• The rules for The Exchange can be found here. Please read and follow them. Stop using Paypal Friends & Family and follow our best practices to prevent getting ripped off or having a bad deal.

Tired of Bad Mannered New "Shoppers"

M

Murindo

Gold Member
Feedback: 172 / 0 / 0
Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
1,943
I've seen too much of this lately and today was a perfect example.

A seller listed a LNIB knife for a reasonable price.

A new member (21 Sep 2021) posted "I'll take it for $ XXXX" which was $ 50 below the listing.

I know it would lower new memberships but I think new members should have to get paying memberships to buy
 
I'd prefer to have as many buyers as possible personally, no additional limitations. You right now if you want can put on your own listings only paying members can buy. Just do that.

I don't see a problem with people asking for asking for a lower price in the thread. The seller can say no. It doesn't trash the listing. I'm not sure I understand the issue.
 
Murindo said:
I've seen too much of this lately and today was a perfect example.

A seller listed a LNIB knife for a reasonable price.

A new member (21 Sep 2021) posted "I'll take it for $ XXXX" which was $ 50 below the listing.

I know it would lower new memberships but I think new members should have to get paying memberships to buy
Click to expand...
In the past when that has happened to me, I say "No, thank you.", give it a bit, and then request a mod remove the comment.
 
Murindo said:
I've seen too much of this lately and today was a perfect example.

A seller listed a LNIB knife for a reasonable price.

A new member (21 Sep 2021) posted "I'll take it for $ XXXX" which was $ 50 below the listing.

I know it would lower new memberships but I think new members should have to get paying memberships to buy
Click to expand...
I don't see the problem. If someone posts in my sale thread with something like that, I'll just quote and reply and say "No, you won't."
 
As a new member he just isn't familiar with etiquette. He also likely is not a paid member with PM ability. I would help this individual rather than getting mad. I also would not accept the offer.
As newbie crimes go, this is pretty minor IMO
 
It's not my sale posting so it is out of order for me to post a response. It goes against the practice of not posting in a sales thread unless it's an "I'll take it" unqualified.

I agree as an individual "newbie crime" it's a minor one. However my observation is that it's becoming more prevalent.

Maybe giving newbies 5 PM's would help.
 
I joined here as a gold level member 3/18/2018 and did some lurking before that since about 2016 maybe a bit sooner. I have noticed a change in the knife exchange from back then till now. At first I was of the understanding that the exchange was for members to help other members acquire knives for their personal collection at a reasonable price. Or to liquidate a collection to other collectors who shared the passion for knives. I bought a few like that at a reasonable price and I haven’t sold any of the knives I’ve bought since then. If I ever do it will be to a paying member here in good standing who has contributed to this site and is a genuine knife nut.

Now a days it seems it’s become another auction site open to anyone willing to pay the price or make an offer for less and maybe flipped on another site for a big profit. Kinda sounds like an auction to me. There are a few knives I’d like to get to go in my collection but the prices and seeing the flippers who only post activity is in the exchange, It really has dampened my interest and I rarely check the exchange anymore. It just isn’t as enjoyable as it once was.
 
I agree with paid memberships to buy, for a couple of reasons.

First, something about someone being a paid member inspires more confidence in the transaction… like they have at least SOMEthing to lose if they screw up a deal (even if just $10).

Secondly, you don’t see it so much in the regular folders section but I’d assume there are a lot of people that don’t have paid memberships that squat and wait for a deal so they can swoop in and re-sell on the bay or elsewhere (maybe more frequent with GEC knives). Although paying members could do it too, it’s probably less frequent.

But there are cons to it, like a limited market making it tougher to sell. Although the number of people I’ve sold knives to that weren’t paid members is probably 1 in 5.
 
I agree that is was not proper etiquette, but I have seen worse from new members. I think you should give them a pass and, as P Peter Hartwig said, help them out.

I do not agree with requiring a paid membership to buy on the Exchange. I actually had someone join just to buy a CRK I was selling - the transaction worked out fine.
 
The problem is, we’re getting old and the world before us is changing. Manners and consideration are becoming obsolete, as others have stated, giving people help will do more good than anything else.
The inappropriate posts are hopefully helping sellers be more creative with their listings. Sometimes, it seems that the sellers invite such comments :oops:
 
This is real simple as a seller if you only want buyers who are paying members.

Lock your thread.

Direct coms to pm, or don't. Paying members will figure it out, or if the can't you may not want them as a buyer. The market of paying buyers here isn't too small. What you are selling may not be desirable enough to the membership and/or the price is too high, if it doesn't move.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top