Classified ads etiquette, tips and tricks

[Idaho44]

Buyer and seller beware, the "wanted to buy" section does have trolls and some folks who are not ashamed to part you dollars or items from you. Sad but true. This is not new and will only get worse with time and the lack of ethics or mores.

 

[11Charlie]

Buyer and seller beware, the "wanted to buy" section does have trolls and some folks who are not ashamed to part you dollars or items from you. Sad but true. This is not new and will only get worse with time and the lack of ethics or mores.

Report them.

 

[Mikej]

I know this has been discussed before. Maybe it's just me? But dayum, if you have FIVE different types of ammo. Or four different reloading components, IE two types brass, two style/weight bullets. Powder, and primers? You can group similar items in ONE thread.

Thank you for your time.

 

[11Charlie]

I know this has been discussed before. Maybe it's just me? But dayum, if you have FIVE different types of ammo. Or four different reloading components, IE two types brass, two style/weight bullets. Powder, and primers? You can group similar items in ONE thread.

Thank you for your time.

In fact it would make it easier! Easier on the the OP and the mods. Common sense is dead

 

[Mikej]

In fact it would make it easier! Easier on the the OP and the mods. Common sense is dead

Yeah, I realize there's not much you can do. Too many rules, and too much moderation, make an ifish.

 

[Mygrainman]

I know this has been discussed before. Maybe it's just me? But dayum, if you have FIVE different types of ammo. Or four different reloading components, IE two types brass, two style/weight bullets. Powder, and primers? You can group similar items in ONE thread.

Thank you for your time.

In fact it would make it easier! Easier on the the OP and the mods. Common sense is dead

Not to mention you'll get more clicks...
If a title simply says "Reloading Components" instead of itemized powders, projos, etc... anybody that reloads is going to click and to see if it's something they need.
One mans common sense, is another mans brilliant idea.

 

[Mikej]

If a title simply says "Reloading Components" instead of itemized powders, projos, etc... anybody that reloads is going to click and to see if it's something they need.

This IS true.

 

[11Charlie]

I personally would put everything in one add and break it down. I just bought a bunch of reloading stuff and will be selling some of it when I get everything organized.

I guess we will see.

 

[dplev4]

My issue is when I receive a PM stating: "I'll take it" and I PM back and ask where the buyer would like to do the transfer and never hear from them again. Before I would close the thread or list "SPF" when I got an "I'll take it" but now I no longer do that and feel like I am the one not bering honest since I did not list the "SPF." Problem is that when you list SPF and deal falls through or goes silent, I guess is a better description, buyers that might have been interested look elsewhere. This isn't a common occurrence but it is a frustrating one, I wish I knew how to better handle. I realize that folks get busy but how hard what it be to let the seller know you "changed your mind" or whatever.

 

[Mikej]

My issue is when I receive a PM stating: "I'll take it" and I PM back and ask where the buyer would like to do the transfer and never hear from them again. Before I would close the thread or list "SPF" when I got an "I'll take it" but now I no longer do that and feel like I am the one not bering honest since I did not list the "SPF." Problem is that when you list SPF and deal falls through or goes silent, I guess is a better description, buyers that might have been interested look elsewhere. This isn't a common occurrence but it is a frustrating one, I wish I knew how to better handle. I realize that folks get busy but how hard what it be to let the seller know you "changed your mind" or whatever.

Until I've had some meaningful VOICE conversation, NO SPF.

 

[Cigarlvr313]

I've read all of this and now I'm confused..........I've never even thought about consolidating ads. Is it that important? If so why?

 

[Mygrainman]

Consolidation may or may not be useful. If you've got 20 reloading items in one ad, you're sure not gonna get them all on the subject line, so folks searching for an item are not likely gonna see what they're looking for in an ad.

On the other hand, if you have two boxes of 9mm ammo for sale, one 115 grain and one 124 grain, there's room for both in the subject line, and nothing gets lost in the ad.

Also, when you've got many items in one ad, it becomes cumbersome to start editing what is sold and what is not.

So...if a feller has a couple items for sale, and creates two separate ads, i think there's more positive than negative.

And ya know what else I think? Maybe you don't care, but when i see folks bellyaching about an ad, I wonder if that person would have bought the item if it had been in a consolidated ad. So if a feller isn't a buyer anyway, why should he care how an ad is formatted?

Maybe... but on the other hand if your ad simply says "reloading components" you might get more traffic than if you itemized in the title... and more eyes = more sales.
Even if they aren't shopping for what your selling... They click looking for one thing, and see your offerings with an attractive price... Cha-Ching

 

[Krinkov]

In my opinion, it can become spammy and inconsiderate.
Its not so bad to have 15 ads in a forum but one seller pushes them all to the front page like in the example above, it can push 15 individuals off front page. All of them had been waiting a week for their own bump. It gives everyone a chance to hawk their bubblegum on P1. This gets regulated on some larger forums for this reason. Rules such as "no more than x ads on page 1". Consolidate or not its up to the seller.

now I know the pholosophy, and "fair" or "considerations for others" can be debated but its goes a long way when were sharing the same limited resource such as a page one of a sale forum.

 

[11Charlie]

I get we all have our own opinion but lets keep it civil and not call out individual members. There is no rule for or against it.

 

[titsonritz]

I've been told by "management" this is a non-issue.

I often have a half dozen or more ads running simultaneously. I try to never do a mass-bumping, but I've experienced when I've bumped just one or two ads at a time, it could be immediately wiped off the front page when the next guy bumps or creates 20 ads at once.

Hence the point.

 

[Cigarlvr313]

In my opinion, it can become spammy and inconsiderate.
Its not so bad to have 15 ads in a forum but one seller pushes them all to the front page like in the example above, it can push 15 individuals off front page. All of them had been waiting a week for their own bump. It gives everyone a chance to hawk their bubblegum on P1. This gets regulated on some larger forums for this reason. Rules such as "no more than x ads on page 1". Consolidate or not its up to the seller.

Now that makes sense.......thanks Krinkov

 

[fredball]

I thing I dislike is the seller that wants to make extra cash at your expense ie: U ask what would shipping be for what ever item it is your wanting to buy . and you get say 25.00 and the song and dance is well tape and bubble wrap isn't free but you can get free boxes from the post office so now you get to pay him for tape and bubble wrap .
Then they call you out as being cheap when the offer was $$$ shipped if that's all it takes to queer the deal you didn't really want to sell it . The rule is everywhere in life buyer always try's to get a better deal if you don't like that don't agree to the deal and then change it when it comes to shipping . just put no shipping in your in your ad U R the cheap ars when you think you need compensation to ship

 

[oli700]

I once had a rifle for sale here and marked local. A local gentleman PM and said "I would really like to meet you and have a look at the gun I am very interested" I agreed to meet in two days .

a day after that another gentleman from up by Portland PM and said " I would buy that gun if your come up my way".
I said " I wont be that way for a while but thanks I'll keep it in mind"

He PM's, "I am an FFL , you can send it ". I said "thanks" I asked for some details of how it would work. He tells me .
I tell him I have a guy that wants to look tomorrow and I would get a hold of him if the guy didn't want it .
The FFL guy says " I do believe I am the first one who said they would buy it "
All this was done over PM and there is no way he could know that but yes, he was the first to say he would buy, if I were there......which I stated local in the ad, and he never posed anything in the ad at all .

So the first guy buys the gun, he just wanted a personal look. I write the FFL guy back over PM and say thanks but the first guy bought it .
He writes back all butt hurt "that's not the way Northwest Firearms work , I said I would take it first " and he goes on about how this isn't an auction site but he is glad I sold it , everyone knew it was for family medical bills .
I don't think I was wrong, but I don't know all the "rules"......didn't feel right coming from an FFL holder with a business.
Did I do something wrong ?

 

[Mikej]

Well the guy that wanted a look first had the right to buy it first IMO. If someone says "I'll take it" after I've agreed to show another person. He's the second in line.

Personally I feel even an "I'll take it" still means after a close inspection.

 

[Mainsail]

Did I do something wrong ?

Going by what you said here, I would say no.

You posted it with terms, one of which was local pick up. If the FFL guy wanted it he could come pick it up locally. But in any event, he wasn't first to accept the deal on your terms anyway- from what you wrote you were negotiating with him when someone who was willing to purchase on your terms struck a deal. It doesn't appear you had committed to the FFL guy's terms, so there was still no deal with him.

By the way he interprets the process, he could just make offers on any gun that catches his fancy and the seller would have to agree to his terms because he was first?

I recently made an offer for a gun here. It would require a meet-in-the-middle because I cannot travel to him to pick it up- too much going on for me to take that much time out. Anyway, I told him that if an offer came along I had no problem with him taking it, but my offer was solid so he could know the cash was available under the meet-in-the-middle terms. If he sells it, I'm glad for him. If we can meet at the middle FFL he knows I will pay him what I offered. It's like money in the bank. But I'm not 'first' and he's not locked into my deal.