Common Courtesy in the hobby, and on the Boards

[The Drizzle]

It's been a weird last couple of weeks for me. I sell figures from time to time, the last 3 months or so I have been selling some of my Hot Toys figures to make room for my most recent and quickly growing interest, threeA's "Adventure Kartel" figure line. I'm not one of those folks that keeps everything he buys and has a giant museum of toys in his house, I tend to cycle through if my focus changes, because my job doesn't pay lots (but I'm happy to have it!), my apartment is not but so big, and frankly, I just have no interest in living in opulent splendor with tons and tons of stuff filling multiple rooms. That just seems greedy to me. I like reasonable, I don't like more than I can reasonably enjoy. Thankfully, 1:6 figures seem to be a hobby where if you tire of a figure, you can get close to as much (and sometimes a bit more) than you paid for things, so keeping a reasonable collection is easy. There are some figures I plan to never sell, but that list stays small. So, like I said, as figures come in, some figures that aren't holding my interest fully need to go out. I'm also diabetic, and my insurance doesn't kick in for a couple of months, so my medical costs are high right now. Cycling out some figures allows me to get new ones here and there, and still cover all the expensive nonsense related to "the diabeetus".
That's where my current dismay arises- I have had a selling thread going pretty strong since I dunno, about last October. I have sold a few figures a month, had no trouble whatsoever. I keep my prices reasonable, there is always someone that is interested, and transactions with fellow Freaks has been smooth and pleasant for all involved.
However, the last couple of weeks, I have seen a change. I have had a good FIVE people that contacted me, told me they wanted a figure, we discussed terms, we were practically there... and then nothing. At the point where I expect to see a paypal or google payment email in the next day or so... nothing. After a couple days, I PM the board member to check in, some answer, some just ignore me. Two finally answer after a couple of days with excuses, and it's obvious they had no intention of answering back at all except I pushed a little. Each one showed up as having been online multiple times since we made the deal, (so I know they just didn't bother to answer me) two had even made posts on another sale thread saying "PM sent" for sale items after dealing with me... guess they found something they wanted more... which leads me to the point of this post (and I apologize for the length of this post!)..
Can we please be courteous to each other?
You know, wouldn't bother me half as much if the person PM'ed me and said "I can't get it after all, please offer it to someone else" or something of the sort. Instead, I'm left thinking we had a deal, awaiting payment, thinking my finances have improved, when the fellow board member has in actuality just moved on, hoping I won't notice or something... WELL I NOTICED.
I guess it just floors me, because I would never leave another person on here just "high and dry", never getting a reply back from me after having said I wanted to buy their item, and in some cases, even having already asked for the seller's paypal address. When I contact a seller and say, "I want it!" and they say "It's yours, pay me!" I *always* pay. Disappearing at that point is BAD FORM, and it's not better than just shying away, and ignoring. Please, if you deal on the boards, whether you are buying or selling, have the decency to communicate properly and politely with your fellow board member, and take the time to write and politely back out of a deal if you need to instead of ignoring and leaving your fellow Freak just hanging, expecting the completion of a sale or trade. That sale or item may have been very important to the other person, and at least if you talk to them, they know to move on.
Thank you for reading!

 

[LordAzrael]

Just plain rude to not communicate. If your circumstances have changed and you can't afford it just say so.

I've never had a problem with a vendor if I've had to ask for a little more time (monthly pays sometimes cause diffiiculties).

 

[karamazov80]

Strange you would get so much of that at once. You're gonna run into flakes every once in awhile, unfortunately. I personally try to keep BS to a minimum in transactions myself, and appreciate it when other reciprocate.

 

[The Drizzle]

Strange you would get so much of that at once. You're gonna run into flakes every once in awhile, unfortunately. I personally try to keep BS to a minimum in transactions myself, and appreciate it when other reciprocate.

Yeah, that's what led me to make this post! I don't think anyone has *ever* flaked out on me before, and now FIVE in two weeks?!? it also surprises me because a couple are long-time board members I have posted with on here for years, and another is a person who has bought from me before. It's a colossal letdown, because I feel like this is a real community, and with any community, it is important to be a positive member of it, and contribute, not detract from it.

 

[carbo-fation]

It's happened to me a lot these past few weeks. It's usually the newer freaks who do this and it gets really annoying and frustrating.

 

[karamazov80]

With newer members, I have less patience for that sort of thing and usually won't let them leave me hanging for long unless it's something that's really not gonna sell otherwise

 

[Boba Ben]

That's happened to me a couple of times. They express interest and you let them know that it's theirs and then they don't respond afterwards. I even had one guy pm me about two months after he disappeared the first time and ask if I still had the item for sale and after I responded that I did, he disappeared again. Oh well.

 

[Armageddon]

That's life perfect track record oh not people
Eventually will disappoint !

 

[The Drizzle]

That's life perfect track record oh not people
Eventually will disappoint !

I guess so.

 

[toylion]

Sound like you may have got off luck not having to deal with them. Imagine what kind of other problems may have arisen if they did respond. They don't sound like responsible people to begin with, or the kind I would want to deal with.

 

[karamazov80]

Sound like you may have got off luck not having to deal with them. Imagine what kind of other problems may have arisen if they did respond. They don't sound like responsible people to begin with, or the kind I would want to deal with.

Good point, sadly

Silver lining!

 

[Darkseed]

It's happened to me a lot these past few weeks. It's usually the newer freaks who do this and it gets really annoying and frustrating.

I agree, it is a trend becoming more common. I noticed months ago, the buyer agrees to purchase the item and request paypal information. Later they renege for one reason or another

Competition to sell items is high and great deals exists. IMO buyers use the "will buy" tactic to hold items while they try to secure funds so they don't miss a great deal. If they cannot secure funds, the deal crumbles. Great tactic for the buyer however, seller's upholding the agreement loses out on other offers because they believe the item sold. I no longer hold items and I reserve the right to continue negotiating with members until payment received. Problem solved.

 

[Lejuan]

I no longer hold items and I reserve the right to continue negotiating with members until payment received. Problem solved.

Uh huh. Once the money is in the account the item is sold, never before.

 

[Buttmunch]

I honestly think we need to make it a negative feedback option when people do this. If you back out before paypal info is exchanged, that is one thing. But once you've been given the green light to pay, I feel you've clicked that 'comit to buy' buttion so to speak. And you need to at least say you can't buy it anymore, but just disapearing on them is not cool and frankly just plain rude.

 

[Darkseed]

I honestly think we need to make it a negative feedback option when people do this. If you back out before paypal info is exchanged, that is one thing. But once you've been given the green light to pay, I feel you've clicked that 'comit to buy' buttion so to speak. And you need to at least say you can't buy it anymore, but just disapearing on them is not cool and frankly just plain rude.

This isn't a bad idea.

 

[The Drizzle]

I agree, it is a trend becoming more common. I noticed months ago, the buyer agrees to purchase the item and request paypal information. Later they renege for one reason or another

Competition to sell items is high and great deals exists. IMO buyers use the "will buy" tactic to hold items while they try to secure funds so they don't miss a great deal. If they cannot secure funds, the deal crumbles. Great tactic for the buyer however, seller's upholding the agreement loses out on other offers because they believe the item sold. I no longer hold items and I reserve the right to continue negotiating with members until payment received. Problem solved.

I'm gonna have to take that stance, as well. I guess I just don't expect flaky because I never offer to buy an item unless I will be finalizing the deal and paying for it.
It just really surprises me that I'm getting it from folks who have been on here more than 3 or 4 years.

 

[toylion]

Don't know about this idea. What's to keep someone from abusing it?

 

[The Drizzle]

I honestly think we need to make it a negative feedback option when people do this. If you back out before paypal info is exchanged, that is one thing. But once you've been given the green light to pay, I feel you've clicked that 'comit to buy' buttion so to speak. And you need to at least say you can't buy it anymore, but just disapearing on them is not cool and frankly just plain rude.

Quoted for truth. Totally, bro.

 

[Darklord Dave]

I honestly think we need to make it a negative feedback option when people do this. If you back out before paypal info is exchanged, that is one thing. But once you've been given the green light to pay, I feel you've clicked that 'comit to buy' buttion so to speak. And you need to at least say you can't buy it anymore, but just disapearing on them is not cool and frankly just plain rude.

A neutral could be used for this purpose. That way we can at least see when people are doing this a lot.

 

[Darkseed]

I'm gonna have to take that stance, as well. I guess I just don't expect flaky because I never offer to buy an item unless I will be finalizing the deal and paying for it.
It just really surprises me that I'm getting it from folks who have been on here more than 3 or 4 years.

I am the same way. I won't contact a seller and agree to terms unless I am committed to the purchase. Unfortunately, I cannot control that behavior from buyers but I can control the outcome to a degree. I have it posted upfront in my sale thread