Since someone posted about seller guidelines I wanted to touch on a few subjects on buying also.
1.If you are not serious about buying then dont bother with a PM to a seller. It just waste their time and energy.
2.If you are serious about buying at least have the courtesy of finishing the PM's you started. I get people all the time ask me questions like "will you ship it next day?" then I reply and never hear from them again. It is a pain to spend time working out some details and then they are never heard from again with no answer. At least PM back and say "my dog ate my money and I cant buy right now." SAY SOMETHING!!!!
3. If you lowball offer and the person approves it and you back out IMHO you deserve negative feedback. In reality if you back out in general and handle it in bad form you deserve negative feedback. While it takes a lot for me to leave negative feedback it is very aggravating to have stuff like that happen.
4. If you work out a deal then pay in a timely manner unless you ask for some grace period ahead of time. Like you ask for a couple of days until "payday".
5. Who ships first???? This is a judgment call at best. I have always been a firm believer on the internet that whoever has the most perceived “good trade history” has the latitude to call that shot. When I say perceived I mean that on the net I can make anything look good even my trader feedback. In other words if you are the buyer with good trader history and the seller has none it is perfectly acceptable to request they ship first. Some sellers think it is crazy to ship anything before getting payed, however some buyers have the right to think it is crazy to pay for something before getting it. Over all it is a judgment call and those details should be asked prior to agreeing to a deal. If you have concerns or special request then ask first and see if they are willing to do it the way you want. It is frustrating to work out a deal for the buyer then say, “by the way will you ship first because you don’t have any trader feedback.”
6. Once everything is worked out and you receive the goods PM the person and tell them you got everything in good shape and leave positive feedback. If something is wrong then let them know ASAP when you get it. Do not wait a few days then say something. Go ahead and get it out in the open and working out the issues.
7.Always remember these are not only rep items they are in most cases used so problems can occur beyond the sellers control. If it looks like the seller was trying to pull a fast one then get a mod involved to help work it out if you cant work it out between yourselves.
8.Sometimes with our best efforts we are not happy with a purchase. Maybe the item has a scratch that was not told. Maybe the watch clasp does not close like it should. My biggest advice I can give in these situations is BE NICE. Getting snotty or rude is not going to resolve this any faster. PM the person and tell them your concerns and see what you and them can work out. I will say, do not get bull headed about the little stuff. Demanding them pay you back in full including shipping, your “time lost”, mental anguish, and any other silly thing you can think of is most likely not going to fly. In most situations one or both of you are going to incur some minor loss like shipping.
If using Paypal always remember they have a “refund function” that does not incur any fees. It actual refunds the entire amount fees included. Many people try sending the person a payment back so both transaction get hit with fees on both sides. In the end BE NICE and have some patients and expect to take a minor loss. It is much better to get back your $300 on that nice custom PAM that lume was not up to par and loose a few bucks in shipping fees than be stuck with a $300.00 watch you are not happy with.
Also when using Paypal, NEVER mention a watch brand by name. Call the transaction GEEK TRADE or something similar.
9. In the end I say, Caveat Emptor… (BUYER BEWARE) The mods are here to help but they are no guarantee that your transaction will go 100% to your satisfaction.
I had to add a # 10 after a little situation I had. I would like to say this "patient’s grasshopper" Give people a little time to respond back to PM's and emails. People can be busy, sick, work, kids, computer problems, etc. If you send a payment and you would like to have a response back then tell them you would. Some people do not respond back ASAP saying "payment received and will ship out in whenever." Some wait until it is shipped then give tracking info or whatever. Do not assume that they are supposed to respond back if you do not ask. Keep in mind that $hit happens and people have lives. Be patient and give people the benefit of the doubt until you think you shouldn’t. If it goes on for a two to 3 days with no response then start getting worried but not in a panic. We have all been there, when we order a new watch and cannot wait to get it but be reasonable.
I think this covers most. If someone would like to add feel free.
