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Marketplace Etiquette

Mar 31, 2007

    1. I'm really quite glad I read this... being a vet student and a cat owner, I usually come home covered in hair/feathers/what have you. I always keep my scrubs and my cat away from my doll and her clothes, but stray hairs do have a way of making their way on to everything. I always give my items a check twice over for cat hair- but I'll make sure that I mention having cats in my sales thread.

      Other than that... DoA is great! I've been really fortunate in that everyone I've bought from has been simply fantastic! I'm a very cautious person so I really like to investigate when I'm thinking of buying something, but I can honestly say that the members I've bought from here have all been amazing. ^_^
       
    2. Hm, as part of the communication thing, I would say that buyers and people commishioning items/services have a right to know if items have been shipped or recieved, and progress reports if whatever it is takes longer than, say, a week, especially if they've sent their doll to you.
      On the other hand, it's unreasonable to send someone an avalance of PM's an e-mails, then flip out because they haven't answered each one within minutes...
       
    3. I've been burned recently on both sides. (though most transactions I've had have been good, once in a while...)

      Request from a buyer to seller: Ask for appropriate shipping. Most buyers will let slightly innaccurate shipping go, but it sucks when you pay $25 for shipping, and you later find out that it cost the person $10. :P (I've had this happen ooldes of times on ebay, and once in the marketplace here.)

      Request from a seller to a buyer: Once a seller HAS communicated, and you know the state of an object, or the way it will be shipped, don't complain about it afterward because you thought that despite warnings, it would be fine; or dispite being the cheapest mail option, you decided lost packages should still get a full refund. Buyers need to make educated desicions too. (My issue was shipping, but I've heard complaints of the 'as-is' state too.)

      Those are the two recent issues I've had.
      And yeah, I also second the "communication" thing. Always helpful.
       
    4. A big one for me is people having the guts to leave bad, or neutral feedback for a person when they deserve it, instead of giving good feedback just because they're nice, or because you finally got your item. It would save future buyers a lot of hell if they knew exactly who they were dealing with.

      People need to be brave enough to give it, and sellers need to be mature enough to accept it when they get it, and resolve it in a buisness-like manner instead of going "OMFG STFU NO I DIDNT RIP U OFF LIAR!"
       
    5. Although I haven't had a problem with it, I think everyone should stand behind their product. This goes hand in hand with the stating flaws and giving as accurate a description of what is being sold as possible.

      But especially for items the seller has made, standing behind the product is vital. For the couple of people who have bought from me on DOA, I tried to make it very clear in my notes to them that if ANYTHING was not to their satisfaction to let me know. I'd gladly remake and ship out for free anything that was not up to satisfaction or refund the transaction if that was what the buyer wished. I hope everyone does the same as it would probably put alot more trust into the sellers of original works.

      <3 Laura
       
    6. In a perfect world... it would have been nice to hear back from buyers telling you that they received the goods.

      As a seller, I always confirm the payment, and then notify when the items were shipped and I ship registered, so I can track it online to see if it arrived. But still it would have been nice to hear a few words when it's received. I don't know, I guess I just like that kind of feedback and in a way it puts a closure to the transaction, meaning both parts are happy and satisfied with the deal.

      Or another thing, it would be nice to have feedback returned when you leave it in feedback section. Without having to ask for it (I'm usually afraid to annoy people, so I don't ask, just hope they'll remember to do it).

      Just my 2 cents :)
       
    7. I'll second that. I've been buying and selling stuff here for over a year...and I've gotten one feedback.
       
    8. Exactly!!!! I just had this happen to me yesterday:

      a seller posted several items for sale just before 7am fri am. I sent her a pm before 7am, just a couple of minutes after her post, telling her I definitely wanted to buy one of the items (doll body) at the price offered and would pay immediately upon receiving payment instructions.
      Didn't hear back. Meanwhile her thread filled up with posts from many folks about several of her items, including the one I had already asked for by pm. I pm'd her again at 11am, and also posted in her thread. And again at 3pm.
      But it seemed like she wasn't around to responde to anyone.

      Yesterday am, I finally heard from her that yes, I was the first person to ask for that body so it was mine - but she didn't give me payment instructions. So I pm'd back. I waited some more.
      Then I got a pm that said "it's already sold"
      Assuming she was going through her pms in order and maybe came up to one of my later ones and didn't recognize the name, I pm'd her to remind her that yes, I was the one she was selling it to.
      And then I got the pm that said "sorry, I sold it to someone else - I made a mistake and can't undo it now". So she admitted to selling it to someone who was later in line than me, and after she'd already committed to selling it to me.

      I'm angry and also very disappointed that she not only didn't honor her contract to sell me the item. She acknowledged I was the first person with a firm offer to buy at her terms, but then went on to sell it to someone else (for whatever unknown reason), and didn't then try to undo her second mistake to honor her contract to me.

      arrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggg.

      This was also an item that I've had an ongoing wtb thread for several months (others have too, but as far as I know, mine is the longest active), and it's sold out at the company so it's not like another is likely to come along anytime soon

      I guess I just can't believe anyone here would do this. So... what do you guys do when this happens?

      M
       
    9. I'm very sorry this happened to you; it was why I started this thread, actually. I'd been sending PMs of interest to a seller about a doll, and eventually (after a period of time I assumed she was waiting for other buyers who could pay immediately - I was asking for a layaway) she contacted me and asked how long I would need. I told her, and she told me that the doll was mine and she would find out shipping costs and contact me in the morning.

      She didn't, and I waited a day. Then I saw on her thread another member saying 'doll has been sold - YAY'. I then had to contact the seller MYSELF and ask what was going on. She'd sold the doll because they could pay there and then, not on a three week layaway. AFTER she told me the doll was mine.

      And she hadn't even had the decency to tell me herself. I had to find it out.

      So anyway, just like yourself, I was angry, and I contacted a mod. Unfortunately we can't leave feedback for someone we haven't had a transaction with, but she suggested to start this post, and to also let other people know who sellers like this are, through PMs and the like.

      So I guess my advice is to tell people what happened with the seller, and let potential buyers make their own decisions.




       
    10. yes, it's totally sucky that this happens, but I guess there's nothing we can do about it. Though a transaction the seller backed out on is still a transaction and imo, should be able to have fb left - like was said earlier, it was in essence a written contract.

      Mostly though I was just needing a place to vent. I don't think in my case it was anything malicious or even intentional on the part of the seller - she was probably just overwhwelmed with pms and got mixed up. But I'm, still left feeling sad since it was something I've been seeking for so long. And somewhere out this is a buyer gloating that they got my doll :(

      M
       
    11. Awww! *hugs* Well, I hope you get the body you wanted, and at a better price. :D
       

    12. Me too on ebay,and I hate that! A dollar or two extra is OK for their time, the envelope, tape etc, but something like $15 extra there is no reason for. (And on ebay thats against the rules, so you should probably report it!)

      I don't know about the websites for other countries, but people involved with a transaction in, or originating from, the US can look at http://www.usps.gov, weigh their items in box, and calculate shipping. I think its acceptable to round up to the next pound to estimate, since sometimes your scale might be a few ounces off, or you might use extra packing material, or you might throw in some candy or an extra item for a gift etc. But not more than that, IMHO.

      some kind of tracking or delivery confirmation and insurance is a really good idea for more expensive transactions. When paid via paypal, the delivery confirmation is automatically included; I do insurance on anything I am not prepared to eat the cost of if it gets lost or damaged in the mail.

      Also, alot of times the global priority flate rate envelopes are super deals for the price and speed, for some countries. Once some rosaries I was going to send to finland were going to cost $15 air letter! they were about 1/3 that with the flat rate envelope.

      Like several others, I didn't think of the pets issue. If I was selling clothes or wigs, i would think of it, because I would notice a stray cat hair to pick off when looking over the item. Mostly I sell jewellry and rosaries. I don't think cat hair would stick to that, but I hadn't thought about hair or dander getting in the envelope, maybe with static on the plastic or tape; I guess i should add that note on my stuff just in case!
       
    13. I think as a seller I have the right to sell the doll to who I want, and who I feel is right, and also having the money right there and then is what most sellers would want.

      As a seller I don't like having 5 pm's from the same person everyday.

      If I'm a buyer, I don't expect the seller to guarentee me anything unless everything has been worked out, price and postage, and sort of payment, because the seller is selling something to you, so you should be nice to them and not expect that they are going to give you the doll. But I do expect that if I do buy the doll from them, when they post it.
      Also it would be nice if they sent you a pm if they had recieved the item. So that would avoid pm's like "have you sent it yet" "its not here" and so on.
      And also if you do recieve the item to say thanks. I'm guilty because I don't always do that because I'm forgetful, but I try!

      I do agree with your pet/smoking thing, because as most people said they don't really think about it because its an everyday thing for them, and this is a friendly reminder that there are people out there allergic!

      Please, next time you have a problem with they way I sell my items, PM me about it and not start a whole thread.
       
    14. Regarding the part that is obviously about me in relation to all of this: I never mentioned your name, I did PM you about it after the fact, and I contacted a mod who suggested this thread.

      I refuse to discuss this openly, just as I refused to point out any names. As far as I am concerned this is case closed.
       
    15. Thanks everyone for your great suggestions and ideas. I asked because I, too, really hadn't thought about the whole pet thing. While my daughter & I are highly allergic to cats, we are not to other animals... so I've not really run acrossed a problem with stuff before.

      I do try to package my items and store them away as soon as they are finished. I also try to make sure that there are no stray dog hairs floating around on anything.

      Communication is the big thing... that and courtesy along with common sense. Treat others as you would want to be treated if you were in their shoes. If everyone thought that way, I'm sure there would be far less problems!
       
    16. As a buyer, I expect reasonable communication, a clear description of the item, and any sort of special arrangements should be clearly worked out. If the arrangements need to be altered or revoked, I also expect that the seller will notify me of said changes and a reasonable explanation. These pm's are a contract when used in a business capacity, and it is unfortunate that some people do not understand this. Overcharging on shipping is also a bad thing. As already stated by a few people, a few dollars overhead for packing and labor is one thing, but when I have to pay $10 dollars for an item he shipped in its own box with no outer box for $1 1st Class (usb expansion PCI card from Ebay) I know the seller is trying to turn some extra profit. >_>

      As a seller, I try to respond as quickly as possible to all communication. Please do not panic if I don't respond in five minutes, and please don't turn around and not respond for a week for no reason. Therein lies the "reasonable" communication part. I will try to list things as clear as possible, and I will try to not overcharge you on shipping. I like to think I'm a easy going person, and if you want me to hold something, or you need a few more days for payment, I probably won't have a problem with it. Just let me know. :) If I have made the item in question, I will do my best to satisfy you on quality of construction and being true to the description. If something isn't right, or you have a question, please contact me first before panicking. I'm sure we can work something out. For items I have not made, I am generally selling "AS-IS." As stated above, I will do my best to describe said item to the best of my ability. I am not a wholesale-supplied store. I am not able to just refund your money at a whim just because you changed your mind (buyer's remorse), not because of a legitimate problem (I had this happen once.) If you have questions about the item, ask them BEFORE you buy, and save us all the hassle.



      ...if I think of anymore, I shall edit this. :)


      ~Anrui
       
    17. As a buyer, I echo all that's been said about communication and so forth, but also, I would like to ask that sellers:

      - Not list an item with a BIN price unless they are planning to sell it for the BIN to the first person to come up with the money. If instead you're hoping that people will offer more than the BIN, or you want to use some other criteria to choose where your doll is going, then you need to so state. BIN to me means just what it says, buy-it-now. The first person who hands over the price gets it, it doesn't matter if someone else comes along a half hour later and offers more. I can understand wanting to get the best price for your doll or find the best place for the doll, but a BIN is a BIN. Period. If you want to do something else then don't call it BIN, or if you've changed your mind about the BIN then please edit your thread and say so, preferably early on.

      - Decide about feeler threads within a reasonable length of time, like a week. That should be long enough to decide whether or not you want to sell a doll. If you still aren't sure after a week, or you're leaning towards not selling at that point, the best thing would be to take the thread down. You can always put a sales thread back up if you should definitely decide to sell in the future.

      - Promptly mark sold items as SOLD or remove from thread, or if the transaction is in progress, mark them ON HOLD. It really irks me to PM someone about an item, get told "oh that is no longer available, I sold it" and then see the listing sit there unedited for another few days with the sold items still being advertised. It takes thirty seconds to edit a post and it keeps people from wasting time PM'ing about some item that's no longer there.
       
    18. A note on keeping your word, if something happens that you aren't going to be able to keep your word, please please just PM the person right away. I had a problem where I had to go back on what I said, my freelance graphic design client said that she would not pay me and I was waiting on that money to buy a head. I didn't know if or when I was going to get paid. So I PMed the person who had the item on hold for me and told her that I could not buy. She was a little upset but it's much better than having her hold it and ever getting to sell it.
       
    19. I agree with most of these posts.
      Communicatation is THE most important thing
      One of the thing that irritates me is when some one asks to buy something and then doesn't get back to you. You PM them after what you feel is long enough not to nag (3-4 days no contact) and still no response. Argh! It makes it frustrating. Especcially if someone else has shown intrest, but you turned them down.

      I always try to let people know within 24 hours of shipment, and ask them to let me know when it gets there. I think that probably 50% of people follow up. Which I hate because I am a seller that worries about there being some sort of problem.

      All in all I think that communication makes any situatin better and pleasant.
       
    20. mhdolls, I just went through the almost exact same thing as you did! I contacted the seller saying I wanted to buy something of hers and she said okay, she would find out about the shipping. The next day, she replies to my first PM saying that she had already sold the item but had another similar one at hand (but not the same). I was pretty boggled. I pointed out that she said she would sell it to me but also said, that if it's close enough, I'll buy the other item.

      A while later, she replies saying 'sorry, it was sold here.' And then she says the other item is also sold out now!

      In the span of two days, she promised me two items and promptly sold them off to other people! I was so annoyed!

      *takes deep, deep breath* Alright. But yes, sellers aren't the only ones who can be flakey. We know buyers can be flakey too.

      In the end, good communication is always very important. And once you agree to sell/buy something, stick with it! Or at least, tell the other party if you've changed your mind or can't afford it.