Getting screwed out of deals left and right on this site

[nathanbs]

I don't know what's going on lately but the etiquette on pelican 911 parts classifieds is to be desired. First case in point was a pair of Carrera spoilers for sale. I was second to comment publicly that I want them. Seller contacted me and said first in line was not replying and that he had one more hour to reply. Next day I finally managed to get PayPal address out of the guy and 2 hours later I paid via PayPal only to find out that he sold to first seller one hour earlier. Am I wrong to be pissed? Second case again I commented next in line and then someone after commented add me to the list, next day seller calls out third guy in line by name, the guy that commented after me, and says so and so you're up they are yours if you want them. I commented I think I got skipped and seller commented this site is all about the PM's. Why would I pm a seller when I am trying to politely wait my turn in line. I'm thinking it's up to the seller to say something similar to what the second guy said when he called out the third guy in line except he should have have said my name instead. Apparently third guy pm'd him and weaseled the deal. Again pissed. What the hell. Thanks for letting me rant.

[WPOZZZ]

I tend to PM the seller instead of posting on the thread. If it is a desirable part, when you post, you bump the thread up as well, for more people to see. You can post as well as PM, but that it up to you. When you send a PM, most people get a pop up notifying them of such. So, a PM gets more attention than a post.

[nathanbs]

Thanks for the advice and I have thought about the bump aspect. My fear would be that someone else comments Sold on the post while I may have sent a pm saying sold and it would/should raise controversy with the guy who posted sold on the post

[matt930s]

The 1st person to say "I will take it" in the public post should get it. The buyer than pays within a reasonable time set by the seller. I always pay immediately or as soon as I get PayPal info.

I bought a rather expensive item at a good price and the seller had several people contact him via PM to offer more money. The seller wasn't a novice and offered the item for what he wanted. He honored the deal with me.

Committing in the thread provides a solid no BS way to keep everyone honest. If the first guy doesn't come through, move to the second, or third and so on....

MattR

[Rawknees'Turbo]

^^^

Totally agree with Phat (***forum dating***) - the whole "PMs rule the day" stuff is complete nonsense given where the parts are being sold (on a public message board).

[wayner]

I pm the seller to get their immediate attention, and then post on the forum right away to serve notice.

All bases covered...

[nathanbs]

Thanks guys I think I just wanted to hear that I wasn't crazy. I will do as above and both PM and post on the thread

[christiandk]

Agreed. The Porsche crowd is not what it used to be. A lot of riff raff these days. It started around 2010 and I blame the central banks.

[timchar]

It's unfortunately not in forum rules to say, "I'll take it". I believe it says pm or contact seller. I always say, " I will take it pm sent." So I send pm after. I've been burnt thinking I was first in line. Some guys go by pms received and some go by the first post. Seems elementary but hey, nothing's simple anymore. Tim

[timchar]

It would be nice to se a "sold" on the thread once money is received and it's actually SOLD...Gimme a break. Tim

[matt930s]

It's the "backdoor PM" for more $ that screws most people. (Go ahead Ronnie)...


MattR

[timchar]

Originally Posted by matt930s

It's the "backdoor PM" for more $ that screws most people. (Go ahead Ronnie)...


MattR

Matt, Ronnies rubbing off on you..lol, Tim

[ficke]

I pretty much quite selling parts here and now only use E-bay because of all this misunderstanding with buyers.
Last transaction went like this. Part listed for $30 plus shipping, guy A post "you got a PM" and offers $30 if I include shipping. Guy B says I will take it, so I sell it to B and reply no to A. A gets mad and says he was first in line, blah blah,
Ebay is real straight forward and none of this " I was first in line with a PM" " I was first in line with a post""I was first to post I was interested" "I said I will take but just need a week to get back to you because I am out of town" Etc.

[Matt Monson]

I avoid this confusion and am very clear in my ads. No dibs. Pm me. If you go awol I very quickly move down the line. People who don't read get zero love. Never had a problem sale.

[nathanbs]

Problem with that Matt is you and only you know what order people PM'd you in. I prefer some transparency.

[Matt Monson]

There is no transparency on CL. Basically none on EBay. Never been a concern of mine in 18 years of car forums, long before I had a business reputation to worry about.

[nathanbs]

That's why Craigslist sucks, eBay is completely transparent as it's first come first serve structured within the programming of eBay's functions.

[wayner]

If the first person says I'll take it for less and the next guy says I'll pay full price who am I supposed to give dibs to??

[JordanPryce]

Guys, the seller has the right to sell the part to the highest offer. It's not a matter of who enquired first, it's a matter of who the seller COMMITTED to first. Once the seller has accepted an offer, it's his responsibility to reserve the item, just as it's the buyer's responsibility to make timely payment. All that being said, I'd rather buy from a Pelican than on ebay any day. At least there is a sense of community and I can look back at the seller's previous posts and see how they interact with the community, etc.

[matt930s]

Originally Posted by wayner

If the first person says I'll take it for less and the next guy says I'll pay full price who am I supposed to give dibs to??

The guy with full offer , unless you committed to the first lesser offer.

MattR