Hard Knocks
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Messages
- 8,750
Since there's a good chance that trying to land a CPK is going to involve some proxy arrangements, and since I've had some questions by PM, I thought it might be a good idea to lay out what to expect in a proxy deal. It is possible that I will miss something that others can add to, or some of you might have experience in a proxy deal that went one way or another. Why was it good? What made it bad? Feel free to fill in the gaps.
First, what is a proxy? Merriam-Webster's definition: "a person who is given the power or authority to do something for someone else." In this case it will be authorizing someone to make a purchase for you.
Obviously there will be an element of trust between parties in a proxy purchase. Proxy deals work much better between parties with a previously-established relationship.
Here are some things to consider before entering a proxy arrangement:
#1. Buying by proxy is a deal between you and your proxy. This type of deal should in no way put any extra burden on the maker; i.e. the person standing as proxy should not request the maker to ship to any address other than his own. It is the proxy's responsibility to reship orders to the final owner.
#2. You should expect to pay extra when buying by proxy. Your proxy has secured your blade and will be taking on extra expense in order to ship it to you. Depending on how funds are transferred, your proxy may have fees that need to be covered as well. Make sure that it costs your proxy nothing monetarily to secure your knife for you.
#3. Make sure to get the funds to the person acting as proxy in a timely manner. This is a point that needs to be worked out between the two of you. Some proxies will need to recoup funds that they have spent shortly after the sale, and then get shipping costs from you in a second transfer. Others might be content to wait until the knife is in their hands and ready to ship to you so that the whole thing is wrapped up in one transfer. Absolutely expect to reimburse your proxy before he/she ships your blade. Good communication is key. Work this out early so that there are no surprises for either party.
#4. If you have your heart set on a certain color or material combination, make sure to convey that information. A little flexibility can mean the difference between a score or not in some of these fast sales. Ask yourself what you want and also what you can live with. For example, 'I really want a 3V blade and black micarta scales, but will be happy with any scales as long as the blade is 3V.' That's the kind of thing a proxy needs to know so that he/she can adjust on the fly. If you are absolutely dead set on a certain combo, convey that as well. For example, 'This will be a gift for my boy, and his school colors are black and blue, so I only want it if you can grab one with black & blue g10 and a black sheath.' Of course this may or may not apply to some sales with limited options, just be sure to communicate.
It's probably clear by now that there's a bunch of things that can go wrong with proxy buying. If you can avoid it, do so. Should you decide to ask someone to proxy for you, use someone you trust, and that trusts you. And, be patient and understanding of the hoops the proxy is trying to jump through to nail down your much-coveted blade. This thread should not be viewed as a promotion of buying by proxy. Rather it should be viewed as guidelines to help such a deal to go as smooth as possible.
These are the things that are coming to mind off the top of my head. I've had good experiences so far with this kind of thing. I'm sure others have had less than stellar experiences at times. If you've got something to add, feel free to do so. It will be good if someone considering this gets all the pros and cons before jumping in with both feet.
Cheers
David
First, what is a proxy? Merriam-Webster's definition: "a person who is given the power or authority to do something for someone else." In this case it will be authorizing someone to make a purchase for you.
Obviously there will be an element of trust between parties in a proxy purchase. Proxy deals work much better between parties with a previously-established relationship.
Here are some things to consider before entering a proxy arrangement:
#1. Buying by proxy is a deal between you and your proxy. This type of deal should in no way put any extra burden on the maker; i.e. the person standing as proxy should not request the maker to ship to any address other than his own. It is the proxy's responsibility to reship orders to the final owner.
#2. You should expect to pay extra when buying by proxy. Your proxy has secured your blade and will be taking on extra expense in order to ship it to you. Depending on how funds are transferred, your proxy may have fees that need to be covered as well. Make sure that it costs your proxy nothing monetarily to secure your knife for you.
#3. Make sure to get the funds to the person acting as proxy in a timely manner. This is a point that needs to be worked out between the two of you. Some proxies will need to recoup funds that they have spent shortly after the sale, and then get shipping costs from you in a second transfer. Others might be content to wait until the knife is in their hands and ready to ship to you so that the whole thing is wrapped up in one transfer. Absolutely expect to reimburse your proxy before he/she ships your blade. Good communication is key. Work this out early so that there are no surprises for either party.
#4. If you have your heart set on a certain color or material combination, make sure to convey that information. A little flexibility can mean the difference between a score or not in some of these fast sales. Ask yourself what you want and also what you can live with. For example, 'I really want a 3V blade and black micarta scales, but will be happy with any scales as long as the blade is 3V.' That's the kind of thing a proxy needs to know so that he/she can adjust on the fly. If you are absolutely dead set on a certain combo, convey that as well. For example, 'This will be a gift for my boy, and his school colors are black and blue, so I only want it if you can grab one with black & blue g10 and a black sheath.' Of course this may or may not apply to some sales with limited options, just be sure to communicate.
It's probably clear by now that there's a bunch of things that can go wrong with proxy buying. If you can avoid it, do so. Should you decide to ask someone to proxy for you, use someone you trust, and that trusts you. And, be patient and understanding of the hoops the proxy is trying to jump through to nail down your much-coveted blade. This thread should not be viewed as a promotion of buying by proxy. Rather it should be viewed as guidelines to help such a deal to go as smooth as possible.
These are the things that are coming to mind off the top of my head. I've had good experiences so far with this kind of thing. I'm sure others have had less than stellar experiences at times. If you've got something to add, feel free to do so. It will be good if someone considering this gets all the pros and cons before jumping in with both feet.
Cheers
David
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