Questioning prices on a FB group for trades/sales

[mulleins]

From the groups I'm in your question seems fair and what I would want to see as a potential buyer. Any seller that can't handle fair questions and demands the mods/admins remove a comment is someone I would not buy from. They may be fine but when I'm buying things online I want every assurance I'm dealing with someone who is fair and reasonable and this is just a crack that makes me wonder what else I may need to worry about. Most of my purchases that haven't been via something where as a buyer I'm protected, like eBay, I rely on what others say about the seller or I worry like crazy until I get the book.

Well said.

Mulleins

[khaos]

From the groups I'm in your question seems fair and what I would want to see as a potential buyer. Any seller that can't handle fair questions and demands the mods/admins remove a comment is someone I would not buy from. They may be fine but when I'm buying things online I want every assurance I'm dealing with someone who is fair and reasonable and this is just a crack that makes me wonder what else I may need to worry about. Most of my purchases that haven't been via something where as a buyer I'm protected, like eBay, I rely on what others say about the seller or I worry like crazy until I get the book.

[c marvel]

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.

It sounds like a nice/good idea to negotiate via PMs. I know from experience that can misfire. At another message board forum I posted I had some books for sale. I got a pm from a poster and I told him what I would ask for one title. He promptly blew his stack/hissed at me and more or less accused me of being greedy/trying to rip people off (He did not actually say those words-That was to me what he seemed to be implying). I bit my tongue and didn't respond rudely in kind. I prefer to and try to remain neutral even when I'm private messaging someone.

Cap

[MikeStegs]

The novice collector can really get taken advantage of without the benefit of discussion. A novice seller too for that matter. Or just put it on eBay and let the masses decide its fate.

I agree with this. I’d qualify myself as above novice but nowhere near experienced as other collectors in terms of book value. I would actually appreciate the benefit of comments from others such as I do on this forum when deciding which books to buy, etc. And if I were a seller, it would be helpful to know if I priced something too high then I need to either adjust or have realistic expectations that a book might not sell for awhile if at all. I also agree with many other thoughts expressed on this thread that being respectful is very important but otherwise this does not seem inappropriate to me. What’s listed in a public environment is open for public comment.

[Brian861]

Good point. People rely on these groups to verify authenticity and worth. As long as the questions are respectful (as I imagine Brad's was!) then it's all part of the platform. Although, every buyer needs to know that the value of any purchase is subjective and can only truly be answered by asking "is this book worth this much to me?" if the answer is yes, then buy it.

The novice collector can really get taken advantage of without the benefit of discussion. A novice seller too for that matter. Or just put it on eBay and let the masses decide its fate.

[jeffingoff]

100% this. Disallowing polite discussion of pricing seems like a slippery slope that will eventually let that one jackass trying to push his copy of Rage with the bogus signature post it for sale with impunity.

Good point. People rely on these groups to verify authenticity and worth. As long as the questions are respectful (as I imagine Brad's was!) then it's all part of the platform. Although, every buyer needs to know that the value of any purchase is subjective and can only truly be answered by asking "is this book worth this much to me?" if the answer is yes, then buy it.

[slayn666]

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.

100% this. Disallowing polite discussion of pricing seems like a slippery slope that will eventually let that one jackass trying to push his copy of Rage with the bogus signature post it for sale with impunity.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[bsaenz24]

Hey!! You're were our snowflake first!

LOL!!!

[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!

[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.

[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.

[bsaenz24]

I changed my title now. I feel better.