Terse, short emails with no name = no sale.

[RiverRat84]

This is a hobby for me, a source of enjoyment. I sell knives to fund more knives, this isn't a source of income for me, I don't make a living with it.

As such I won't deal with people that suck the fun out of it.

I've sold to people that have gotten progressively ruder with each knife I've sold them and I won't deal with them anymore.

I've also sold to people that have become good friends and I'll happily send out a knife prior to payment from them.:thumbup:

Catch more flies with honey and all that

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

I got one something along the lines of this

"Hi WAT WILLL U take WHAT IS LOWEST PRICE ON DELICA
thx let me know"

That was it. These are the ones that I wont even respond too.

If they can't spell out words like you and thanks I don't even like to read their messages. I'm sorry, call me a snob, that's how I feel.

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

Can a seller limit what he is offering to paying members without violating forum rules?

I'd think you could limit your sales to anyone you want. It's your knife. That said, some of my favorite buyers and traders don't have paid memberships, and the one time I was ripped off was by a gold member.

 

[unit]

I'd think you could limit your sales to anyone you want. It's your knife. That said, some of my favorite buyers and traders don't have paid memberships, and the one time I was ripped off was by a gold member.

I guarantee you can limit your sales in any manner you like if you demand that all correspondence take place in private.

However, you better be accepting of the backlash that may come from it

There are several businesses that choose to pre-qualify their buyers (beyond legality issues). It (at minimum) limits sales, and (at times) creates more work for the sales team. Generally limiting sales while increasing work is something to be avoided in business, but we all have ideals

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

I guarantee you can limit your sales in any manner you like if you demand that all correspondence take place in private.

However, you better be accepting of the backlash that may come from it

There are several businesses that choose to pre-qualify their buyers (beyond legality issues). It (at minimum) limits sales, and (at times) creates more work for the sales team. Generally limiting sales while increasing work is something to be avoided in business, but we all have ideals

No doubt about that. I personally don't choose to deny anyone just because of their membership status, or the lack thereof. But I can see why others might want to. I do have a couple things that's cause me to back out of a For Sale thread, but that's not one of them. The only one I can think of is not being willing to ship to an APO or FPO.

 

[Rhinoman]

I'm not trying to poke fun at you, mmmkay?

I don't write elaborate e-mails. I write short, terse, and polite (within the few words used) correspondence. I don't feel the need to fluff it up when it's a business transaction.

If you are selling a knife, and I want to ask you a question.........I'm going to ask the question, and be done.

Something along the lines of "Are you willing to accept $xxx for your knife." OR "Is the damage on xxx product well represented in your photos." "Can I have a photo of xxx area.""

At the end I'll include the typical Thanks, Best, yada

A bunch of extranious words just wastes my time writing and the reader's time reading. There is no point to it. I hate getting correspondence that doesn't get to the point either.

This isn't a dating site. I'm not writing a novel so that the recipient knows it's not a form letter. I'm not posting pics, and I'm not jumping through hoops. You want to sell something. If I want to buy it. I'll try to purchase.....but I'm not playing dating-site-games to do it.

In a lot of ways, the OP is trying to argue the same thing as ladies are on a dating site. If one doesn't "take the time" they "don't care enough." In my case, if I have e-mailed someone about a product, I'm already interested...........how they respond dictates if they get my $$$ or not. As a buyer on the internet, one is often buying the seller's reputation rather than just the product when they choose a seller.

And you miss my point.

Direct? No problem. Short emails? No problem. If someone includes their name and even a hint of humanity when they include the word "Best". This would tell me that I'm dealing with someone that may well follow through and not waste my time. Start combing short, demanding, nameless.....Not good. That guy isn't planning on buying anything.

I don't need someone to hold my hand or make me feel special when I'm selling or buying, but people do give themselves away by certain behavior when tire kicking in the forums.

This thread was created after a bunch of short, rude emails by no name folks. Folks that never end up buying. I'm just close to not responding to those types of emails anymore.

As far as treating anything in the emporiums as just a "business transaction" well, I can't agree with that. Partly because that's not who I am as a person and partly because the forums exist as part of a knife loving a community. The "business transactions" are with members of that community and I enjoy that sense of community (even though I'm new here) when I'm buying or selling. I'm still dealing with another human being and they probably deserve more the 7 seconds of my time when we're coming to terms on the purchase or sale of a knife.

 

[Kyui Su Kim]

Can a seller limit what he is offering to paying members without violating forum rules?

As far as I know, you are allowed to sell or not sell to anyone you want. I have a list of folks that I will not ever deal with as well. Usually for being rude in correspondence or just not replying when they feel they no longer want to deal or can't complete a deal. If you have changed your mind or circumstances have interfered with a deal, just tell the other person so they can move on, don't just pull a Houdini. It would be like having a conversation, then abruptly stopping and walking off.

 

[Rhinoman]

I got one something along the lines of this

"Hi WAT WILLL U take WHAT IS LOWEST PRICE ON DELICA
thx let me know"

That was it. These are the ones that I wont even respond too.

Those are just hysterical. Do these folks even remotely think that they'll get the best possible price on the knife with this tactic? Just crazy.

That's another one that I've learned means that they couldn't even afford a giveaway price on what I'm offering. They just want to feel like they're participating in something. Living the dream.

 

[zzyzzogeton]

The only one I can think of is not being willing to ship to an APO or FPO.

This is an absolute deal breaker for me. I still send AmEx their cc application solicitions back empty because they denied me a cc back in 1979 SOLELY on the basis of company policy to not issue to APO/FPO addresses. I'm sorry, but when assigned to and live on a Ship/Base/Fort/Camp, that is your ONLY address.

Even if someone is in the military, they still deserve to be treated like citizens, not trash. And trust me, if you have an issue w/ a sailor or soldier not living up to an obligation, one simple letter to the CO of their unit will bring RAPID results. As a division officer and a department head, I knew very quickly when one of those came in. The letter rolls down hill until it is fixed.

Oooohhh!!! Does it show too strongly that this is one of my hot buttons???

 

[other memory]

It's easy to tell who is serious and who is entertaining their own curiosity or nursing an impulse buy… They are never direct, to the point, and signal that they are ready to move as soon as you answer their questions.

I don't mind answering direct questions, you know what they are. However stuff like "What would you say the condition of the knife is?" (when the answer is posted in the thread) or (my favorite) "Is so and so steal good?" (that's a subjective question) come across as trolling. I'm 0 and countless when I deal with this type of behavior.

Oh... and the text language inquires... "Y u sellin da knif? THX!!!!!1!!" These get ignored.

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

... to not issue to APO/FPO addresses. I'm sorry, but when assigned to and live on a Ship/Base/Fort/Camp, that is your ONLY address............

Amen to that! And why not ship to an APO? It's a US zip code, just like CONUS. You can track and insure the package, just like to any other US zip code. The only difference is the package might take longer to get there. Of well, I had to be patient when I was over in the sand. I had a couple sellers say they'd ship, but weren't going to take any responsibility for the package. IOW, they weren't go to bother insuring it just because it was going to my APO. One seller in particular here, I just ignore his sales after that. Even now that I've been Stateside for over a year.

.............

Oh... and the text language inquires... "Y u sellin da knif? THX!!!!!1!!" These get ignored.

That's a good way for me ti ignore you, too. Spell out the damn words! I see posts like that, and wouldn't play spelling nazi, but just can't take the poster seriously.

 

[Buffalohump]

I totally agree. Annoys me no end when people cant even bother to start with a Hi, or Hello and then sign off with their name AT LEAST. Anyway... how did Sheriff Tom Bell put it in No Country... it's the dismal tide.