I’ve noticed a stupid trend happening with buyers of TFs on the boards, and kijiji lately where they act like they’ve never purchased anything from a human being before and go about it like an alien trying to understand earth customs… As a frequent ebay/board/kijiji TF buyer I believe there’s a certain etiquette (I think I spelt that right) you should follow, so that you don’t make sellers lose all hope in humanity and its ability to survive as an intelligent species… I’d like to get others’ opinions to see how far off from the general mass opinion I am.
1. When you see posted prices you don’t respond to the ad with “So how low are you willing to go on this figure?”… Everytime I see this question I think to myself: Do they think I’m all of a sudden gonna fall over and reply with “ HAHAHA you got me!!! You’re a clever one, I know I asked for $20, but I was always secretly willing to go as low as $5… Couldn’t fool you though Matlock… Here why don’t I just give it to you for a handshake because I like the cut of your jib”. If I see a price for something and I want to pay less, I’ll propose an offer and see if the seller accepts…That’s the proper way to try to get a deal.
2. Don’t tell a seller that you can buy whatever they’re selling for the same price online then expect a discount… Oh you can buy MP Prowl (example) for $65 on ebay so you want mine for $60? Well…. Are you gonna fly to Hong Kong to pick it up? Is someone dropping it off at your house on the way home from a Japanese road trip? Oh… you have to PAY for shipping? So then really $65 really ends up being $85?... You’re right I should actually sell you mine for $55 because that’s such an injustice…
3. This one applies to local kijiji… WHY DO YOU THINK I’M GONNA DELIVER WHAT YOU’RE BUYING OFF ME TO YOUR HOUSE BECAUSE GAS IS TOO EXPENSIVE AND I LIVE TOO FAR?!?!?
I’ve had a disgustingly high number of people TELL me that I should either deliver the TFs onto them… because they’re obviously baby Jesus and I’m a Wiseman… OR… I should knock a couple bucks off because GAS IS OVER $1.00 A LITRE AND IT’LL COST ABOUT $10 WORTH TO GET ALL THE WAY TO MY PLACE…… AND BACK HOME!?!??! XD… I had the pleasure of having someone tell me that story on the phone so my ears could hear it, and give my hand the satisfaction of hanging up on them.
If you have no means of transportation then offer the person a little MORE money and see if they can drop it off for you. You know…. Like how Pizza Hut charges you for delivery as opposed to going there and getting it yourself?!?!? I think it’s a new concept that just started last year, it might catch on…
4. Going through all the steps of negotiating a deal, then when it’s time to pay, don’t tell the seller that you get paid at the end of the month so you’ll only be able to pay then… If you don’t have the money to spend right away, then save us both a lot of hassle and don’t bother shopping until you do. I understand you may not want to miss out on a deal, but if you go to Walmart to go buy some shoes, but don’t have money for the shoes… Guess what?!?!? You don’t leave Walmart with the damn shoes…. Apply the same logic here.
I’ve held onto deals where someone said they’d buy something but wouldn’t be able to pay for a couple weeks, so I took the item off my sales thread on their word… the day they said they’d pay came and went and no money was sent to me. After a PM I find out they found one cheaper and bought that one instead, but never said anything… because… who knows… This has happened multiples times (I no longer hold onto things while I wait for payment).
Contrary to what people think, it’s not your right to be able to buy everything at anytime just because it’s a great deal, it’s a privilege… that you shouldn’t have… if you don’t have the moneys…
5. Last one I can think of right now is: Read through a sales thread properly… like a person that can actually read all the words on the page... Don’t waste a seller’s time asking details about each item when it’s all spelled out in the thread.
Buyer: Does X have all the weapons?
Me: Yeah I said it’s sealed complete in my thread.
Buyer: How about instructions?
Me: It’s 100% complete dude, did you read the sales thread?
Buyer: What condition is it in?
Me: It’s sealed in the box… The thread contains all the secret answers you need (you don’t even need the codex).
Buyer: So how much was it again?
Me: … I hate the things you represent…
Those are the main situations that grind my gears when dealing with buyers. Anyone else have any others I may have missed? I know I’ve had a lot of other sellers that I talk to complain about the exact same things… It explodes the brain sometimes.
My biggest gripe is those that don't follow through on a purchase and weasel their way out or don't bother responding when they find something cheaper, etc.
