Is sneaky marketing ok as long as it brings in the comic buyers?

[1Cool]

Had a situation last night that started an argument at my house. A person on one of the Facebook threads posted a picture of a nice set of Harley Quinn books that were going to be sold that evening. The picture showed a Hughes Variant #1 on the right side of the picture along with some assorted $5 - $10 pretty common Harley books. Of course everyone started asking how much the Hughes book was going to be and the guy didn't answer but instead kept on posting books.

 

Long story short - it turns out to be the Mexican Variant of the book and the guy had deliberately taken the picture to cover the wording on the cover which made it impossible to tell it was the Mexican variant. I got pissed since I felt like he had deliberately deceived me to keep me waiting a half hour for this book (at which time I ended up buying another book) and I asked to cancel my purchase since I didn't want to do business with someone who was so sneaky.

 

My wife (and several people on Facebook) sided with the seller and thought it was an acceptable form of advertising since he had not actually lied and said the book was not the Mexican variant. Did I overreact? Do you feel all is fair in advertising?

[Jeffro.]

Sounds misleading to me.

[Heronext]

My pet peeves are overuse of the word "rare" in eBay listings. Overhyping a book's potential future value is also a turn-off.

 

Isn't a Mexican variant more desirable/valuable though? Not quite following

[mysterio]

If he had wanted FMV for the Hughes variant would you still have been interested?

[FineCollector]

This is a recent variant? ... advertising to the younger demographic is different than to the vintage buyers, I'd say. It is Facebook too... If you're going fishing in that hole, suck it up.

[Doktor]

I think you're more upset that he wasted your time than anything. Because when that book actually came up for sale, it appears as though he was honest about what it was.

 

I'd be irritated by the waste of my time too, but I don't think he did anything wrong. It's not much different than if someone had a stack of books that included a reprint Tec 27 or something & when that came up for sale, he was honest that it was a reprint but since it looked legit from the preview "all these books will be for sale" picture & he didn't point out that it was a reprint before listing it, I would feel like I had my time wasted. Buuuuttt... I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with it. Frustrating & disappointing? Sure. Wrong? Not really.

[1Cool]

My pet peeves are overuse of the word "rare" in eBay listings. Overhyping a book's potential future value is also a turn-off.

 

Isn't a Mexican variant more desirable/valuable though? Not quite following

 

Mexican variant is a $50 - $60 book and the English version is several hundred dollar book and big money if its a 9.6/9.8.

[1Cool]

If he had wanted FMV for the Hughes variant would you still have been interested?

 

If it was a high grade copy I'd have definitely been interested but with all the people watching and buying rom the thread I wasn't positive I would get the book. It was the fact that the picture was taken to purposely mislead that upset me. I compared it to a car dealer taking a picture which shows the whole car but is taken at an angle to not show the huge ding in the car door.

[1Cool]

I think you're more upset that he wasted your time than anything. Because when that book actually came up for sale, it appears as though he was honest about what it was.

 

I'd be irritated by the waste of my time too, but I don't think he did anything wrong. It's not much different than if someone had a stack of books that included a reprint Tec 27 or something & when that came up for sale, he was honest that it was a reprint but since it looked legit from the preview "all these books will be for sale" picture & he didn't point out that it was a reprint before listing it, I would feel like I had my time wasted. Buuuuttt... I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with it. Frustrating & disappointing? Sure. Wrong? Not really.

 

Definitely - I only lost time but I also lost the desire to buy his books. I completely understand why he did it since he would have lost half his audience if he would have posted a picture which showed the Mexico text but it didn't make it right. He never said it was the English version so I can't say he lied but what he did went beyond good marketing in my opinion. Other people thought all is fair in love and war.

[techtre2003]

If he had wanted FMV for the Hughes variant would you still have been interested?

 

If it was a high grade copy I'd have definitely been interested but with all the people watching and buying rom the thread I wasn't positive I would get the book. It was the fact that the picture was taken to purposely mislead that upset me. I compared it to a car dealer taking a picture which shows the whole car but is taken at an angle to not show the huge ding in the car door.

 

But they weren't misleading when the book actually came up for sale though, correct?

If it were just a "preview" picture that hid the fact it was a Mexican variant, I'd compare it more to a good movie trailer for a crappy movie or a burger on a fast food commercial compared to what you actually get at the fast food joint.

 

I'd be a little peeved too but I don't think it's anything out of the ordinary. Backing out of a deal may not look so good on your part although I don't know how Facebook groups work so maybe that's more acceptable than it is here.

[seanfingh]

 

 

So, you see something that that you can potentially flip for phat stacks in a picture. You lie in wait for that to be posted, hoping it is cheap enough to allow for sufficient stack phatness. When it turns out to be a reprint, even though the seller made no mention of what it was or wasn't, you assume that he hid it on purpose, get pissed, cancel other purchases, and then make a thread about it on the Internet?

 

via Imgflip Meme Maker

[Iceman399]

Sneaky yes

Cancel transaction no

Buy from again, likely not

 

Stay off of facebook, its a bunch of tweens trying to get their dealer on. A couple of my favourites include the guy who buys a book off ebay and before its even in his hands he has it on facebook for 30% premium...of course I want to pay $150 for your ASM 300 in a cgc 3.5. The guy who is looking to buy that hot book but "not pay ebay prices". Finally the trader...I have 25 random books I want to trade it for a hulk 181 or ASM129

[joeypost]

I only buy from reputable sources or if I can inspect the books in person.

[1Cool]

 

So, you see something that that you can potentially flip for phat stacks in a picture. You lie in wait for that to be posted, hoping it is cheap enough to allow for sufficient stack phatness. When it turns out to be a reprint, even though the seller made no mention of what it was or wasn't, you assume that he hid it on purpose, get pissed, cancel other purchases, and then make a thread about it on the Internet?

 

via Imgflip Meme Maker

 

Here is the picture he posted which is why I feel he intentionally covered up the Mexico logo on the left side. Did I assume incorrectly?

 

[seanfingh]

 

This is all about your agenda, not his.

[comix4fun]

 

So, you see something that that you can potentially flip for phat stacks in a picture. You lie in wait for that to be posted, hoping it is cheap enough to allow for sufficient stack phatness. When it turns out to be a reprint, even though the seller made no mention of what it was or wasn't, you assume that he hid it on purpose, get pissed, cancel other purchases, and then make a thread about it on the Internet?

 

via Imgflip Meme Maker

 

Here is the picture he posted which is why I feel he intentionally covered up the Mexico logo on the left side. Did I assume incorrectly?

 

 

 

I would have agreed with you that it looks like he's hiding the wording on that variant, but it looks like the book next to it has 2 autographs on the front cover and one is near the right hand border...so that book gets shown without overlap.

 

Could be intentional to hide the variant or he could be trying to show off the sigs.

 

Either way you've got as much to assume he did nothing wrong as that he did something wrong. 50-50 propositions tell me I should keep my assumptions to myself.

[Gaard]

...guy had deliberately taken the picture to cover the wording on the cover

 

 

If this is true, then he was being dishonest

[1Cool]

 

So, you see something that that you can potentially flip for phat stacks in a picture. You lie in wait for that to be posted, hoping it is cheap enough to allow for sufficient stack phatness. When it turns out to be a reprint, even though the seller made no mention of what it was or wasn't, you assume that he hid it on purpose, get pissed, cancel other purchases, and then make a thread about it on the Internet?

 

via Imgflip Meme Maker

 

Here is the picture he posted which is why I feel he intentionally covered up the Mexico logo on the left side. Did I assume incorrectly?

 

 

 

I would have agreed with you that it looks like he's hiding the wording on that variant, but it looks like the book next to it has 2 autographs on the front cover and one is near the right hand border...so that book gets shown without overlap.

 

Could be intentional to hide the variant or he could be trying to show off the sigs.

 

Either way you've got as much to assume he did nothing wrong as that he did something wrong. 50-50 propositions tell me I should keep my assumptions to myself.

 

It would be naïve to think he didn't know what he was doing. He covered up the logo on the book. He repeatedly did not answer questions about the price of the book. His prices were dead on FMV. I'm comfortable saying he knew what he was doing. The question is was it right.

 

I asked him to let me out of buying his book and he agreed so we are good but I'm most concerned about the idea that it's ok to blatantly be sneaky to draw in customers. Maybe its common practice and I just do not notice it.

[mysterio]

...guy had deliberately taken the picture to cover the wording on the cover

 

 

If this is true, then he was being dishonest

 

Or, he photographed the cover and said nothing about it one way or the other. Where is the misrepresentation, unless you are suggesting that he doctored the photo he provided?

 

Making an assumption that it is the American version is on the prospective buyer doing the assuming/hoping. If the seller did not make a false claim about the variant in question, but is simply guilty of posting a photo and not confirming/denying the assumption that the prospective buyer was making in their own head, how is that a misrepresentation?

[Davenport]

This is all about your agenda, not his.

Mexican variant is a $50 - $60 book and the English version is several hundred dollar book and big money if its a 9.6/9.8.

A $50/$60 modern means someone finds it desirable. And 9.6/9.8 from a photo is still a crapshoot at best. So, yeah, it seems like someone's greedometer got pegged for a halfhour by an internet photo. Along with the luck of a good wife to help keep their head on straight.