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Model Forum / General / Models / December 2005



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On Line Trading

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Art Murray - 14 Dec 2005 14:27 GMT
Everyone,

I've been trading kits over the Internet for almost ten years.  For the most
part I have traded via RMS once or twice per year with no problems.  But as
our numbers at RMS shrink I also trade at Hyperscale.  I do this for the
sheer fun of it, not for commercial purposes.

In the past two years, I've noticed a trend whereby Hyperscale respondents
to my sale posts will initiate an e-mail correspondence, e-mails fly back
and forth, agreement is reached after friendly exchanges and then...nothing!
"Yeah, that's great!  I'll take the TamiHaseFujiRevMoAM F-300 BlizzleBlaster
kit.  I'll send my payment."  Then they fall off the face of the earth.

In the last year, I'd say it has happened once for every two successful
transactions.  I don't lose any money because I don't send kits until I get
receipt of funds in the case of folks I don't know.  I'm not out anything
except time and the occasional lost sale because I told someone a kit was
already committed when it wasn't.

Am I missing something?  Is this normal or a statistical abberration?
People on ego trips?  Anyone else running into the same problem?

Art
Stephen Tontoni - 14 Dec 2005 18:05 GMT
> Everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Art

I haven't seen that, Art, but I don't swap in here as much as I used to.
I just go to ebay more than anything else with online stuff. I remember
the old RMS  days (when there'd be 100 posts in the morning and 100 more
after dinner), and the WWI list I used to belong to... it seemed like I
was either sending or getting a cool parcel every week without money
exchanging hands!

Best of luck Art; you're one of the great ones.

--- Stephen
Al Superczynski - 14 Dec 2005 21:04 GMT
>...I've noticed a trend whereby Hyperscale respondents
>to my sale posts will initiate an e-mail correspondence, e-mails fly back
>and forth, agreement is reached after friendly exchanges and then...nothing!

    I haven't run into that problem but something that gripes me is
people that ask for parts, sending me digging through my parts boxes,
and then never responding when I advise them that I have the parts
they need.

    Conversely, it irritates me when people say they'll send me parts
I need and then never follow through...      :(
Signature

Al Superczynski, MFE, IPMS/USA #3795, continuous since 1968

My "From" address is munged - use 'modeleral (at) swbell (dot) net' to respond via email.

Check out my want lists and eBay listings at "Al's Place":
http://www.network54.com/realm/modeleral/
"Build what YOU like, the way YOU want to,
and the critics will flame you every time."

Chuck Ryan - 15 Dec 2005 08:30 GMT
> >...I've noticed a trend whereby Hyperscale respondents
> >to my sale posts will initiate an e-mail correspondence, e-mails fly back
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> --
> Al Superczynski, MFE, IPMS/USA #3795, continuous since 1968

Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah, Naah Naahahhhhh! :-)
And an early HO HO HO!

--
Chuck Ryan
Springfield OH
rgronovius@hotmail.com - 14 Dec 2005 22:41 GMT
Haven't noticed this, but I do know there was a rash of bad trader
alerts on the net (basically a couple of guys cheating many). I've
gotten more cautious when dealing with total strangers (i.e. guys who I
don't know by name on sites).
RobG
MJ Rudy - 14 Dec 2005 23:46 GMT
I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.

Signature

M. J. Rudy
mjrudy@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/mjrudymodels/

>Everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
>Art
Gray Ghost - 15 Dec 2005 03:41 GMT
> I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
> prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.

Yeah no kidding Sister Mary. In God We Trust, all others pay cash. Money
first then pack.
Mad-Modeller - 15 Dec 2005 06:41 GMT
> > I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
> > prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.
>
> Yeah no kidding Sister Mary. In God We Trust, all others pay cash. Money
> first then pack.

I do something similar with E-bay sales.  I pack the item but don't put
the shipping label on until the money arrives.  I learned early on not
to.  It's a potential waste of labels.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.
maiesm72@netscape.com - 15 Dec 2005 05:08 GMT
Had that happen a couple of years ago here. Not a common poster here,
though.

Had it all packaged up, labeled, contacted hm with the total including
actual postage, never heard from him again and never saw him on RMS
again.

On the bright side I sold it for twice the amount at a local contest
this year to a very happy modeler.

On the other side of the coin I confess to forgetting to dig into the
MAI Library a couple of times after telling someone that I would see
what I could find. Rebuilding the house sometimes prevents me from
getting to the library, whch is now behind piles of boxes of models.
I'm usually pretty good about it, especially when reminded gently. :-(

Tom  

Tom
Art Murray - 15 Dec 2005 13:57 GMT
Bill,

Interstingly, I've never had that problem with e-Bay sales and never that I
remember with RMS; only Hyperscale.  No indictment of Hyperscale intended.
I just think because Hyperscale reaches so many, the odds of a misfire
increase.

Art

>> > I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
>> > prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.
MJ Rudy - 15 Dec 2005 11:27 GMT
Oh I agree, the only time I've sent anything ahead of payment is to
known-good payers.  A few of them are posters here, others were
"frequent buyers" over short periods over the years.

Unfortunately I often have to "dry-pack" (sort of like dry-fitting
parts) to estimate shipping.  Ever since Priority Mail adopted the
sliding-scale fees I haven't just been able to say "oh, about 7 bucks"
or whatever, I have to know the zip code and approx weight.

I'm doing the same right now answering overseas shipping questions on
the stuff I've posted on eBay this week (shameless plug, see below),
but at least these will probably go through (at least with
high-feedback winning bidders).

Signature

M. J. Rudy
mjrudy@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/mjrudymodels/

my current eBay items:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQfrppZ25QQsassZmjrudy

>> I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
>> prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.
>
>Yeah no kidding Sister Mary. In God We Trust, all others pay cash. Money
>first then pack.
Art Murray - 15 Dec 2005 14:08 GMT
Sister Mary,

I've gotten nicked a few times by the sliding scale myself lately.  I just
ate the cost and moved on.  I used to know by heart what a kit would cost to
mail.  No more.

I learned a valuable lesson lately.  I picked up a B-29 at a Hobby Lobby 1/2
price sale for a guy in CA.  That kit just barely, and I mean *barely*,
passes all the required USPS dimension parameters (if "x is the longitude of
Bisslefest, Herzogovina"" then "y divided by the circumference of the earth"
leads to "z the square of a hexagon multiplied by the specific gravity of
cow manure").  I had to re-pack it three times.  Still cost an arm and a leg
to send it via Priority Mail.  And here is the puzzling thing - using the
aforementioned "simplified" postal formulas, it cost less to send Priority
Mail than it cost to send Parcel Post, by a wide margin.  Go figure.

Art

> Oh I agree, the only time I've sent anything ahead of payment is to
> known-good payers.  A few of them are posters here, others were
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>>Yeah no kidding Sister Mary. In God We Trust, all others pay cash. Money
>>first then pack.
Mad-Modeller - 16 Dec 2005 06:25 GMT
> Sister Mary,
>
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> Art

I've run into that one a time or two also.  Then there're the parcels to
Canada; quite often it's cheaper to airmail them than sending them
surface.  They also get there faster "according to the website".

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.
Art Murray - 15 Dec 2005 13:53 GMT
Sister Mary,

Good to hear from you.  You mentioned another reason it irks me.  I also
prepare the packages for mailing as soon as a deal is struck.  The details
are fresh in my mind and it prevents me from procrastinating.  But recently
packaged kits have been piling up because of the problem I mentioned.

I guess I'll just quit packaging in advance and wait 'til payment.  Kind of
takes the fun out of it.

BTW, coincidentally I was perusing your website and model list just
yesterday looking for an old 1/48 Testors T-33.  Didn't see one.

Hope all is well with you.

Art

>I get that all the time from my disposal list, Art.  I even used to
> prepare the packages for mailing but know better now.
[quoted text clipped - 27 lines]
>>
>>Art
Gray Ghost - 15 Dec 2005 03:40 GMT
> Everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> Art

I'd been looking for some "custom" decals for an Aurora 737 since the
originals were trash. All I wanted was for someone to rescale existing
decals for me. I was willing to pay. Contacted 2 different people, one whose
name would probably be recognized here.

Gave measurements, agreed on simply resizing an existing set (even though it
would be somewhat fictional). In one case the guy even said he would send a
test print to check size and position. Then nothing. I sent several emails
nothing. What a way to run a business!

I also used to work for a LHS doing mailorder. Another modeler whose name
would definitely be recognized had a request in our want list. We got one in
in good condition. I emailed him a couple times, got some kind of agreement
and then again nothing.

I think people have just become rude a.sholes. Rather than own up when they
go back on thier word they use the internet's relative anonyminity and
distance to just be punks.
 
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