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So is being undermined via PM on a "done deal" here a common thing?

Started by smithdatura,

196 posts in this topic

smithdatura

smithdatura

Posted
Posted

While I don't consider myself a n00b here anymore, perhaps some more senior members of the boards can enlighten me as to whether they've experienced regularly (as a buyer or as a seller) an attempt by a fellow boardie to undermine via PM a transaction they've conducted/concluded here in a public thread.

 

I would think this is poor form and generally frowned upon, but maybe it happens more regularly than I thought...?

 

The context: seller X posts in a thread a book at a great price that I'd love to have, but unfortunately I'm too slow to post the :takeit: gremlin and someone else snags it. I compliment buyer Y on the great buy via PM and mention in all seriousness that if ever he wants to turn the book around to me at a profit, I'd be willing to make him an offer, no problem. Buyer Y thanks me for my interest but laments that after he claimed the book with his own "Take It", the seller told him via PM that the book was no longer available (all this within about 90 minutes of it being originally posted), leaving both the would-be buyer and myself with the unshakeable impression that someone had PM'd the seller an offer superior to his listing price on the book and he opted to "go private" with the sale to make some extra $$$.

 

I guess at the end of the day the seller is entitled to get the most he can for his book, and an aggressive buyer can go the PM route to usurp a potential "done deal" in a thread, but the whole thing kind of stinks, in my view (and I'm sure it's even more aggravating for the original would-be buyer!). Naturally it would be naive to assume these types of things don't happen, but I'm curious about the frequency of it.

 

Interested on your thoughts on the etiquette and appropriateness of the whole thing.

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Flaming_Telepath

Flaming_Telepath

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Posted
Buyer Y thanks me for my interest but laments that after he claimed the book with his own "Take It", the seller told him via PM that the book was no longer available (all this within about 90 minutes of it being originally posted), leaving both the would-be buyer and myself with the unshakeable impression that someone had PM'd the seller an offer superior to his listing price on the book and he opted to "go private" with the sale to make some extra $$$.

 

If this is true, I'd like to know what reasons were given for the book being 'no longer available', 90 minutes after it was very much available?

 

Flash-flood? House theft? Disintergration by phaser? (shrug)

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GACollectibles

GACollectibles

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Posted

Some sellers accept first :takeit: via PM or post in thread, timestamp determines first buyer. When this happens quite often the thread is not updated immediately to reflect a sale. This may have been the case of what happened with the book you are talking about, as I can attest to, it happens quite a bit..

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seanfingh

seanfingh

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Posted
Some sellers accept first :takeit: via PM or post in thread, timestamp determines first buyer. When this happens quite often the thread is not updated immediately to reflect a sale. This may have been the case of what happened with the book you are talking about, as I can attest to, it happens quite a bit..

 

But then the Seller should have identified that it was purchased via a PM with an earlier time stamp, so as not to be a doosh. S/he should not say that it is "no longer available" and allow for reasonable doosh inferences.

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Dr. Balls

Dr. Balls

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Posted

How do you know the PM did not precede both your :takeit: 's?

 

 

I've had nothing but great experiences here - but I also wouldn't discount someone seeing an :takeit: and then PM'ing the buyer with a higher offer, hoping to get them to back out of the original deal.

 

I'm sure it would be frustrating, and it would suck to have happen - but I'm lucky enough to not have had that happen to me.

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El Toro Rojo

El Toro Rojo

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I was told the book was "listed accidentally" and that it was "promised to another buyer". I wasn't going to get into it in public, but the more I think about it, the more it bugs me.

 

Not only did I post ::takeit:: immediately, I had even PMed about the books in question BEFORE they were posted, so something is...well, I don't know what.

 

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GACollectibles

GACollectibles

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I have the sneaking suspicion this thread will still be on the main page 5 days from now...

 

Yep, it has Friday written all over it. :popcorn:

 

Wednesday IS the new Friday.

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GACollectibles

GACollectibles

Posted
Posted
Some sellers accept first :takeit: via PM or post in thread, timestamp determines first buyer. When this happens quite often the thread is not updated immediately to reflect a sale. This may have been the case of what happened with the book you are talking about, as I can attest to, it happens quite a bit..

 

But then the Seller should have identified that it was purchased via a PM with an earlier time stamp, so as not to be a doosh. S/he should not say that it is "no longer available" and allow for reasonable doosh inferences.

 

As I am sure we will find out there is some additional information to be had.

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GACollectibles

GACollectibles

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Posted
I have the sneaking suspicion this thread will still be on the main page 5 days from now...

 

Yep, it has Friday written all over it. :popcorn:

 

Wednesday IS the new Friday.

 

Whoa!

 

:ohnoez:

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Flaming_Telepath

Flaming_Telepath

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Posted
I was told the book was "listed accidentally" and that it was "promised to another buyer". I wasn't going to get into it in public, but the more I think about it, the more it bugs me.

 

Not only did I post ::takeit:: immediately, I had even PMed about the books in question BEFORE they were posted, so something is...well, I don't know what.

 

So it wasn't an earlier time-stamped PM? hm

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