Replying to "For Sale" PMs

[big soft moose]

Let's not have a bum fight.

freudian slip tom ? :shock: i think (Or hope) you meant a bun fight - but lets not have either in anycase

 

[wizer]

What on earth is a bun fight??

I certainly did mean Bum Fight, google it.

 

[big soft moose]

What on earth is a bun fight??

I certainly did mean Bum Fight, google it.

a bun fight goes back to victorian nurserys with children squabling over buns/cakes/crumpets etc and means a vicious altercation over something extremly trivial

I understand what a bum fight is now tho

 

[RogerS]

I can't quite believe that any 'For Sale' post gets so many replies that it makes acknowledging a PM that difficult.....

Couldn't agree more. After all, that sort of common courtesy is what makes this forum what it is.

I also get hacked off when one takes the time and trouble to do something for a forum menber and then email them the results, only to never ever get back any sort of acknowledgement or reply. I'll not name the name...well, I guess I did..albeit it in a cryptic way.

 

[big soft moose]

I can't quite believe that any 'For Sale' post gets so many replies that it makes acknowledging a PM that difficult.....

Couldn't agree more. After all, that sort of common courtesy is what makes this forum what it is.

I also get hacked off when one takes the time and trouble to do something for a forum menber and then email them the results, only to never ever get back any sort of acknowledgement or reply. I'll not name the name...well, I guess I did..albeit it in a cryptic way.

When I had chainsaws for sale I had 23 interested parties in 2 saws (although thats counting several timewasters) - had i pm'd all those who were unsuccesful at maybe 2-3 minuites per pm including sending time that would have been the best part of an hour, and an hour of freetime is a lot to me - particularly at the moment.

I hope your other comment wasnt directed at me, i'm not aware of anything you might have been sending - but ive had a lot of email issues of late (new server installed at work) so if it was i may never have received your email, if so my apologies

 

[wizer]

I guess there are exceptional circumstances.

With the badges, I had to clear my inbox twice. In the end I had to try to get people to post in the thread rather than PM me because it was easier to see what was going on.

But normal for sale threads get snapped up within the hour and it's common courtesy to reply to a couple of PM's. With cut and paste, it takes seconds.

But as I keep saying, you can't force etiquette on people. We come from all walks of live, education, cultures, etc.

 

[big soft moose]

I guess there are exceptional circumstances.

With the badges, I had to clear my inbox twice. In the end I had to try to get people to post in the thread rather than PM me because it was easier to see what was going on.

But normal for sale threads get snapped up within the hour and it's common courtesy to reply to a couple of PM's. With cut and paste, it takes seconds.

But as I keep saying, you can't force etiquette on people. We come from all walks of live, education, cultures, etc.

yerbbut cut and paste pms are impersonal and therefore not really any different to putting a sold post on the forum

"Dear ..... sorry but the ...... is sold , thanks for your offer ..."

do it that way and you'll only get people complaining about the perceived discourtesy of not sending a personal pm

and sending personalised messages takes time

" Dear Tom sorry but i'm unable to sell the unguarded dado headed table saw to you because i would have sleepless nights worrying about you wizering yourself with it, hope the back gets better soon ... "

 

[studders]

Yebbut, if some bods post a for sale and requests that 'all dealing be via PMs' then they can at least send an acknowlegement, even a cut n paste would do. Don't have to be an essay innit... is all I'm sayin. Rude not to.

 

[matt]

I think it blatantly clear that some people think it's rude not to reply to a PM whereas others don't really care, and then there's those that actually prefer not to receive unnecessary messages.

You're not going to please all of the people all of the time.

Perhaps we need a new rule :roll:

 

[wizer]

Maybe we should take a hearts and minds approach ?? :lol:

 

[Tierney]

I think a few guidelines wouldn't be any harm as there seems to be a lot of strongly differing opinions recently. The PM function should be used when anything to do with money (i.e. making offers) or individuals behaviour is concerned.

Public disputes shouldn't overshadow the friendly and helpful nature of this site.

 

[RogerS]

.....
I hope your other comment wasnt directed at me, ...

Not at all, Pete.

 

[big soft moose]

Maybe we should take a hearts and minds approach ?? :lol:

IMo the selling of either hearts or minds is not appropriate to this forum :lol:

 

[matt]

Maybe we should take a hearts and minds approach ?? :lol:

Far queue, sir.

 

[peter99]

Well the way it's run on an other site (metalworking, not an 'other site' woodworking) is sale items must be done on the open forum. If done by pm then it's out of the duristiction of the forum (as private) so the moderators cannot / will not help if there's a problem.

I cannot see the problem of doing it openly.
1. You offer the item on the open forum page at the price you specify.
2. acceptance of offer is given on the open forum page.
3. either your watching there and then and accept the offer on the open forum (all others see this so know it's sold) Or
4. you come back after a weekend away etc and have a list of acceptances. You simply accept the 1st offer on the list openly on the forum and thank all the other offers for that and state it is sold to Mr no.1 offer, thank you all very much for your time and trouble bidding etc, should there be a problem it will be offered to Mr offer no.2 etc.

Every one can see what is happening in real time, can see who is first in line, can see it is fairly offered to that person, can see it will be offered in turn if the transaction doesn't complete and the seller only has to post one message on the open forum to accept and thank everyone else.
Quick pm between buyer and seller and job done.
Any naughtiness and the Mods can follow the trail and act as open on the forum.
Job done, thank you and good night

( until someone points out the major flaw in this?)

 

[matt]

( until someone points out the major flaw in this?)

I don't think the mods here would want to get involved.

 

[ste_5150]

Gents, this would be a good time to go out to the 'shop, make some sawdust, and return with some perspective! :lol:

 

[big soft moose]

( until someone points out the major flaw in this?)

I don't think the mods here would want to get involved.

and the more fuss everyone makes about sales and sales protocol the more likely charley is to eventually take the easiest line and just say "no sales, they cause too many problems" which is not desirable.

i agree with ste - lets all go plane/turn the **** out of something and regain our sense of proportion , the current approach works most of the time, and if its not broken there is no need to fix it.....or to break it

 

[Smudger]

Sensible suggestion, bsm.

 

[Mooeee]

Like I said Tom, it's between the seller and the buyer, not for Forum comsumption, that's why it's "vague"

Been looking at the responses to selling and replying to buyers when an item is sold, Stated in one of the replies was "It's between the seller and the buyer and not for Forum consumption" are we forgetting something here? Is it OK for forum consumption when advertising items for sale? and at no advertising cost to the seller? I don't think so, perhaps we should make listing items for sale chargable like on e bay and any other ad's listing, also mentioned was when you try and buy an item on e bay you don't get any response, But you do get a reply at every stage,
make an offer and you get an e mail to that effect
get out bid and you get an e mail to that effect
don't win the item and you get an e mail to that effect
and if you win the item you get an e mail to that effect.

Perhaps people may not have the time to reply to all enquieres about offers and I accept that, but would putting in the original post offering something for sale ONLY WINNING BUYER WILL GET A REPLY.

MERRY CHRISTMAS