The only reason is because initially I had posted that "PM sent with Inquiry", and I just changed that "inquiry" to "offer". Shoulda just changed it completely to "I'll take it". Lesson learned I guess.
The perversity of the universe tends towards a maximum. -- O'Toole's Corollary of Finagle's Law
If you assume both of these, it only encourages sellers to put up items with less than full descriptions (regardless of what they should be doing) in hopes that someone pulls the trigger without asking about a trait of the item that would reduce the value.
For example, if the seller doesn't post new/used, a buyer may assume new even if an item is used, perhaps even abused. The buyer that would ask new/used and wait for the answer (e.g. "I'll take it pending new/used") would be trumped by the buyer who didn't think to ask that and therefore would pay the price as if the item were new.
Without using the "I'll take it pending [clarification question]" and allowing simple "I'll take it" to trump that, you are rewarding ambiguous listings.
I guess it was inevitable... but saddens me to see this level of distrust build in this community. Seems to me the original purpose of the For Sale forum is getting lost. Sheesh folks.... it was for divesting oneself of excess gear. Not a competition to see who can outwit who and snipe the purchase. I guess I'll stop reading the For Sale postings. I don't need the mind games that seem to be creeping in.
I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.
"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn
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I completely agree, but I've unfortunately seen it happen a few times, whether intentional or not (I can't judge a person's intent, only their actions). And while I would prefer to and have assumed it was completely unintentional, the fact stands that leaving that window open allows for someone to be taken advantage of because they trust the seller based on that exact HF level of trust and fairness that you've referenced.
Why not just keep all questions and return offers public?
I think that keeping such discussion public clarifies all these problems; doesn't it?
I post,
Hey I'm interested
Tell me xyz about the item?
Will you accept xyz as payment?
If so, I'll take it
Seller should reply in the thread. That would make it all a matter of public record, If there ever was a conern about an item not received and someone had to file a PP claim to recover funds. Only payment & shipping info should be discussed in PM.
Is there something wrong with this that I'm missing?
"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." -Plato
I think cataraftgirl has it right. There is no ambiguity in "I'll take it". If you have further questions and want to ask them, that is not a commitment to buy. I've bought quite a few things here and have yet to be disappointed.
Tonight I'm howlin' at a foreign moon, might as well be a junkie's spoon.
John Hiatt
This thread is somewhat wide of the OP's question, which was about making explicit 'I'll Take It' posts. The answer to that is - Yes, you should...otherwise you may get out-claimed. "Offer Sent" isn't good enough. Neither is "PM Sent" or "PM with Offer". Offers are not claims.
If you have either a question or an offer about an item, it's up to you to either post that in thread, or to PM the seller directly. But, that offer or question *does not* put a claim in place. Only explicit in-thread claim posts do.
It is up to the seller to make sure the listings are accurate and honest. It is also up to the seller to follow the correct order of claims in thread. Failure to follow the rules, or dishonesty about an item's condition, will often result in loss of access to the Marketplace.
Since this thread is starting to wander, and be a source of opinion about the rules rather than direct interpretation, we'll close it here. If you have specific questions about the rules, or how they are applied to a particular thread, I would encourage you to contact a moderator directly. That's the quickest and most accurate way to see how the rules apply to a given situation.
“I think that when the lies are all told and forgot the truth will be there yet. It dont move about from place to place and it dont change from time to time. You cant corrupt it any more than you can salt salt.” - Cormac McCarthy
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