NWFA deal gone bad

[kenr74]

One way to avoid this is to schedule multiple people to come by at the same time. I've done this when selling a few of my motorcycles. That way you have a better chance of at least one person showing, and then if it's worth more to one of the buyers they can take it with them.

Seriously? I had somebody do that with me once. I showed them all the cash I had with me and then told them where to go. Seems like complete BS to me.

 

[coctailer]

Cocktailer, was it the Rem 1100 shotty that you lost out on? If so, give the seller a negative rating so we can know not to deal with him.

No, I got that one.

The one I lost out on was a few months ago. I don't even remember what it was.

 

[skud_dusty]

Seriously? I had somebody do that with me once. I showed them all the cash I had with me and then told them where to go. Seems like complete BS to me.

No kidding, it isn't an auction. Some people

 

[gunluvver]

No kidding, it isn't an auction. Some people

Exactly! This is NOT an auction page, but it is regularly being used as such. I've brought up "first I'll take it posted gets it", but some here like the anonymity of keeping it in the PMs. I can see that, but it leaves it ripe for abuse and bad feelings. I really think we should have an auction page for those that want the best offer for their stuff! It would make it clear the seller's intentions.

 

[markw76]

Saw this kinda late. What happened to you was very bad form. First response is first in line, and IMO the seller should not have taken any followup offers, even if more money, until you had a chance to respond in kind. But then, there are a lot of people that don't know much about being polite or even civil nowadays...:nuts:

 

[jimwsea]

I prefer to keep some transactions private. I may send a PM to the seller without sending a public "PM sent" message to all. The seller could choose to leave a message stating he got a first in line PM offer without mentioning my ID.

 

[BUZO71]

Why keep it private?

 

[treemanx]

Ive been in this situation many times while selling things online. From NWFA, to craigslist, I have always believed their to be a certain respectable way to handle these things. If you get a response from something your selling, the first person you set a deal up with gets the benefit of your word. I have said, ok, I'll give you two days to set a time and place to meet, but after that, its back up for sale. If someone else comes in wanting the item in the mean time, you say, I already have an interested buyer, if that falls through you are the next in line. And so on with any subsequent buyers.

That was totally shady for the guy to sell it from under you like that, and as others have said, a negative rating is in order. Everyone who may deal with this person in the future should get to see if he has an unreliable history. You have every reason to be p***ed by this deal IMO.

I also dont believe it to be kosher for someone else to swoop in as a buyer if they already know someone else is first in line. I have had all good experiences here with the exception of one similar to this.

 

[johnboy]

I agree Treemanx.......these transactions should be done as you would want them done to you so to speak. If you want to do more trades/sales here that is. To deal individually is fair and as long as you communicate clearly with each individual, there should be no problems. Give each interested person a little time (reasonable amount) and then move to the next person on your reply list.

 

[jordanvraptor]

its funny cause I've had people flake on me then get upset I didn't wait forever for them... Until cash in hand its still for sale as far as I'm concerned but I would give the first in line an appropriate time to seal the deal first. I had one that the guy wanted it shipped then doesn't even offer to paypal a deposit to hold it. Never had a bad deal from the NWFA forum though which is why I'm addicted to it.

 

[Scott]

I had a guy not to long ago to buy and when I went to meet the cash was light and the buyer tried to make the difference with some crap Wolf ammo. That was a waste of time.

 

[Descendant]

To Mark the OP,

I think the guy done you wrong. I think we all know who it is by now. Have you given him the appropriate trade rating? I see he is still selling stuff.

 

[MarkSBG]

I did leave negative feedback, but partially regret it. It is hard for me to be too upset with the seller. He had tons of people knocking down his door to buy it. He took cash from the first guy who showed up on his door. The meeting we had arranged was misunderstood or miscommunicated.

I will say this about the seller. When his phone started ringing off the hook, he realized that he had underpriced his stuff, but still had the integrity to sell it at the advertised price. I'm sure it would have been tempting to change the price when he realized his mistake.

This post is more about how NWFA members approach these sorts of sales. When a good deal comes up, people always seem to line up. 1st post says "I'll take it". Second post says, "Seconds". Etc. But for this case, it appears that people ignored the forum posts and stepped to the front of the line by calling the sellers posted phone number. I don't agree that is how these sales should work, but people who made those calls have made some valid points above about getting burned by people "taking it" and flaking out. (Personally, I don't think that happens when the deal is a great one.) I for one would like to see these sales work like the pharmacy where everyone takes a number and calmly waits for their turn. The alternative feels like Walmart on Black Friday where the doors open and the first guy to elbow his way to the front gets the good deal.

 

[BUZO71]

So, is this guy gonna show up and take responsibility for what he's done? Or do we figure who it is and never buy from him again?

 

[MarkSBG]

It is hard for me to be too upset with the seller. He had tons of people knocking down his door to buy it. He took cash from the first guy who showed up on his door. The meeting we had arranged was misunderstood or miscommunicated.

Honestly, I am more interested to hear from the umpteen people who saw that there were people in line and called the guy looking to buy it anyway...

 

[BUZO71]

Honestly, I am more interested to hear from the umpteen people who saw that there were people in line and called the guy looking to buy it anyway...

 

[pdxjohann]

Dibs. I like that. Although, when it was the last piece of pizza in college, that rule lost authority. Dibs, that's the gentlemanly way to decide - something like voting on Diebold machines.

 

[JohnH]

Honestly, I am more interested to hear from the umpteen people who saw that there were people in line and called the guy looking to buy it anyway...

+++1

No doubt, there have been many times I see a smoking deal with a post right after with either 'I take it' or 'PM Sent'. I usually mutter a couple words under my breath (darn it, missed it) close the thread and move on as there has also been several times when I get to be that first one responding to get the killer deal.

It still comes down to simple morals and values, either you have them or you don't and it appears there might be some here that don't.

 

[57chevy]

Ya, that is disappointing. I had a deal today with the same seller. (Not the gun you wanted MarkSBG)

I was the first to post, first to call and accept, and the seller was worried about me flaking out and said if someone shows up before with cash, he will need to sell it.

I said "I'd like for you to give me till 10:00AM tomorrow to get there with cash. I am totally committed to buying it"

He said "OK"

Here is the thing..............Everyone saw me post. Everyone saw that I called and set up to meet the guy with cash,(I posted that in the thread as well) yet the guys phone was still exploding with people calling in offers to buy out from under me.

I guess part of the blame goes to the buyer, who deliberately took cuts in front of you knowing full well you were first in line.

Had this happen to me a few times. I post the feedback and never do business with them again. One of the guys who did it to me actually had/has a nice pistol on here that I would love to have, but I reminded him of our previous encounter and his ethics, so it is still for sale, I can wait for another.

 

[raindog]

I have sold a few things online (though not through NWFA). It's really not hard to do it in an ethical manner.

First offer has dibs. If it's through a forum, I mark the thread as "offer pending". If Craigslist, I can't do that.

If i get more than one offer, I inform subsequent parties that the item is spoken for but if that deal falls through, they are number 2, 3, whatever in line.

Set firm date/time with party #1. I am willing to make reasonable arrangements ("can we get together this weekend") but if the buyer says something like "I will have the cash next month," forget it. Don't put in requests to buy if you don't have ready cash (unless you state such in your response, and then it's my discretion).

If buyer #1 falls through, go on to buyer #2. Lather, rinse, repeat.

If I want to do an auction, I go to an auction site.

That's about it. Not rocket science. Any few dollars you might squeeze out by playing buyers is not worth the karma burn.