Some classified manners suggestions for sellers

[MP Guy]

I have been receiveing many complaints from members who have contacted users about buying a sellers item in the classifieds. In some cases the buy it now option has been used only to have the payment rfunded. In most cases, the user was the first to make contact or post a comment about the item for sale only to then hear from the seller that the item was sold to someone else even after the original buyer commiting before anyone else. I nor anyone else on this forum can tell a seller how to conducttheir business. All we can do is ask that people commincate their intentions to others so we do not have disapointed buyers or sellers. Don't place an ad with the Buy it now option enabled if you will not commit to selling the item to buyer if they buy it now. Some basic politeness can go a long way.

[MP Guy]

hmmm ............. .

[mc_vancouver]

My limited experience with the classifieds suggests that sellers need to know how to mark their item as sold in the main list of items; also , that sellers be encouraged to check their email as well as the classified list, to see who has responded, and in which order. For example, I have been trying to get the fellow selling the 40mm 1.4 to contact me without success; I told him I would like to buy it, I have sent several private messages as well as an email as well as my posting in his classified...to no avail. So...what to do?

[mc_vancouver]

That seller that hadn't responded, responded. So I would like to apologise to him if he reads this or if anyone writes to him.

Originally Posted by Jorge Torralba

hmmm ............. .

PM has been sent

[SergioGuerra]

My classified has two entries.... I only posted once, is it normal?
Anyway, it went to ebay now :|

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Maybe the subtitle for this thread should be "Let's bring some class to the classifieds."

[niimo]

Originally Posted by Fedzilla_Bob

Maybe the subtitle for this thread should be "Let's bring some class to the classifieds."

Hahaa yes well put! I am brand new here and the purpose I joined was to purchase an item in the classifieds, so seeing this thread is encouraging to me.

[jan normandale]

Jorge, I have personally experienced this with two of the advertised items both with the same vendor. I now do not respond to the seller. Probably a nice person but I don't need to feel like I'm forgotten as the first person to reply. Perhaps I should have been forceful, There are always other deals and sellers.

[peterc]

Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've recently bought three items through the RFF classifieds and all were good experiences. The sellers were pleasant and easy to deal with and payment and shipping were no problem. The goods were as described.

Peter

[flashover]

Hi all I have several items in the classified right now. I never though to add to reply by PM or post. As it happens I have replied to the first posts. Jan on one item and niimo on the other. Jan was second in line on this item. I think this is the fair way to do it.

[akptc]

Having recently sold a few items through the Classifieds, I'd offer the following suggestions:

1. It would be much easier for the seller to keep track of buyers' responses to the ad if there were only *one* method of contacting the seller about the ad, e.g. PM.
2. I found out the hard way that a limit of 100 messages is too low if one posts several items for sale and waits one day to check the mailbox
3. It would be helpful if the Classifieds' PM script automatically inserted the ad title as the subject of the PM being sent to the buyer
4. Potential buyers who only post a note next to the ad but do not PM the seller should not expect to seller to know of their interest as sometimes it is easy to forget to enable the auto-notification of replies to the ad (and then it seems impossible to add that feature later by editing of the ad)
5. It would be simpler to keep all questions about the item’s condition to the Classifieds section and use the PM system for “buy” offers and shipping arrangement communications (a long shot..)
6. Prospective buyers sending a PM to the seller should make an effort to include at least their first name in the PM as its is painfully hard to remember the sometimes very cryptic nicknames (like mine, for example) – much easier to recall that “Mike B.” had 2nd dibs on the camera than to remember that “%4_grr_B7” was 3rd in line.

Just my 2 cents..

[mc_vancouver]

Could someone please please get the word out that if you have SOLD your item, if it is NO LONGER AVAILABLE, to delete their ads? It only takes a second, you can click on the SOLD IT! link and it will disappear from the listings, or you can DELETE. It is polite and helps others to see what is truly available.

In connection with this, perhaps we need to consider a sweep of the forums, too, because I can't see how something like 327 pages of camera and coffee is really a good use of hard drive space...I mean, if you don't mind, sure, but I'm one of those guys who regularly goes through his computer and deletes old stuff, I don't like a messy closet, etc.

Thats my rant for the day.

[back alley]

many like the ads to stay to be able to check prices for items.

[ray_g]

I think the Buy It Now option is not practical and potentially confusing as there is no bidding (which would automatically cancel the BIN option). The seller may already be in communication with a buyer, but since the sale has not been finalized, the ad can't be deleted yet.

[ray_g]

Some other comments:
- many buyers are just browsing RFF, and many are not even registered. Just because they may respond first, does that make the seller obligated to sell to them? Personally, I'd rather sell to someone I know and can trust. Otherwise, I'd just put it up on ebay.

- buyers frequently change their minds. Until the payment is made, the sale is not final. Should the seller not be allowed similar latitude?

- I hate to say it, but some buyers are just a pain in the a**. Nitpicking my equipment to try to lower the price, impatiently emailing and PM'ing like the seller has no dayjob. Personally, I would like to be able to decide who to sell my precious equipment to.

- Posting a reply to the classified thread is no guarantee you were first. I think that's a no-brainer. In fact it even dissuades others from replying, thinking the item is no longer available, when the poster was not really committed to buying the item.

- I think responding to an item should be differentiated from commiting to buy it. Some PM their interest, then proceed to ask a series of questions. I don't think that makes for a commitment, as any "negative" answer to any of those questions would make him back out. If you are not commited to pay until those are answered, you surely do not expect the seller to be committed to you either.

- Also, especially with regards to international buyers, items like mode of payment and shipment need to be worked out. I personally do not want to give out my bank account info for bank transfers. Until all those things are worked out, nothing is final.

Bottom line is, for me at least, RFF is a community. The classifieds, not purely business. If I wanted a quick sale to a stranger for (likely) the best price, then I would sell elsewhere.

[back alley]

i think that's all pretty fair ray.

brian used to post in his for sale ads that he held the right to sell to the buyer of his choice.

works for me.

[gdi]

Originally Posted by back alley

many like the ads to stay to be able to check prices for items.

I am sure that many times the posted price is not the actual selling price...

[David Murphy]

Originally Posted by akptc

Having recently sold a few items through the Classifieds, I'd offer the following suggestions:

1. It would be much easier for the seller to keep track of buyers' responses to the ad if there were only *one* method of contacting the seller about the ad, e.g. PM.
2. I found out the hard way that a limit of 100 messages is too low if one posts several items for sale and waits one day to check the mailbox
3. It would be helpful if the Classifieds' PM script automatically inserted the ad title as the subject of the PM being sent to the buyer
4. Potential buyers who only post a note next to the ad but do not PM the seller should not expect to seller to know of their interest as sometimes it is easy to forget to enable the auto-notification of replies to the ad (and then it seems impossible to add that feature later by editing of the ad)
5. It would be simpler to keep all questions about the item’s condition to the Classifieds section and use the PM system for “buy” offers and shipping arrangement communications (a long shot..)
6. Prospective buyers sending a PM to the seller should make an effort to include at least their first name in the PM as its is painfully hard to remember the sometimes very cryptic nicknames (like mine, for example) – much easier to recall that “Mike B.” had 2nd dibs on the camera than to remember that “%4_grr_B7” was 3rd in line.

Just my 2 cents..

I agree completely. There are at least four different ways to contact a seller and buyers tend to ignore instructions such as "contact me via PM". Furthermore buyers have login ID's, email addresses, "real" names, sometimes nicknames, and when multiple messages are coming to a seller from multiple persons with multiple id's confusion is a predictable result.

Furthermore I do not think buyers and sellers are entitled to anonymity if they are going to engage in business transactions. I think the best way to deal with these problems is to have only ONE way to make contact (preferably email) and a system in place the delivers the buyer/seller's real name, city, and country as part of the initial contact. These are necessary items if one is calculating shipping, deciding who to sell to, etc. Addresses can be exchanged after a deal closes. One reason I prefer email to PM's is that sometimes the RFF site goes down, is hard to access (for instance if one is travelling and forgets one's password, etc.), and of course there are PM mail box restrictions.

I think these changes should be implemented structurally in the design of the Web site.

[steverett]

I've tried to buy a few items on the forums; only one was successful, but the other sellers were polite and responded promptly that the item wasn't available, or that a sale was pending. I never got frustrated as a result, and just tried again patiently until I found what I wanted.

However, I agree that one method of contacting the seller is best. I never know which method the seller will prefer, so I usually try both for my first query.

[atlcruiser]

I have bought a bunch of stuff on here...and tried to sell a few tImes also.
When I buy:
I fInd the item and do my research on prIce/value/fIt

Have money ready to pay In paypal

Contact seller. Ask questIons OR state that I want It and will pay immedIatly as soon as I get a total wIth shipping and paypal Info.

I get the Info from the seller. I immedIatly make the payment then PM seller I made the payment.

None of thIs is hard.

As a seller I get folks sayign they want It but then no payment. I tell them I need payment by a certaIn time and nothing. Then I sell to the next In lIne and the fIrst guy Is mad I "sold It out form under hIm!"
The confusIon from the last 2 ads caused me to sell one Item twIce...needless to say I was at fault and one guy was jsutIfably pIssed off at me.
I state in my ad the item is "sold" when I have funds. I am happy to give a reasonable amount of time to pay but it is not fair to hold it for a buyer when others are ready to pay.
I also update ASAP when an item is sold
DavId

[Ted2001]

Even items that don't sell are marked "Sold" if the ad expires...

[Jonathan Paul]

Originally Posted by ray_g

Some other comments:
- many buyers are just browsing RFF, and many are not even registered. Just because they may respond first, does that make the seller obligated to sell to them? Personally, I'd rather sell to someone I know and can trust. Otherwise, I'd just put it up on ebay.

- buyers frequently change their minds. Until the payment is made, the sale is not final. Should the seller not be allowed similar latitude?

- I hate to say it, but some buyers are just a pain in the a**. Nitpicking my equipment to try to lower the price, impatiently emailing and PM'ing like the seller has no dayjob. Personally, I would like to be able to decide who to sell my precious equipment to.

- Posting a reply to the classified thread is no guarantee you were first. I think that's a no-brainer. In fact it even dissuades others from replying, thinking the item is no longer available, when the poster was not really committed to buying the item.

- I think responding to an item should be differentiated from commiting to buy it. Some PM their interest, then proceed to ask a series of questions. I don't think that makes for a commitment, as any "negative" answer to any of those questions would make him back out. If you are not commited to pay until those are answered, you surely do not expect the seller to be committed to you either.

- Also, especially with regards to international buyers, items like mode of payment and shipment need to be worked out. I personally do not want to give out my bank account info for bank transfers. Until all those things are worked out, nothing is final.

Bottom line is, for me at least, RFF is a community. The classifieds, not purely business. If I wanted a quick sale to a stranger for (likely) the best price, then I would sell elsewhere.

I completely agree with you. There are a lot of facets to consider when choosing who to sell to besides who sent the first message.

[NormanV]

I recently sold an item through the classifieds, I was quite concerned that the buyer did not bother to let me know that it had arrived safely. In my mind it would have been good manners to have done so.

[Sooty_1]

I have had a couple of transactions on here, including one ongoing at the moment (hurry up, Post Office). Perhaps I've been lucky, but so far all have been polite, including the couple who have declined to sell to me as I'm outside CONUS. It's my problem as buyer, not theirs as seller, so as long as the terms are clearly stated in the ad, and confirmed in PM/e-mail, I see no issues.

Communication should be a two-way street, so keeping each other informed is only polite, as perhaps is non-agressive haggling - it's only the same as you would do in a secondhand shop, and ultimately, the buyer decides the price and to whom he/she wishes to sell. First come-first served is ok as long as the buyer isn't unreasonable in keeping the deal hanging, but the seller can always stipulate a timescale after which they will contact the next in line.

The only caveat I would add, is that most experienced members appreciate that they are selling to a smaller community of like-minded people than the big bad world of Ebay, and the prices should (and usually do) reflect this. The reason I've bought from here is that the prices are lower, I don't have to wait for the potential of being outbid in the last 2 seconds and I hope members are more trustworthy than a lot of the scammers trying to sell a dog £1000 lens for £1200! The flipside to this is that the sellers should hope to be selling to like-minded people who will appreciate and use the gear in the spirit it was intended, and not just to sell on Ebay at an inflated price.

Nick