Can you believe ha.com does this? Really?

[dupont2005]

A few years ago, I reluctantly bought from Comiclink for the first time because they had a key book that I wanted. I pressed the Buy it Now button and because the shipping to the UK was expensive, I bought another couple of books to divide the shipping costs between. Got my order confirmation and figured tha all was well.

 

A while later, got the bill for the books, the one book tha I really wanted was unavailable and I was being charged for the other couple of lesser books. Tried emailing to explain that I only really wanted the unavailable book but didn't get a reply so in the end, I just paid for the others and forgot about it.

 

Then a couple of weeks later. I got an email from Comiclink that the other book was available should I wish to go ahead with the purchase. I emailed and got a brief unapologetic reply that the owner of the book had been on holiday and unreachable when I'd tried to buy it.

 

What a bloody stupid system. I was only giving Clink a try against my better judgement, lesson learnt.

That's ridiculous. I would have refused to pay.

[marmat]

I read the comments and I find them amazingly soft.

 

"they are just brokering the deal", "they don't have the book in hand", "at any point the deal can be canceled", "I guess this is standard practice"., "five days of potential waiting" and so on.

I wonder what kind of comment I'd read if the subject was a board member and not HA.

I guess the comments would be not so light and there would be probably 50 pages of them.

 

Why is that? Basically, because HA and other major dealers have the "cool" books, so if you want it, you have to buy it from them, no matter what.

 

This site is full of members who use the double standard: if it's a major action house, no big deal. If it's member trying to sell a couple of books, then burn the witch.

 

Mind you, I belive this is a totally unfair practice, but I also belive that this bad behavior should be condemned the same way, if it's coming from HA or from any seller here on the board.

 

Personally, I once tryied to buy something from CL, before I joined the boards, and they replied with an email that was sent to a different email address (but still mine, how did they get the different email, it's a mystery to me). I asked to have all communication sent to the correct email, and they replied again at the wrong email address. When I pointed this to CL, I got a nasty reply saying that my account was canceled.

No need to say that CL will never see a dime from me.

This bad experience with CL pushed me to avoid any dealing with any major action house. I read the terms and conditions of the big ones, and I found that they are discriminating in many ways (depending on where you are, how are you going to pay, etc.)

I try to behave the same way with all my customers, thet buy 1 cheap book or a stack of keys. Well, CL does not, and I am affraid every other big action house does the same.

 

 

 

 

[jimbo_707]

I recently (earlier today) went to ha.com and pressed the "buy now" button on a book I've wanted for some time... I was very excited to see it on ha.com at the "buy now" price...

 

The biggest surprise is that you saw a book on ha.com with a buy-now price you were willing to pay.

 

I've seen plenty of books I'd like to own on the site with buy-now prices, but the buy-now prices are usually obscenely high, often at least twice fair market value by any objective assessment.

[BarryAllen]

Yes it is annoying.

 

 

:shrug:

 

 

[marvelcollector]

The button you clicked said "buy it now" ??

I thought it was "make an offer".

 

There are 2 buttons on some books - "buy now" and "make an offer". I used the "buy now" button...

 

which I learned does not mean what it means on almost every other site on the Internet...

 

You're right; there's a big difference between the two.

 

With ComicLink and ComicConnect you are clearly making an offer (Cl has the up to 5 day wait), but "Buy it Now" should be a done deal.

[wombat]

Clearly buy and now don't mean what CL think they mean. They should call it something else and be honest about the process.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

I read the comments and I find them amazingly soft.

 

"they are just brokering the deal", "they don't have the book in hand", "at any point the deal can be canceled", "I guess this is standard practice"., "five days of potential waiting" and so on.

I wonder what kind of comment I'd read if the subject was a board member and not HA.

I guess the comments would be not so light and there would be probably 50 pages of them.

 

Why is that? Basically, because HA and other major dealers have the "cool" books, so if you want it, you have to buy it from them, no matter what.

 

This site is full of members who use the double standard: if it's a major action house, no big deal. If it's member trying to sell a couple of books, then burn the witch.

 

Mind you, I belive this is a totally unfair practice, but I also belive that this bad behavior should be condemned the same way, if it's coming from HA or from any seller here on the board.

 

Personally, I once tryied to buy something from CL, before I joined the boards, and they replied with an email that was sent to a different email address (but still mine, how did they get the different email, it's a mystery to me). I asked to have all communication sent to the correct email, and they replied again at the wrong email address. When I pointed this to CL, I got a nasty reply saying that my account was canceled.

No need to say that CL will never see a dime from me.

This bad experience with CL pushed me to avoid any dealing with any major action house. I read the terms and conditions of the big ones, and I found that they are discriminating in many ways (depending on where you are, how are you going to pay, etc.)

I try to behave the same way with all my customers, thet buy 1 cheap book or a stack of keys. Well, CL does not, and I am affraid every other big action house does the same.

 

 

 

 

 

[EMG]

…….then do not get in the coin industry!!! LOLOLOLOL

 

 

I think its pretty much the business culture of todays world!!!

 

sadly!

[Sqeggs]

A few years ago, I reluctantly bought from Comiclink for the first time because they had a key book that I wanted. I pressed the Buy it Now button and because the shipping to the UK was expensive, I bought another couple of books to divide the shipping costs between. Got my order confirmation and figured tha all was well.

 

A while later, got the bill for the books, the one book tha I really wanted was unavailable and I was being charged for the other couple of lesser books. Tried emailing to explain that I only really wanted the unavailable book but didn't get a reply so in the end, I just paid for the others and forgot about it.

 

Then a couple of weeks later. I got an email from Comiclink that the other book was available should I wish to go ahead with the purchase. I emailed and got a brief unapologetic reply that the owner of the book had been on holiday and unreachable when I'd tried to buy it.

 

What a bloody stupid system. I was only giving Clink a try against my better judgement, lesson learnt.

 

Painful one. I will say that in my experience they've been pretty accommodating when I've called them about a problem.

[Sqeggs]

I read the comments and I find them amazingly soft.

 

"they are just brokering the deal", "they don't have the book in hand", "at any point the deal can be canceled", "I guess this is standard practice"., "five days of potential waiting" and so on.

I wonder what kind of comment I'd read if the subject was a board member and not HA.

I guess the comments would be not so light and there would be probably 50 pages of them.

 

Why is that? Basically, because HA and other major dealers have the "cool" books, so if you want it, you have to buy it from them, no matter what.

 

This site is full of members who use the double standard: if it's a major action house, no big deal. If it's member trying to sell a couple of books, then burn the witch.

 

Mind you, I belive this is a totally unfair practice, but I also belive that this bad behavior should be condemned the same way, if it's coming from HA or from any seller here on the board.

 

Personally, I once tryied to buy something from CL, before I joined the boards, and they replied with an email that was sent to a different email address (but still mine, how did they get the different email, it's a mystery to me). I asked to have all communication sent to the correct email, and they replied again at the wrong email address. When I pointed this to CL, I got a nasty reply saying that my account was canceled.

No need to say that CL will never see a dime from me.

This bad experience with CL pushed me to avoid any dealing with any major action house. I read the terms and conditions of the big ones, and I found that they are discriminating in many ways (depending on where you are, how are you going to pay, etc.)

I try to behave the same way with all my customers, thet buy 1 cheap book or a stack of keys. Well, CL does not, and I am affraid every other big action house does the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe we should put HA on the probation list!

[shadroch]

I read the comments and I find them amazingly soft.

 

"they are just brokering the deal", "they don't have the book in hand", "at any point the deal can be canceled", "I guess this is standard practice"., "five days of potential waiting" and so on.

I wonder what kind of comment I'd read if the subject was a board member and not HA.

I guess the comments would be not so light and there would be probably 50 pages of them.

 

Why is that? Basically, because HA and other major dealers have the "cool" books, so if you want it, you have to buy it from them, no matter what.

 

This site is full of members who use the double standard: if it's a major action house, no big deal. If it's member trying to sell a couple of books, then burn the witch.

 

Mind you, I belive this is a totally unfair practice, but I also belive that this bad behavior should be condemned the same way, if it's coming from HA or from any seller here on the board.

 

Personally, I once tryied to buy something from CL, before I joined the boards, and they replied with an email that was sent to a different email address (but still mine, how did they get the different email, it's a mystery to me). I asked to have all communication sent to the correct email, and they replied again at the wrong email address. When I pointed this to CL, I got a nasty reply saying that my account was canceled.

No need to say that CL will never see a dime from me.

This bad experience with CL pushed me to avoid any dealing with any major action house. I read the terms and conditions of the big ones, and I found that they are discriminating in many ways (depending on where you are, how are you going to pay, etc.)

I try to behave the same way with all my customers, thet buy 1 cheap book or a stack of keys. Well, CL does not, and I am affraid every other big action house does the same.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe we should put HA on the probation list!

 

 

I don't need a list to know who the bad actors in the hobby are.

[Artboy99]

The button you clicked said "buy it now" ??

I thought it was "make an offer".

 

There are 2 buttons on some books - "buy now" and "make an offer". I used the "buy now" button...

 

which I learned does not mean what it means on almost every other site on the Internet...

 

You're right; there's a big difference between the two.

 

With ComicLink and ComicConnect you are clearly making an offer (Cl has the up to 5 day wait), but "Buy it Now" should be a done deal.

 

Buy it now should be exactly that BUT I can see how it isn't. An owner can neglect to correct/update that the book had sold already and not inform the auction site.

I have received offers via Heritage for books I no longer own as an example. I have also been called by Comiclink themselves asking me to list books I no longer own because they have a record of me buying it from them. All I am saying is I can understand how "Buy it now" isn't.

Perhaps the auction houses should change the policy so that the only way a book can be "buy it now" is if they have possession of the book, otherwise it must always be "make an offer".

[VintageComics]

I read the comments and I find them amazingly soft.

 

"they are just brokering the deal", "they don't have the book in hand", "at any point the deal can be canceled", "I guess this is standard practice"., "five days of potential waiting" and so on.

I wonder what kind of comment I'd read if the subject was a board member and not HA.

I guess the comments would be not so light and there would be probably 50 pages of them.

 

Why is that? Basically, because HA and other major dealers have the "cool" books, so if you want it, you have to buy it from them, no matter what.

 

This site is full of members who use the double standard: if it's a major action house, no big deal. If it's member trying to sell a couple of books, then burn the witch.

 

Mind you, I belive this is a totally unfair practice, but I also belive that this bad behavior should be condemned the same way, if it's coming from HA or from any seller here on the board.

 

Personally, I once tryied to buy something from CL, before I joined the boards, and they replied with an email that was sent to a different email address (but still mine, how did they get the different email, it's a mystery to me). I asked to have all communication sent to the correct email, and they replied again at the wrong email address. When I pointed this to CL, I got a nasty reply saying that my account was canceled.

No need to say that CL will never see a dime from me.

This bad experience with CL pushed me to avoid any dealing with any major action house. I read the terms and conditions of the big ones, and I found that they are discriminating in many ways (depending on where you are, how are you going to pay, etc.)

I try to behave the same way with all my customers, thet buy 1 cheap book or a stack of keys. Well, CL does not, and I am affraid every other big action house does the same.

 

 

 

 

I didn't see anyone agree with the practice so I'm not sure what you mean by soft.

 

Personally, I think it sucks but what are your options?

 

Let's say you run a site like Heritage or Clink, what could they do better as a business owner to prevent it from happening?

 

For anyone who is in business for themselves, you can understand how complicated it can be just to manage regular employees. Never mind managing customers you've never met at the far ends of the world, customers who can be unethical and flighty or just customers who are hard to reach because they are busy or away.

 

The only other options I can think of are to guarantee service, which really is impossible because you are at the mercy of the consignor or to not have the consignment service at all.

 

I can sympathize with buyers. Short of jumping up and down and screaming bloody murder though, what is your recourse?

[rjpb]

A broker who doesn't actually have the book in possession can't be expected to guarantee availability, but this should be made more clear to potential buyers. In these cases, hitting the Buy It button is really just a full price offer not an actual transaction.

 

For us oldsters, it's not much different than the mail order days when you sent a SASE along with your check or money order to a seller in the CBG and had to wait a few weeks to see if you got the book or just your money returned.

[VintageComics]

A broker who doesn't actually have the book in possession can't be expected to guarantee availability, but this should be made more clear to potential buyers. In these cases, hitting the Buy It button is really just a full price offer not an actual transaction.

 

For us oldsters, it's not much different than the mail order days when you sent a SASE along with your check or money order to a seller in the CBG and had to wait a few weeks to see if you got the book or just your money returned.

 

Or something substituted.

 

 

Man, the kids of today have NO idea what it was like waiting weeks or even months to hear back.

 

[wombat]

 

Let's say you run a site like Heritage or Clink, what could they do better as a business owner to prevent it from happening?

 

 

Just remove the buy it now button. Seems easy enough.

[VintageComics]

 

Let's say you run a site like Heritage or Clink, what could they do better as a business owner to prevent it from happening?

 

 

Just remove the buy it now button. Seems easy enough.

 

I would say that the majority of transactions do go through though, don't they? So as a business owner, would you just eliminate that venue?

 

The Buy It Now optioins creates a sense of urgency for buyers who need a particular issue, much like bidding in an auction - gotta 'hit it' before someone else does.

 

Making an offer takes that urgency away.

 

Again, I agree that it sucks and it's borderline fraud but I don't know if eliminating it entirely is the solution.

 

Possibly policing your clients a little harder might be a solution but it's a fine line to walk because no business owner wants to alienate a potential client.

 

I guess if the problem becomes big enough on the consignment end and it effects potential buyers they'll do something about it but until then, I don't see much changing.

[wombat]

The only thing you are eliminating by taking the button away is confusion and disappointment. You still have the ability to make any offer you want with the make an offer button. Unless I'm missing something.

 

You said it yourself that it is "borderline fraud". I know if I ran a business I wouldn't want anything considered "borderline fraud" associated with my business.

 

 

[VintageComics]

The only thing you are eliminating by taking the button away is confusion and disappointment. You still have the ability to make any offer you want with the make an offer button. Unless I'm missing something.

 

You said it yourself that it is "borderline fraud". I know if I ran a business I wouldn't want anything considered "borderline fraud" associated with my business.

 

 

It's borderline fraud on the part of the consignor. Not the consignee. The consignee has a hard time forcing a consignor to do anything.

 

And again, as a business owner you generally want as many possible revenue streams as you can manage. Otherwise why be in business?

 

And ultimately, this really is a relatively small problem. It's not like 50% of all BIN's get rejected. I'd be surprised if it's more than just 2 or 3%.

 

As a collector it's a pain in the butt but I don't expect consignors to remove a BIN feature for a relatively small problem.

 

 

[wombat]

It is certainly misleading. And that is on HA. Any sense of "urgency" they are creating by having that misleading button is a false sense of urgency.

 

I don't see how this eliminates any revenue stream. You can still make any offer you want (including full price) with the make an offer button. If that button was taken away would buyers not make a full price offer if that is what they wanted to do in the first place? Seems very odd that they would.

 

Again, if it were my business I would not want to mislead anyone. I don't care if it 2 or 3% of the time. And certainly when it is easy enough to correct the issue.