As a Digest user and someone who has been known to sell off excess stash at
low prices (Not bragging here or anything, but usually I just want to see it
go and several friends do tell me I should look at more profit in my sales)
I encounter these problems frequently. I have a dear friend who wanted
something I offered and didn't see the listing until she got home from work
and by then it was gone once...I hadn't thought to ask her before listing
the stuff...I felt badly about it.
I think Harvey's idea of waiting 24 hours is great, if you can make it work.
I frequently ask folks to let me know if it is going on a project or just
going into their stash. Folks who need something to build up a bike get
first preference if I can do it. In fact I often pull things I've been
saving from my stash if someone really needs them...if it's just going into
their stash, I'd rather keep items like this .
First come first served is good, but sometimes it just falls flat. I have
had numerous folks enquire about something, I answer their questions and an
hour later someone else says to me "I'll take it. Tell me where to send the
money". As much as a couple of days later the person with the enquiry may
write back and then be upset that the item is sold and say they have no
doubt they contacted me first.
Folks, it you want something, you must let the seller know in no uncertain
terms! No one is going to hold something for you, absent an agreement to do
so, when others want to buy the item. When someone gets nasty with me
over it, I usually say little in return, but you can bet that the next time,
they will get the least consideration for anything I am offering.
I have also had folks say something like "At these prices, I'll take it
all" While I am delighted to sell the stuff, it does take the fun out of
something like an "In The Day" sale or when I get a bunch of something and
pass it along to the list at cost just because I know many list members are
looking for such an item. How do you deal with that? Tell the person
anything left over is theirs? I don't think this answer would make many
buyers very happy. Often I do something like listing items just for the fun
of it, Like the leather bar wrap or those Hunt-Wilde bar plugs from a while
back, even though it has caused me a fair amount of work to set it up. I
enjoy hearing that folks are delighted to get hold of something they need.
These folks often reciprocate when they know I am looking for something,
too.
There will be some folks who do not like my approach to it all, I would
guess, but it seems the best I can come up with after doing this a few
years.
Maybe someone has a better approach? I sure would like to hear some good
ideas. I have no doubt there are more professional ways to conduct
business...
Tom Sanders
Lansing, Mi USA