, but since he didn't respond to Ebay's emails either, I'm SOL. I'm done with Ebay.

 

[lovebunny]

ive backed out on a seller once. and i felt pretty terrible about it. but i didnt have the money right away and the other frame was cheaper

 

[BMXman]

ive backed out on a seller once. and i felt pretty terrible about it. but i didnt have the money right away and the other frame was cheaper

Burn him!!!

 

[blue]

I recently backed on a fork purchase, but he hadn't boxed it or anything or gone to great lengths for me in anticipation of selling, he was just letdown. It was just a "Sorry dude...changed my mind" kind of thing.

 

[KleinMp99]

It's happend to me a million times. I am at the point where whoever gets me the money first gets the product.