I'm not sure I'd call the speculation trash-talking. When a list member reports that a seller refuses to give details on goods or claims to be an "expert" who the buyer should trust to give him what he needs, it is good advise to tell the potential buyer to be extremely cautious. It was subsequently stated that the seller is in fact an expert and that he has a good reputation in the retail trade, but a visitor to relatively new web site has no way of knowing that.
This is really a matter of "transparency". Not only must a business deal honestly and offer quality goods and services, but they must give the public enough information to allow the public to be comfortable that that is the case. A business whose attitude is "trust us, we are the experts" will lose the business of those are naturally distrustful, including me. I only trust those with whom I have a history of dealing on which to base that trust, or who have been recommended to me by others whose opinions I respect. With others, I will usually try to start with a small transation which even if unsatisfactory will not represent a large loss, then build to larger transactions as trust builds. No business is "entitled" to trust. Trust must be earned one customer at a time. "Buyer beware." is neither unwise nor unfair.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Houston, TX
"Dale B. Phelps" <losgatos_dale@yahoo.com> wrote:
I am taken by all the loose commentary from folks about an LBS with a web presence here. Most (apparently) had NO idea who it was but (apparently) were quite willing to share different levels of discredit of said LBS proprietor. Its the old "he said something I didn't like, so I will abandon my sense of decorum and get snide (or worse)"
I for one have struggled a lot with toning down my participation on CR to be more contributory and less trash-talk, and would hope that I'll get to see others more visibly doing the same. I think I get more out of our correspondences when I leave the trash talk out and try to make my (infrequent) posts more contributory in the future.
To that end, derby king was where those Martano photos on my M61 01 Masi GC website came from, I've debated getting some wheels built by him/them, and may choose to justify it after clearing the vast stocks of stuff I have started unpacking after completing our move to Colorado from California. Sure there's a real bling/cha-ching factor there, but if I think something is overly expensive I simply won't buy from that source, or bid on that auction, or sometimes even return the e-mail of a beligerent or insulting offeror .... but there's no need to publicly trash talk about it here (what garage can really hold 1200 people anyways, right?)
Now the FS part, first boxed NOS frameset, 56x56 Flandria deVlaminick, Columbus SL, 300 shipped in the 48 states, offer or trade for similar condition on-topic frameset for big old me (~61cm) e-mail off-list ... I hope to have pics later this weekend. Thanks
Dale Phelps, Longmont CO
Dale B. Phelps, 303 939 6967 303 208 8664 pager
"Never be afraid to try something new. The Ark was designed by amateurs. The Titanic was designed by professionals." - R. Buckminister Fuller