Deadbeat klovers, are we turning into ebay?

MtZRcade

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I dont know about the rest of you, but i have had a big spike recently in deadbeat klovers. Ive had alot more on ebay since there change to the feedback system not allowing negatives from sellers. Now on this forum its picking up for me as well.

If you agree to buy something on here, then you shuold be a man and follow through. I recently had a board on here for sale. I posted the board because i actually seen a WTB post for the same item. So i posted it, and then pm'd the person that i knew was looking for it and gave them the link to the FS post.

The person emails, ask a few questions, and then commits saying that they are going to take them and that they will pay on a specific date. So being stupid, i turn down other people that wanted it because i agreed to hold it till a specific date for the buyer. I wait the time they ask, then on that date i get a pm saying that they now think that the price is to high and will buy the item if i lower to a price that they want to pay,

I think that buyers that agree should be held responsible on the forums just like how we hold sellers. I think that we should post the names of those that do this. And hold them responsible and let others know that dealing with them is useless until that person makes good on the prior commitment. If a seller on here doesnt take care of his buyers and leaves them out to dry. You know that the fellow klovers will jump in with there opinions and comments. So shouldnt we do this about deadbeat buyers.

Im thinking that this person probably found the item in the meantime cheaper than what i wanted to sell it for. I am considering posting this klovers screenname and that if he pays for the it within 24 hours, that i will take a working world class bowling game to a charity auction here in my town and say that it was donated by Klov.com (we have a few local families needing medical assistance for children with diseases, where they are accepting items to put up for local auction and taking the proceeds to help offset medical cost)

So whats your thoughts on this, because i know that i dont go to the feedback section to look up a name of someone wanting to send a payment

troy
 
I think people get excited when they see a new FS thread and immediately drop a "PM sent", interested or not. I think it comes down to hoarding impulse, stock piling stuff that you may need or want one day.
 
I'm dealing with a few of these people right now. It's a very simple concept people: Be prepared to pay or keep your fucking fingers off the keyboard!
 
An item isn't sold until payment is made. If you are a nice guy, then you have the option of waiting for someone or not. If they follow through - great! If they don't, then you go on to the next person on the list.

When this happens to me (not often) I will let secondary responders know that there is a pending buyer for a certain deadline, and that if they don't follow thru I will contact them next in order of PM received. Then I do so, hoping that they still want/need it.

BUT - I also remember the original person who backed out and will no longer accept "will you wait until" requests from that person. They can pay right away or move to the end of the line.

Perhaps it would be best to have these people make a small deposit ($10-20) towards the purchase for you to hold it for them - with no refund possible should they change their mind later? That would keep these guys from putting a hold on something and then backing out later....
 
It's kind of complicated because in some cases the person who committed to buying might have a legitimate excuse to back out. Personally, I wouldn't ask someone to hold something if I didn't have the cash. In your case, I would have told the buyer that if he couldn't pay by the end of the day, the next person with cash gets it. If he was really serious and really couldn't pay in full at the moment, he could have offered a non-refundable deposit.

I *would* suggest leaving a neutral or negative feedback for the back-out buyer if he comes up with an excuse like the one you got. BUT, you will just end up with a retaliatory negative in return.

Best case is to open a thread in the "Warnings To Others" forum in the feedback section outing the deadbeat buyer and detailing how you got jerked around.
 
It's kind of complicated because in some cases the person who committed to buying might have a legitimate excuse to back out. Personally, I wouldn't ask someone to hold something if I didn't have the cash. In your case, I would have told the buyer that if he couldn't pay by the end of the day, the next person with cash gets it. If he was really serious and really couldn't pay in full at the moment, he could have offered a non-refundable deposit.

I *would* suggest leaving a neutral or negative feedback for the back-out buyer if he comes up with an excuse like the one you got. BUT, you will just end up with a retaliatory negative in return.

Best case is to open a thread in the "Warnings To Others" forum in the feedback section outing the deadbeat buyer and detailing how you got jerked around.

i understand that things happen and come up that are unexpected, and i have no problem with that (even though many times someone will just make something up) however, this guy wanted to renegotiate and pay considerably less. so its not that he had something come up.

Also, i gave the guy 5 days, which i never do, but was in a generous mood and wanted to help him out. The other person that was interested found one in the meantime

troy
 
Deadbeats

I was number two in line for a game board recently and wound up getting it because the first in line couldn't handle the shipping cost (overseas). It just goes to show that deals fall through for unexpected reasons. As this group picks up like it has you'll see more deadbeats due to volume if nothing else. My experience has been pretty good so far. I even got a working Gottlieb Reactor board set from Jonathan Callahan whose been accused by some of being a deadbeat. Based on my experience that's not the case.
 
A pinball machine is being delivered to my house on Tuesday that a fellow KLOVer backed out on buying. He was first to respond and the seller decided to give him some time to get the cash (and shipping I believe) together so I said I would wait. For whatever reason the guy who was first in line backed out and I got the machine.

I haven't dealt with this on these forums but I will soon be selling some extra boards I have acquired and I plan to follow the following guidelines when I post something for sale:

First, I will list everything for a reasonable amount. I am not the haggling over money type, however haggling with trades is fine.

Second, I plan to list stuff I want in trade. People with stuff I want get head of the line privelege.

Third, holds are unlikely but if I have had good dealings with you in the past then I may consider up to a three day hold.

Fourth, there are a select number of people who I will not sell to. These people I have had bad dealings with in the past or they have acted inappropriately, either here or in person, to the point that I am not comfortable selling to them.
 
an agreement to purchase is a contract. i think the ethical thing for a buyer to do who has asked for an item to be held a couple days is to pay for it, complete the transaction. however, as a seller, you should never consider the item sold until you have cash in hand.
 
an agreement to purchase is a contract. i think the ethical thing for a buyer to do who has asked for an item to be held a couple days is to pay for it, complete the transaction. however, as a seller, you should never consider the item sold until you have cash in hand.

I agree. I've had too many people (especially on CL) flake out so unless it's paid for, it's not sold.
 
I've had a ton of people back out of shit on the neo forum. Like others, I don't consider something sold until I have the money, and I rarely hold things, and when I do it's for people I know are good for it. I also don't hold it against people - shit happens, shit comes up - if they pay me for something I send it to them :) I've never been one for PENDING items, but I do if I know someone is going to come through - If someone wants something give them a few hours to send payment - after that it's fair game.
 
Just to clarify, my reason of posting is that i think the members of klov shuold be made aware of members that make deals and dont follow through. To me this kind of person is just as useless as a seller that tries to scam buyers. We only have our word and reputation when we make online transactions. If i sold a person a board and sent them the either the wrong board, or one that might be missing parts when advertised as working, the klov community would want to know the name and just about everyone would be making post about how that seller should man up and either give a refund or to send what was actually supposed to be sent. So if a buyer doesnt hold up to thier part, then the community should also slam this person and voice their opinions that this person isnt a good member on the forum.

Maybe a thread in the feedback area that mentions buyers id's that dont follow through, as a warning to others, because what if i would have trusted this person and sent the board, then they decided not to pay, yes i would be stupid for sending without payment, but we kind of assume that members are decent people.

It sucks that this person backed out of a 250.00 deal, but its not going to kill me. Im not going and filing bankruptcy tommorow because of it. However, i think that others should be made aware of who this person is when they dont follow through with a deal.

There are many members on here that need a specific part, but might not have enough money to buy it today, so they may need a few days to sell something to help cover the purchase. So i would hate that alot of members might not be allowed to buy just because they couldnt pay within 5 minutes of a post. I know that there are many on here that can afford just about anything, but th emajority have to do something to fund another purchase.

I remember a deal i had with a member on here from years ago, pre klov days. He wanted a machine that i had, and was willing to pay more than market price, but would need 30 days to make the purchase. I wanted 1000.00 for the machine, i had two people offer to buy the machine, both at asking price. I informed them both that i had two buyers, one offered to pay 1500.00 to get the machine if i waited the 30 days. I waited, and was paid. I even discussed the deal with the second person just so none would be mad, and was told by the second person that i should take the 1500. (Hint of the two members, the game was a moppet tugboat, and the second person that wanted it has the largest known collection of mini/cabarets)
 
The whole "you can't consider something sold till you have the money in hand" comments are BS. What's a seller to do, say the first person with the cash gets it? If you did that then you may have a few people send you money then what? Bottom line is if you agree to buy something from somebody here Then do it. Don't string them along then back out. I can tell you just from reading some of the stories here that people are not always going to do the right thing. Ask for a non refundable deposit from people your not sure about and if they can't then move on to the next buyer. awefull lot of crooks running around this place lately. Problem is that there is alot of broke people here that live paycheck to paycheck that have no business having any kind of hobby especially not arcade/pinball hobby. If I tell you I'm going to buy something from you I guarantee that you will get your money if I have to sell a kidney to get it.

Glennon
 
I've only sold a few things here on the forums, and so far I've had a good experience.

On CraigsList however... I listed things for FREE. got a bunch of emails. About 5 emails all said "I will take them now" so I email them back with a phone number... not one call back.

Whenever I have a problem coming up with money as a buyer, I generally tell the seller I will let them know when I have the money, but if someone gets it before me, it's my loss.

I don't think I've ever backed out of a set up deal before, and I don't plan on doing it, ever.

Closest thing I've had is where I've been in the process of setting up a deal, and had a better one come along, but even then, I made it clear that I may have something better coming along (I think I did... hint, red tent)
 
First paid, first served - is the only way this problem disappears for a seller.

What is so unfair about that policy? Everyone wins that way and no hard feelings.







..
 
The whole "you can't consider something sold till you have the money in hand" comments are BS. What's a seller to do, say the first person with the cash gets it?

Yes.

If you did that then you may have a few people send you money then what?

First come, first served. I would never send someone money without confirming the item I want to buy is still available. I know people here do it all the time, but it seems to me to be a really good way to get scammed unless you know the person well beforehand.

There have been enough scams around this place that I've seen that although I generally believe most people here are decent, well-intentioned and honorable, I wouldn't just send money without confirming the conditions of the deal beforehand.
 
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