How is "BUYING" different than trading??

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starslayer ( 560 )
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How is "BUYING" different than trading??

Post by starslayer »

I just don't get some people here. I was interested in some WHFB a member was selling at a good price. Unfortuately he was insisting I send cash first. He states "buying" is different than trading.
LOL! So no deal for me.

This guy has a mighty trade rating of 10, yes ten. Wow. He gave me a bunch of reasons why I should trust him. His Ebay rating. Ebay isn't going to help me if the deal goes bad on Bartertown.

He said he did a few large deals here. So what? I did too.

My opinion boils down to this.
If you can't trust me with a 210 rating, how can I be expected to trust you with a 10 rating?? I just don't get it.

Its no big deal, I just move on to the next trade.
Honestly, if the guy was more established here, like a 50-60+ I wouldn't mind sending first. But a 10 doesn't cut it with me.
A good deal isn't good if I lose my money and never get the figs.

Anyone else run into the nonsense of the "buyng is different theory"??
LOL!
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Gubnutz ( 696 )
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Post by Gubnutz »

I have not run into that per se but i have had people insisting that we send simo despite having ratings below 10. I understand that they do not know me but i figure with my rating I should at least be considered honest in the trade department. I remember when i had a low rating and it was just understood that I would send cash or figs first due to that. I figure that if that does not work then like you said move on to the next.

BTW PM me if you like i have some WHFB models to sell at a decent price as well.

Gub
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Unless your rating is comparable to mine I request that you ship first unless we discuss other options.
peacemystic ( 720 )
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Post by peacemystic »

I had one fellow with a rating of (0) wanting me to send money first,and now if someone with a low low rating is selling something...i just skip it.

Especially funny is when you see someone with no rating selling stuff worth hundreds of dollars!

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Peace
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thenarsky ( 224 )
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Agreemen

Post by thenarsky »

Under normal circumstances traders with at least a 30 rating I will gladly send money first, but like you I would certainly be skeptical if they had less than that. This is a gentleman's system that's designed to reward those that continually do well and help others out hence earning a high rating. If you're feeling brave though you can always go bold and send them the money via paypal first so at least you can spend the few extra dollars and get the paypal moneyback guarentee. It's all up to what you're willing to do and what you're willing to commit to.
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GMMStudios ( 150 )
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Post by GMMStudios »

Paying first is just how the world works. If you don't like that, or the guys rating, don't buy from him. it's really simple.

There's no way I would send minis someone has bought from me before I recieved the money. I don't care if they have 1000 rating to my 32. If they don't like it, they can go somewhere else. I know this sounds rude, but that is just how it works.

Go to some retailer online and demand the goods be shipped before you pay, because you have never used them before and don't trust them. See how far you get. A tenner says you don't even get a response.

I know some people are thinking "Oh, but what about 0 raters?" Just don't buy from them. I don't buy from people as a general rule until they hit 20. Getting to 20 should be through trades to set up your reputation.

I'm sorry this is coming off as rude, but it's just the truth. And I just woke up...:D

Edit: After rereading your post it seems you are angry because your better judgement got in the way of a hot deal. You should be happy you didn't put yourself in risk, not angry that you didn't get it.
GearHead ( 674 )
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Post by GearHead »

Only once did I pay first with a very-low-rated user. It was for a bit over a hundred bucks, and even though the chap turned out to be an admirable trader and everything went perfectly, it was in retrospect and incredibly foolish thing to do, and I doubt I will ever repeat it.

The only argument I've heard from a seller that holds any water at all (and rather little, at that,) is that the funds are needed to actually pay for postage. The obvious solution to that is a small advance, though the suggestion is rarely taken well.

I'd argue that this isn't the same as buying from a retailer, and the same principles don't apply given the essentially honor-based system we operate under, but it's really a matter of opinion.

Whatever happened to that member-based escrow thing we were contemplating a while back?
Last edited by GearHead on Sun Dec 24, 2006 5:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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The Drop Zone ( 98 )
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Post by The Drop Zone »

Well only until recently was i under the impression that selling items here didnt count as trade ratings in the first place

second.. your talking a sale not a barter...all sales are generally cash up front anywhere you go.

now for people selling with 0 ratings.. i have to say ill pass each time no matter how good the deal is...

i also think it should be btown policy that until you have a rating of x ( where x being the number determined by btown admins) you may trade but not sell.. unless you purchase advertising / selling rights .. thats just my personal op
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Post by Linrandir »

We don't have any hard and fast distinction between trading and selling. The best suggestion I can make (and please note this is A SUGGESTION) is a half-and-half split or some other arrangement wherein you send a portion of the money first and the remainder when the goods are received and verified to be in the promised condition.

We're (being Adam and I) trying to think of a way to make the escrow service feasible.
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TheKiiier ( 150 )
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Post by TheKiiier »

lol, this is sorta similar to a recent deal I worked out for my brother. I bought (with my brothers' money) a large Steel Legion lot for $250 with a retail value of $417+, pretty much a deal too good to pass up but it wasn't until about a week after the deal was struck and money changed hands and with no further communication and all attempts failing did I even think of checking the trade rating of the seller and then found it only being a lowly 2! I freaked big time thinking I got hosed and lost the money, the worst being it was all my brothers' money and him being all giddy and excited about the lot he got for the price and getting closer to finishing his army. But just when I decided to bite the bullet and tell my brother what happened and try to pay him back the package came in and everything was all right and exactly as it should be. You can damn well believe I will be more vigilant in checking out any one I deal with from now on especialy if it's a big trade/sale. Note: though the person I bought the lot from was honest and upfront with the deal he does have the nasty habit of apparently almost never checking their PM's and not providing an email, but hey he is new so I hope they work on that if they will continue to deal here on BTown.
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GMMStudios ( 150 )
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Post by GMMStudios »

The Drop Zone wrote: i also think it should be btown policy that until you have a rating of x ( where x being the number determined by btown admins) you may trade but not sell.. unless you purchase advertising / selling rights .. thats just my personal op
I thought of that too, but I think it would cause a TON of work on the admins part. I think that if people just use good judgement this doesn't need to happen.
Massawyrm ( 406 )
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Post by Massawyrm »

Anyone else run into the nonsense of the "buyng is different theory"??
Wow. Good thing I learned about this bias in the community early.

Buying is VERY different from trading. Thinking any different means you've been living in a trading bubble for far too long. When shipping "product" in the mail - you have no real protections or guarantees before you go the legal route. But when using certain payment options - like Paypal, checks and money orders - you have a number of recourses before you have to get law enforcement or the postal service involved. You also have a legal papertrail usable for law enforcement if it comes to that - something other than copied email and PM's.

For someone to want the exchange of legal tender to occur before they ship product isn't something to LOLerskates about. It's the way business is done.
peacemystic ( 720 )
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Post by peacemystic »

But Bartertown is built on reputation,if you have no reputation you have nothing,and shouldn't expect it to be run as a business....its not one.

Cheers
Peace
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starslayer ( 560 )
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Post by starslayer »

DCtoy and Massawyrm, you guys sound angry....
you're right about one thing, I won't trade/buy from a person with such a low rating if I have to send first. As you said "simple".

Your example of an online retailer holds no water, why?
A person on Bartertown isn't an online business. This place is built on reputation and references.
Ordering from Drop Zone or another online reailer is a little different from ordering from someone who just joined up on Btown. I'm sure DZ had to establish who he is legally, thru licensing or whatever, and it would be easy to track him down if needed. He's also a Btown sponsor/advertiser.


Everyone is free to make their own decision.

MERRY XMAS!!
LOL!
Massawyrm ( 406 )
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Post by Massawyrm »

DCtoy and Massawyrm, you guys sound angry....
Oh god no. Just turned off. Having been a longtime member of a number of trading communities over the years I've never seen such a conceit on the part of a community. I've never seen "paying for something" referred to as "shipping first" before. It caught me off guard.
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mardaddy ( 44 )
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Post by mardaddy »

I am under the belief that buying is different than trading as well.

I have 100+ references and unless I were able to "work something out" ahead, I would ALWAYS assume I must pay first to get something even if the seller has a low ref point (I would use some critical judgment if considering buying from a <5 rating though.)

At one time I did maintain that I had a higher rating and would the seller send first, but I really felt... just, well, not right about it afterwards.

I DO consider buying different than trading.
Had to change ID, used to be mardaddy601, my REAL references: http://www.bartertown.com/ref/index.php?name=Rayburn
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