Bartertown.com

hey guys going through a trade right now that is like pulling teeth. the long and short of it is someone has something i want (duh), they have significantly lower rep than me (which isnt saying much...but still). they want payment first before shipping (via cashiers check/MO). pretty much all trades here go with the whole 'lower rating ships first' but is this a rule of thumb or a rule? and would any of you vets consider doing it the other way around? and if so is there any real recourse if i never recieve?

Cy

Hey Cy,
I paid half up front to you when you were a newbie but you didn't ask me to and I only did it AFTER you agreed to send the stuff without my payment first.If he won't send first I wouldn't do it myself.He's gotta learn sometime.
Pete

Lower rating shipping first is not a rule of Bartertown, but a rule implemented by most users. It is a rule I use even if I am purchasing. If I have traded with the person before and everything went ok, then sometimes I don't worry about rating. If the lower rated trader does not want to ship first then I would just find someone else to trade with.

George

I do remember fitter, and thats why i offered half up front first...some people just have their reservations, which is understandable i guess but after he told me the deal was done i just feel like he is backing out slowly now. ohs wells i suppose, other deals will come.

I'd stick to your guns. It's NOT a rule (though many think it should be) but it's just good sense. Your rep isn't that high but you have earned the respect that it garners through your good dealings with people. That should count for something and if you choose to give that up it's your choice. I don't want to come off all high and mighty but I'd rather deal with people who have earned respect than those that simply demand it. I guess it depends on how badly you want the stuff, but remember this...there are always other deals to be had if this guy doesn't want to follow the commonly accepted guidlines for trading here.

Hey Cy
I'm saying I did it because you DIDN'T demand it.Furthermore if you offered to pay half up front and he still said no then he can pound salt dude.Plus remember your army that disappeared into the void.You know the old saying "fooled me once shame on you,fool me twice shame on me"

It's not a rule, but a commonly accepted practice. If the other trader doesn't want to ship first, and you don't want to pay first, then I suggest ya'll call it off and pursue other deals. This would not be a considered a BACKOUT on either party, since you are still hammering out the basics of the deal and couldn't come to an agreement on shipping.

I'd go somewhere else if i were you,sending money first to someone with a low rating or no rating is asking for trouble sooner or later...The_Trader is a good example of that,and there were a few people with pretty high rating that fell for that one.
Cheers

While it isn't a set in stone rule, you will find the camp of people who insist that purchasing is not the same as trading.
They tend to insist that you send money first no matter the difference in rep.
I've honestly lost 2 trades becuase I wouldn't send money first.

Also this is simply my oppinnion, but BT rep is BT rep, I personally do not care if you have a million ebay rep, this isn't ebay.
As others have said, if it goes against your own personal set of rules, don't trade.

I agree that you should stick to your guns. I don't send money first unless I have had good trades with them in the past OR they have a LOT of good references. Anybody who argues with me (and some do), I just point them to the_trader debacle and then politely say no thank you on the purchase.

It can be difficult to let something go, but the longer you are here, the more you learn that everything shows back up sometime.

Karl

One thing you could do is ask him to put it on EBay for a buy it now price of what you agreed to. Then "Buy it Now" and you will have alot more protection if you are going to pay paypal.

if it was paypal i would have no problem shipping first (can always dispute if it never returns). and as for the backout i just consider it more for myself, for everyone else i think it would definetly fall under the 'deadbeat' area (IMO at least).

as fitter said (about my missing dark elf army...and the 40k khorne army that i traded for it) fool me once shame on you...fool me twice shame on me.

Cynon wrote:if it was paypal i would have no problem shipping first (can always dispute if it never returns). and as for the backout i just consider it more for myself, for everyone else i think it would definetly fall under the 'deadbeat' area (IMO at least).

as fitter said (about my missing dark elf army...and the 40k khorne army that i traded for it) fool me once shame on you...fool me twice shame on me.

Don't be fooled about the protections that PayPal offers. It's nearly nonexistant.
If you pay him , then he empties that account, you won't get Jack Squat back.

I know some of this is repetitive:

Bartertown has NO OFFICIAL RULES on who is to trade first.
ALWAYS follow your gut instinct to protect YOUR interests.
A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.
Your year and a half (+ or -) here and 12 positive trades may not be huge... but it is nothing to sneeze at. It means that your positively concluded trades number in the double digits.
Read the BTR's on "The_Trader." I'd imagine that there are a number of people who have changed their "pay first" policies based on that.
The only real recourse you have is a BTR, which is not a guarantee that you'll recover your funds and mail Fraud complaints. This might amount to something if the guy scams you and a bunch of others, but not if he scams and the total is a low $ amount.

BTW, are you BOTH in the US, or...?

Eric

P.S. Please, see the red text below.

yeah both US. I have written the trade off at this point...i think that all your advice applies there (even the birds in my hand vs the bush). as for my feedback....oh to recieve refs from everyone i trade with.

Cynon wrote:I do remember fitter, and thats why i offered half up front first...some people just have their reservations, which is understandable i guess but after he told me the deal was done i just feel like he is backing out slowly now. ohs wells i suppose, other deals will come.

*emphasis mine*

Did he actually tell you the deal was set with another payment option, (i.e. you pay half, he ships,) and only AFTER he demanded that you have to pay it all up front?

If that is the case you definitely have grounds to write him up for a backout. Just keep in mind the rules for writing backouts, (post all your PMs/emails,) and you'd be solid.

-HZ