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Forum selling/buying guidelines HELP

N

NVswitch

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Hi Everyone, I had a situation come up today that I would like feedback from members of this forum for future dealings.
A knife came up for sale that I have been looking for and I responded with both a reply to the original thread and a PM that I would take and asked for payment instructions. I closed out and went with my wife to do a couple errands planning to check messages later in the day.
I made the offer at 1:30 pm and checked back at 6pm During that time, the seller responded letting me know it was mine. Then after another hour and a half I received another message stating that since I had not replied back with payment in that time frame he has moved on to the next buyer. In our conversations, it was stated to me that it is common and understood that buyers need to respond with payment within an hour or else the seller will move on. I was also told that most online forums that sell knives have this understood practice.
I realize that the deal did not pan out but I am looking for advise and understanding for future dealings on what is a “reasonable” time frame to wait before completion of an agreed upon deal. I do a fair amount of buying and selling on other forums unrelated to knives and I have never had a deal go south under these circumstances. I guess, for me, a usual time frame is completion sale is sometime that same day.
What are your thoughts and understanding on this topic.
Thanks Mike
 
Honestly everyone seems to differ on this one from posts in previous threads.

I mostly waited a day when I sold, but a lot of people expect immediate payment. I get it, but it's maybe not the most friendly way of selling.
 
Bullsh*t. It's neither written nor implied. And it's for sure not "common and understood that buyers need to respond with payment within an hour or else the seller will move on". Where is that unwritten rule written??

However, to be completely transparent, in my posts I CLEARLY state payment is expected immediately after buyer claims a knife/item. My philosophy is that if you have time to look on BF for knives to buy while you're at work, shopping with your wife and family or whatever, then you have time to take the one minute to pay. Yes, it takes one minute.

One more thing, Mike, while there's no "1 hour rule", I wouldn't have waited 6 hours for you either. But, that's just me.
 
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In the end it is up to the seller. Did you let the seller know that you were going to be offline for over 4 hours?

Often, when I am listing a knife, there is a flood of interest right away, and then it slows down. From that point of view, I don't blame the seller for "striking while the iron is hot". Additionally, there have been numerous cases where someone says that they will take it, and then go completely silent.
 
Some are very anxious and will not wait for payment, but on the other hand some say I'll take it and then just disappear. It may have helped greatly if you had stated that you would be out of contact for a few hours. Then the buyer would know what was going on and likely would have waited. Good communication makes for good transactions.
 
The problem I have with arbitrary timeframes for payment is they fail to factor life into the equation. When I claim a knife, I'm usually prepared to pay immediately... if the seller doesn't reply for an hour (or longer) I may not be available to do so. I've withdrawn claims after varying amounts of time, simply because I will no longer be available to receive payment information & complete the transaction in a timely manner. (Before commenting on that, realize that I do not post claims or withdrawals in the ads - all communication with sellers is via PM or email.)

If a seller is going to require payment within a limited time period, his responses should be subject to the same requirement.
(I had one of those within an hour sellers get pissed at me for withdrawing after 5 hrs without a response.
 
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In all things related to the Exchange, communication and consideration :) for both BF members is key.

Having said that....
there's absolutely ZERO reason to leave a seller on the hook WONDERING what/when your next move will be as a buyer.

Consider this...
A buyer has time <at the moment> to post up an "I'll take it" and/or DM the seller, so it follows that the buyer should also have the time and consideration to transfer funds immediately or ask for an extension and make arrangements with a clear timeframe for when the funds will be sent-- at/around that same moment as the "I'll take it."

At that point...
it's entirely the seller's prerogative to decide whether to continue with the deal or move on to the next BF member interested in the blade.

Keep this in mind...
If you're buying/selling/trading on BF it should be fun and you should be making friends-- if you're doing it right.
If either party's getting mad, putting folks on "ignore," or burning bridges, then it's definitely time to move along.

When you find time, peruse the thread below vvv...and most of all, ENJOY the hobby!
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/suggestions-on-how-a-deal-ought-to-go-down.1494378/
 
Adding a few thing:
I certainly prefer to be paid quickly and this allows me to ship quickly-same day if at all possible.
If I can't pay quickly since I haven't received the payment info yet and have to move on (such as dealing with Ca. members late at night), I notify them that I still want it and it will be paid for at the earliest possible time(which I state).
I will usually give 24 Hrs. before I totally dump someone. At which point I am not happy at all, if they haven't contacted me. This is more than ample time to at least contact me. If I have another buyer I may try to contact them to confirm their interest.
If you contact me and make arrangements you can have almost any amount of time needed to pay. I am glad to hold it as long as you complete the deal or at least let me know you can't.
People that just disappear really piss me off
 
Peter Hartwig said:
If you contact me and make arrangements you can have almost any amount of time needed to pay. I am glad to hold it as long as you complete the deal or at least let me know you can't.
People that just disappear really piss me off
Click to expand...

Timely communication is the key to success, it all starts there. You hit the nail spot on, and it’s not rocket science.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
Some are very anxious and will not wait for payment, but on the other hand some say I'll take it and then just disappear. It may have helped greatly if you had stated that you would be out of contact for a few hours. Then the buyer would know what was going on and likely would have waited. Good communication makes for good transactions.
Click to expand...
...... this probably sums it up. As I am in a timezone differing from the majority of people I deal with on BF I always give and indication of when i will make payment or next be online. (ie if I am posting late night here it may be I am off to bed soon or I have to work, I have NEVER had a seller take exception to me saying "I'm at work for a few hours and will make payment as soon as I am home that should be in about 4hrs from this message"). Communication communication communication........
 
Communication is the key. If I'm selling, I should be up front that I want payment within X time frame. If I'm buying, I should be up front that I won't be able to pay until X time frame because Y. If both parties do that, no problems.
 
"At that point...
it's entirely the seller's prerogative to decide whether to continue with the deal or move on to the next BF member interested in the blade."

Interesting to learn. This place is a very "unique" venue for buying and selling. in the real world, if the seller accepts the buyer's offer to buy, there is a binding contract. Payment is due in a "reasonable" time thereafter, not determined solely as a matter of imperial prerogative by the seller but "under all the circumstances."
 
Thomas Linton said:
"At that point...
it's entirely the seller's prerogative to decide whether to continue with the deal or move on to the next BF member interested in the blade."

Interesting to learn. This place is a very "unique" venue for buying and selling. in the real world, if the seller accepts the buyer's offer to buy, there is a binding contract. Payment is due in a "reasonable" time thereafter, not determined solely as a matter of imperial prerogative by the seller but "under all the circumstances."
Click to expand...
Not only the seller can move on, so can the buyer. We have no way to force them to complete the deal, nor would you want to (this side of legal action, which no one is going to do).
If the ad was done right restrictive time limits would be included-again falling under good communication.
IMO these should be friendly transactions between members and not overly complicated. I see some ads with a 1/2 page of legal then barely anything on the item to be sold.
 
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I COMPLETELY understand that everyone wants to be paid asap and I'm just playing devil's advocate here I have no dig in this fight. If you need the money that bad state in your ad that this is a stipulation but be ready to respond in a timely manner also. As a seller you can't reasonably expect someone to sit at their computer and await your response. As has been said already, we all have lives. The FLIP side..... As a buyer, with all the B's that goes on around here you can't just claim something and go dark for hours at a time without saying "hey I want this knife. If you're not available to respond right away I will be out and about for (x amount of time)." And depending on how bad you want the knife you can throw in " Here's my email or phone number if payment is required immediately".........

Tldr; my useless opinion:D:D
 
It sounds like you didn't let the Seller know of the time - as in the time frame of non contact- in the mean time the seller is probably getting traffic - possibly serious buyers- and he doesn't know if your a time waster or not.
I sympathise but as a Seller I would do the same, as a Buyer I immediately contact the seller- as you did, being in NZ here there's a huge gap in time so there always communication to the max so we both know where we are, and usually if I buy a knife - or say I take it I will pay immediately if shipping prices are already dealt with - or I may get it shipped to my good friends House in ND.

Like the others have said- communication is the key to all successful transactions.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
Not only the seller can move on, so can the buyer. We have no way to force them to complete the deal, nor would you want to (this side of legal action, which no one is going to do).
If the ad was done right restrictive time limits would be included-again falling under good communication.
IMO these should be friendly transactions between members and not overly complicated. I see some ads with a 1/2 page of legal then barely anything on the item to be sold.
Click to expand...

Sure, anyone can fail to keep a legal commitment. However, there can be consequences.

If a buyer breaches his contract, there can be consequences with PayPal.

Suits are only practical if "enough" money is involved.

Buyers who "back out" can get negative posts here and elsewhere, so folks know the buyer's word is devalued.
 
No, there is no binding contract or legal requirement to buy by just saying you will purchase something.

If you tell a worker in a store you're going to buy something, is there a legal requirement to pay at that point? Of course not. Saying you'll buy something on a forum is even less "binding".

..not to mention it's not clear what set of laws we're even talking about, considering people are in separate towns/cities, states, and countries.
 
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