Questioning prices on a FB group for trades/sales

[bsaenz24]

General question...when a FaceBook group is set up for sales/trades, are you not supposed to question the prices at all?? Someone had a Best of Shivers ARC on an SK sales group and I thought the price might be a little high because I thought it was possibly used in a grab bag and therefore more were around. The first comment back from the seller was about why was I coming in to undermine her sale and she just got more aggressive from there and then asked the admin to remove be from that post.

So...do people not question the prices that people ask for in those groups?

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

From my experience it depends on the group. I have seen groups that state all negotiations should be done via PM. Some groups have rules against any negative comments in someone else's sales thread. They call it "thread crapping".

Other groups seem to allow or even welcome comments about price or the product itself in sales threads.

Were there specific rules listed in this group pertaining to comments in sales threads? If not, I'd say your comments were probably not out of line, but I suppose the group admin has the final word on that.

[bsaenz24]

I didn't actually check the rules first. It seemed like a normal honest question, to me at least. It did completely turn me off to that seller going forward either way.

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

I didn't actually check the rules first. It seemed like a normal honest question, to me at least. It did completely turn me off to that seller going forward either way.

It would me too. We had a similar experience in the Robert McCammon group I'm an admin of. A new member thought her Dark Harvest limited edition of Swan Song was worth several hundred dollars more than its actual value. The more that members tried to politely steer her in a more reasonable direction the more belligerent she became. She actually started hurling insults at anyone who disagreed with her. Some people can't be helped. *shrug*

[bsaenz24]

Yeah, this woman said I was undermining her sale and should mind my own business and then...she called me a.......SNOWFLAKE!!!

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

Yeah, this woman said I was undermining her sale and should mind my own business and then...she called me a.......SNOWFLAKE!!!

Of all the nerve!

[jeffingoff]

Yeah, this woman said I was undermining her sale and should mind my own business and then...she called me a.......SNOWFLAKE!!!

WOW! I really can't imagine your initial question being hurtful or insulting. And it's funny how those who accuse others of being "snowflakes" often melt the fastest. Sorry your experience sucked. I saw just the opposite of your scenario play out. One of the admins was selling a book for someone and a member wrote a one word response "Scalper." When the admin objected to the slander, the member doubled down and a brew ha-ha brewed. The member eventually apologized. But he never got bounced even though he openly threw insults even after being educated about the price.

[bsaenz24]

I changed my title now. I feel better.

[RonClinton]

While it sounds like the seller was too sensitive and belligerent, I do think it’s generally poor form to enter someone else’s For Sale thread and comment on pricing that one believes is too high.

If you’re actually interested in the book, then make them a public or private counteroffer and leave it at that; if you’re not interested, then shake your head, stay silent, and be comforted by the fact that it will go unsold if prospective buyers do their simple due diligence on pricing.

A classified ad shouldn’t be a discussion thread about how a poster believes they know the market better than the seller...they may (or, conversely, may not know nearly as much as they think), but I believe it’s inappropriate and rarely leads to productive discussion.

[Martin]

While I have no views on Facebook etiqeutte I do believe Best of Shivers was included in an ARC grab bag. I can't be sure because I currently have a bunch of books in boxes and do not see it, but I am pretty confident I received one.

[Brian861]

Yeah, this woman said I was undermining her sale and should mind my own business and then...she called me a.......SNOWFLAKE!!!

Hey!! You were our snowflake first!

[bsaenz24]

Hey!! You're were our snowflake first!

LOL!!!

[bookworm 1]

While I have no views on Facebook etiqeutte I do believe Best of Shivers was included in an ARC grab bag. I can't be sure because I currently have a bunch of books in boxes and do not see it, but I am pretty confident I received one.

yes it was. Mine is sitting on my book shelf next to my SST Gwendy books.

[Dan Hocker]

My thoughts on this are "If you didn't want people to comment on your product for sale, why post it for sale in a place were people can comment on it?" Facebook groups are functionally just a message board, a place where people have discoussions. If you don't want a discussion about something you're selling, maybe don't post it for sale in places where those discussions can happen. There's plenty of outlets to sell your stuff that people can't comment on.

[Martin]

My thoughts on this are "If you didn't want people to comment on your product for sale, why post it for sale in a place were people can comment on it?" Facebook groups are functionally just a message board, a place where people have discoussions. If you don't want a discussion about something you're selling, maybe don't post it for sale in places where those discussions can happen. There's plenty of outlets to sell your stuff that people can't comment on.

There you go applying logic and reason to the internet.