A question for the forums: What is a reasonable time frame to expect a reply when doing a comic deal? 4 4

[Randall Dowling]

On 3/25/2023 at 11:50 PM, loganparker said:

I just wanted to clarify something about the prior sales thread that generated this thread. Speaking for myself only, the issue wasn’t that the seller didn’t respond to PMs quickly after payment was made. Life happens and that’s understandable. The issue was that it appeared the seller was still visiting the boards after payment was made but was not responding to PMs concerning the transaction. Had I known that it was possible for your profile to show that you were visiting the boards when you actually weren’t, I would have been much less concerned.

Makes total sense to me.  Thanks for stating that. 

[CAHokie]

On 3/26/2023 at 12:50 AM, loganparker said:

I just wanted to clarify something about the prior sales thread that generated this thread. Speaking for myself only, the issue wasn’t that the seller didn’t respond to PMs quickly after payment was made. Life happens and that’s understandable. The issue was that it appeared the seller was still visiting the boards after payment was made but was not responding to PMs concerning the transaction. Had I known that it was possible for your profile to show that you were visiting the boards when you actually weren’t, I would have been much less concerned.

True, but we know he visited the boards because he replied to a pm saying it’s Spring Break. He most likely should have squeezed in that extra 17 seconds to post the same thing in the thread letting them know he might be gone for a few weeks.

[CAHokie]

I don’t think a rule needs to be made either. This is a rare occurrence. Most people that are in financial stress will be trying to complete as many transactions as they can as quickly and smoothly as possible.

If everyone got their books then there is no rules broken. People can just add him to their own lists if they choose. I don’t think it matters too much because didn’t it say he just came back for this sales thread and not a regular?

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

On 3/26/2023 at 2:21 AM, KCOComics said:

For every sales thread I've run, I've always responded very quickly. Within an hour or so. I've always tried to promptly communicate updates on shipping / tracking info and I would ship within a day or two of payment. 

I bought a book on the forums once, and it took the seller a year to reply.

Spoiler

It was New years eve, and they messaged me next day. 

 

[Dr. Balls]

If I run a sales thread, I answer PMs within 24 hours. I will respond to payment made, and package shipped. I feel that if I run a sales thread, the least I can do is emulate a little of what the consumer expects to experience when making a purchase online, whether it's from me - a hobbyist - or a place like Amazon or Ebay.

Personal PMs, I don't really worry about. Sometimes people want to answer at length when they are sitting at their desk and not on their phone. Or they have other things going on and get to it later - but then it gets bumped down the list in the inbox and can be missed for days or weeks. I do understand that - as it's personal communication. I believe better care should be taken with PMs of a business nature, but that's just me.

I don't see that there has to be a rule or an enforcement of when people need to reply. We (as buyers on the Board) need to balance our need for information against the abilities of those providing it - that's just the way life goes in my experience.

 @Randall Dowling said it best saying (paraphrasing): the more rules you make, the harder it will be for people to sell - and that means less buying opportunities here on the Boards. @CAHokie mentioned this is a rare occurrence and I'd agree with both of these things. 

[lizards2]

I have had several trips to the coast, and three hunting trips in hills this past year where I was unable to have either cell service or internet or both for stretches of 5 to 12 days. I try to let folks know in advance when I disappear like that.

[Gaard]

On 3/26/2023 at 12:58 AM, Randall Dowling said:

Makes total sense to me.  Thanks for stating that. 

If what @loganparkersaid makes total sense to you, I'm unclear why you were so very disappointed in other members stating their concerns.

[skypinkblu]

While I think people should if at all possible, answer as quickly as possible, changing the "rules" is going to open a whole new can of worms.

If you change the rules to 24 hours, or 48 hours (for communication) what are you going to do if someone does not respond? You can't involve @CGC Mike, he's made it clear that CGC will not get involved.

So what would be the next step? Tar and feathering? Probation threads? Name calling? 

You'd have a lot more complaining threads to contend with...and probably half of them would have a reasonable reason for delaying for a few days.

We really have not had this issue occur that often and in this case it appears that people got their books, so I don't see the point of a rules change right now. 

 

[CAHokie]

On 3/26/2023 at 10:43 AM, skypinkblu said:

Tar and feathering?

I do enjoy a good tar and feathering! Can we create a sub-sec for this?  

[Dr. Balls]

On 3/26/2023 at 8:50 AM, CAHokie said:

I do enjoy a good tar and feathering! Can we create a sub-sec for this?  

Locked within 5 posts.

[lizards2]

On 3/26/2023 at 7:50 AM, CAHokie said:

On 3/26/2023 at 7:43 AM, skypinkblu said:

Tar and feathering?

I do enjoy a good tar and feathering! Can we create a sub-sec for this?  

I like the stocks in the public square idea as well. I'm getting my tomahtoes ready. 

 

[speedcake]

right. absolutely no reason to even be discussing this.  Thread was just started by someone who wanted to be right and to drum up more drama.

[VintageComics]

On 3/25/2023 at 7:58 PM, speedcake said:

You excel at putting words into the mouths of others and deliberately obfuscating the issue, I'll give you that. 

I said the rules are that you must give the other party 30 days for the transaction to be completed. It should be obvious to anyone not being disingenuous that if you don't receive a reply from a seller (in your example) after 29 days but receive the book(s) as agreed on the 30th day, transaction completed and over. You can then choose to not do business with that person again, and that would be perfectly reasonable of you.

If you don't receive a reply for 29 days and then also don't receive your books within the 30 day timeframe or there is another issue if/when you do receive your stuff, then that is what we have this sub-forum for.

You seem like someone who just likes to argue.  Everyone forum seems to have them.  Good luck with your crusade!

Ah, you and maybe 2 other people seem to be arguing against the rest of the forum and simple logic. 

You stated that the forums have a mechanism if someone doesn't respond within 30 days. 

I stated that that is FAR too long to wait for a reply. 

You stated and I will copy / past it here:

It simply does not matter that someone doesn't respond to you in one, or two, or even three days (just going by your extremely strict standards here) whether or not they are in the middle of a blizzard or just didn't feel like it.  What matters is whether the transactions are completed and no one gets screwed.  Then you can make a personal decision as to whether or not to do business with someone who doesn't communicate well.  

It matters in the sense that we should have a REASONABLE EXPECTATION of timely communication. 

Yes, ultimately if the deal is consummated and nobody is out money but it certainly creates a lot of turmoil when your money is hanging in the air. 

-----------------------------

I took all of the above as your position being 29 days of communication is fine. I know others took it that way too because they wrote it to me. 

So, to be clear 29 DAYS TO WAIT FOR COMMUNICATION IS NOT OK AND NEVER WILL BE. <<<-------This is all I'm arguing with you at this point. 

Glad we got that straightened out. 

[VintageComics]

On 3/25/2023 at 10:54 PM, Randall Dowling said:

This really doesn't seem so complicated to me.  Perhaps an additional component to listings requirements is to set an expectation for replying to PMs.  Something like:

"I work a full-time job during the week and have family obligations.  As such, I try to reply to PMs everyday but I don't live on these boards so it may take me up to 4 or 5 days to respond to messages."

If you don't like that time frame or you need more attention than that, don't purchase from the thread.  Simple.

People should probably keep in mind that if they keep making it harder and harder to sell on the boards, fewer people will do so.  And that's fewer opportunities to find books that you're looking for.  The previous sales thread was a mountain out of a molehill.  So far, everyone has gotten their books as ordered in a very fast time frame. 

Yes, I like people to reply as soon as possible to my messages.   But I don't freak out and assume the worst of them if it takes a few days for them to do so.  Frankly, this thread is asking for a solution without a problem.  Perhaps somebody can explain to me how the existing system failed. 

No. No. No. 

Why are we constantly trying to help people excuse poor behavior?

You will have less people selling here if the boards are full of shady selling practices than losing one or two sellers who can't comply with social norms. 

You are criticizing the wrong people. You have it backwards. Again. 

Being too nice is just as bad as not being nice enough. There is a middle road to every relationship where most reasonable people can agree things should be.

And I fully agree that if you have a stipulation in your sales thread that your communication may be sparse THEN people can choose whether or not to deal with that seller. I myself have had that stipulation in my sales threads when I've been busy. 

That's common decency and common sense.

On 3/26/2023 at 12:50 AM, loganparker said:

Speaking for myself only, the issue wasn’t that the seller didn’t respond to PMs quickly after payment was made. Life happens and that’s understandable. The issue was that it appeared the seller was still visiting the boards after payment was made but was not responding to PMs concerning the transaction.

Yes. 

[speedcake]

where is the block button? serious question

NM, I found it.  good riddance to bad rubbish

Edited March 26, 2023 by speedcake

[VintageComics]

On 3/26/2023 at 7:56 AM, CAHokie said:

I don’t think a rule needs to be made either. This is a rare occurrence. Most people that are in financial stress will be trying to complete as many transactions as they can as quickly and smoothly as possible.

If everyone got their books then there is no rules broken. People can just add him to their own lists if they choose. I don’t think it matters too much because didn’t it say he just came back for this sales thread and not a regular?

Just to be clear, I wasn't really asking for a rule change.

I just wanted to have the discussion (just like we did about a decade ago) so that the community, especially new members can get a sense of what the expectations here are. That's all. 

As always, I'm happy to abide by what the majority feels is correct. 

And this isn't directed at you, but if someone doesn't want to have the discussion they can leave the thread rather than tell people what they should be posting about. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by VintageComics

[ThothAmon]

[VintageComics]

On 3/26/2023 at 6:28 PM, speedcake said:

where is the block button? serious question

Hover your cursor over my profile, hit the Ignore button. 

[CAHokie]

On 3/26/2023 at 6:30 PM, VintageComics said:

Hover your cursor over my profile, hit the Ignore button. 

It’s more difficult if you only visit using the phone. I know, because i keep trying to block you and it won’t let me. 

[VintageComics]

On 3/26/2023 at 7:19 PM, CAHokie said:

It’s more difficult if you only visit using the phone. I know, because i keep trying to block you and it won’t let me.