Comments in for sale ads

If you want to make an offer on an overpriced item, send a PM.

squiddo wrote: I've always found the people that comment just for the sake of it (with no interest in bargaining or buying the gear) wankers.

+1

If you just want to piss in someone's cornflakes, consider whether you are using the Internet as an excuse to discard your good manners. If it was a flea market or a garage sale, would you stand in front of the goods and tell potential buyers of a better deal elsewhere? That would not last long.....

The idea that you are "protecting" the community is not valid. Over-priced items languish on MP all of the time.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Unless the seller is misrepresenting the product then the seller isn't ripping anyone off.

+1

Sales policing just sounds like old-lady gossip mongering to me. Using a "higher cause" to justify mean-hearted behavior doesn't work. Oh wait, "self righteous" is the attitude I was looking to describe. When the old biddy impulse comes on, go climb something instead? Just my two cents.

David Appelhans wrote:This guy had it coming. When the price is a bit higher than normal, I try to refrain from saying anything. When the price is just crazy the person is going to get called out. I'm all for the free market AND freedom of information. This guys free to ask what he wants. If someone wants to post up that the sellers price is ridiculous, that's fine too. If the person calling the seller out is just being an asshole, anyone is free to post up that the sale killer is out of line. Self policing.

I'm one of the folks who posted on that thread about price, so it's clear where I stand. That said, I feel like David has it right. The price in question was comical. I didn't post to "shoot down" his sale. I posted because I literally laughed after clicking on the post with genuine interest. If you don't want people to comment on your sale, then you should post in a forum where that isn't allowed.

I mean come on, how can you not laugh at someone trying to sell C4s at a price ABOVE retail?

Two words: Community forum!

We're here to collaborate and provide awareness. If someone is doing something fishy, call them out on it. In the end, it benefits us all by maintaining a certain prestige to the site.

Jeffeos wrote:If someone is doing something fishy, call them out on it.

Fair nuff. What rises to the level of fishy? Would posting a sale item at MSRP be fishy? Do you call fish if the item is priced below regular retail but a current Internet sale price is even lower? A few months ago, a sales policer used a pro-deal price to call fishy. Where do you call the line that requires protecting the community?

caughtinside wrote: To the MP deal cops... you guys are wankers.

+1

Jaren Watson wrote:Two or three times I've posted lower online prices, and each time I was in the market for those items. My hope was that the seller would lower the price.

Jared, you sound sincere, but just checking, are you really in the market for a new rope, harness, pack and a set of cams too? The tax return must have been nice this year. If you were actually fishing for a lower offer from the seller, then I assume you actually bought those in the last two months?

Did your sale-buster negotiating tactic actually result in any offers from the sellers?

Would you acknowledge that the prices in most of the sale postings where you are being the "rude sale-buster" are below your quoted retail prices, right? Just not enough of a discount to not be "ridiculous" in your opinion? How much of a discount off of the lowest retail price is required to avoid your "self-righteousness"?

Jaren Watson wrote:Backcountry has it for $160.24 with free shipping.

Jaren Watson wrote:These sets are available online with free shipping for the same price, even a few dollars cheaper on the C3s, Amazon, GearExpress, etc.

Jaren Watson wrote:Deuter 65+10 available brand new for $160 online. Alpine Bod brand new for $32.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: Fine but the post in question is being defended by claiming the seller is ripping people off which is plainly untrue (and you admit it). If you feel you need to step on someone's legitimate for-sale thread then just state you're being a busybody and can't mind your own business. Pretty simple.

Perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I absolutely consider price gouging to be a form of ripping people off. The seller is certainly within his/her rights to set whatever price he/she wants, but that doesn't make the price fair. Likewise, a buyer is within his/her rights to pay whatever price a seller is asking. But neither of those prevent others from commenting on the price.

What is this nonsense about minding your own business? This is a public forum centered around discussion, not a private shop. If you want people to mind their own business, don't post your business on a public forum.

It makes me wonder if those who are so opposed to commenting on prices just want to make sure they have the opportunity to rip some people off themselves.

The real beef I have over this is simply the idle posting with no intent or interest to buy. It's like walking into a store, tossing an offhand comment about an item being too expensive and then walking out. Its relevant if you make an offer, bargain and then buy. Anything else is simply a troll.

Its the whole anonymity of the internet that helps propagate this approach. I doubt many would do this in person, at a flea market, gear swap, etc. In such a case you may ask a price and receive and answer. In such a case though doing so and walking away is one thing but asking and receiving a lower price and then walking away another.

Jim A wrote: The seller is certainly within his/her rights to set whatever price he/she wants, but that doesn't make the price fair. Likewise, a buyer is within his/her rights to pay whatever price a seller is asking. But neither of those prevent others from commenting on the price.

No, good manners are supposed to prevent those kind of comments. Can you name an instance where you would make such a comment in person?

Jim A wrote: It makes me wonder if those who are so opposed to commenting on prices just want to make sure they have the opportunity to rip some people off themselves.

Jim, it sounds like you are accusing folks on the other side of this conversation of being dishonest people. Back it up? I have sold a lot of stuff on MP. Got anyone to say I ripped them off?

I am gonna suggest that you are using a loaded word, "rip off", justify people who post as trolls. I agree with Ray that "rip off" should mean the seller is misrepresenting the product, not that you, as sales police, think the price is too high.

Jim A wrote: Perhaps I should have phrased that differently. I absolutely consider price gouging to be a form of ripping people off. The seller is certainly within his/her rights to set whatever price he/she wants, but that doesn't make the price fair. Likewise, a buyer is within his/her rights to pay whatever price a seller is asking. But neither of those prevent others from commenting on the price. What is this nonsense about minding your own business? This is a public forum centered around discussion, not a private shop. If you want people to mind their own business, don't post your business on a public forum. It makes me wonder if those who are so opposed to commenting on prices just want to make sure they have the opportunity to rip some people off themselves.

You never took economics did you? Quit listening to the news, there is no such thing as price gouging in an open market. No one is forcing anyone to buy on this forum therefor the buyer can not be gouged. If someone chooses to pay too much they have done so of their own free will, and of their own accord, unless the product has otherwise been misrepresented.

As far as this being a public discussion forum, we're discussing the for-sale section, the seller did not solicit your opinion and neither did any potential buyers. You're simply trying to make excuses for being rude. If you were interested in the product but wanted to offer less than asking price you'd have emailed the seller.

Do you spend your free time standing in front of REI telling people they are about to pay too much?

I find it interesting that members here would tell others to mind their own business when witnessing an unsafe act at a climbing area but when they see a price that they think is too high they automatically feel the need to insert their nose.

Jaren Watson wrote:Two or three times I've posted lower online prices, and each time I was in the market for those items. My hope was that the seller would lower the price. I know a lot of people really enjoy haggling over prices, but I'm not fond of it in the least. Perhaps there is a better way to ask for a lower price, but if I can avoid the back and forth of price negotiation, I will do so. Additionally, I resent when people take advantage of others who are less informed. Obviously, many climbers to MP are new to the sport and looking to get their rack established for less than a small fortune. When sellers post items for ridiculous prices, I'd rather be the rude sale-buster than have some poor guy shell out retail prices for second-hand gear. Could this be construed as self-righteous? Perhaps, but I figure I have as much right to police scams as does the scammer to rip people off. I would argue that one is ethically more offensive than the other, but at the very least, my self-righteousness negates his predatory selling.

Jaren, what was your motivation when you did it to me, specifically?
If you want a lower price, the most effective way to get one in short order is to ask for it, not crash someone else's post. A little kid could figure that out without being obtuse.
Unless of course you were trying to FORCE someone into a lower price by wrecking their chances at a sale, in which case your logic would be sound, but absolutly trashy.
I am currently less impressed by you than I was with the first post, and waiting for a better explanation than those I have imagined.

Jaren Watson wrote:Two or three times I've posted lower online prices, and each time I was in the market for those items. My hope was that the seller would lower the price. I know a lot of people really enjoy haggling over prices, but I'm not fond of it in the least.

You should just express those hopes bud. If you just say you're willing to pay a certain amount for a persons gear they will say yes or no. You don't have to haggle. And, people don't have to guess what your motives are for saying you can find the gear for less.

Thread summary:

I'm butt hurt because I tried to sell my used gear for more then someone can get it new for, and I got called out on it.

Boo-hoo. Use E-bay, craigslist, etc. if you want max value for your crap with no comments.

Read it again softex

Ray Pinpillage wrote: I find it interesting that members here would tell others to mind their own business when witnessing an unsafe act at a climbing area but when they see a price that they think is too high they automatically feel the need to insert their nose.

Highly agree!!!! I think it is ridiculous that this has even turned into what it has. If a person enters an agreement with someone and is willing to purchase the item at sellers asking price then they are not getting ripped off. Sure, they might be paying more than they would have somewhere else but that is their business not yours. Do you guys stand around your local gas station and tell people that they can get their gas cheaper across the street?

Someone just posted some real good prices on gear - I'm about to let him know he can get more and to up his prices.

What's the opposite of thread-crapping?

Jaren Watson wrote:In other words, like I said, I was in the market.....Maybe some people's intent is merely to crash a sale; it wasn't mine.

Well answered.

Jaren Watson wrote:But I do have a hard time understanding why a seller wouldn't want to know if retail gear was going for the same price or even lower than their used items.

Having sold a bunch of gear on MP lately, to a lot of nice folks, I can say I would have definitely wanted to know if my price was silly high. I don't think I received any lower offers that I did not accept. Frankly, pricing used gear can be challenging sometimes, as when an item has been discontinued for a couple of years. A PM would have prompted me to do more research or drop a price immediately. On the other hand, a harsh post to my offering would have been very embarassing. No doubt, I would have deleted the thread and given up on selling the item if that happened.

I hear what you are saying and I can see you are trying to do the right thing. A slightly different approach might get your offers accepted at prices that will make sense for you. OTH, it sounds like you have gotten very good at shopping for new gear. Enjoy.

I think much worse than someone calling out something that is an obvious bad deal is when people sell stuff that is beat to sh!t. I have seen some cams for sale that aren't fit for propping open a door. I can only hope that whoever buys them is melting them down to make beer cans.

I'll take the good and the bad though. MP is a great place to connect with others to sell stuff that you want to have a good home. It feels more like make a deal with a friend and I've enjoyed meeting the peopel I've sold things to. The market will dictate the price.

Craigslist is horrible as it can take months to find someone actually willing to follow through on buying something and ebay, although you might get slightly more for the gear, you make less after ebay and paypal get their cuts. Also, if you screw up the shipping pricing you're hosed. Plus, the whole process takes a week or two and it is much less personal.

+1 and thank you to the overlords of MP for granting us this privilege.

Craig Quincy wrote: thank you to the overlords of MP for granting us this privilege.

Ray Pinpillage wrote: I find it interesting that members here would tell others to mind their own business when witnessing an unsafe act at a climbing area but when they see a price that they think is too high they automatically feel the need to insert their nose.

And we have a winner!!!!! Good point!