Frank,
Custom runs / pre-orders.. etc from reputible users are fine. They just need to be run better in some cases. The rules/guidelines shouldn’t hinder any good seller from selling their parts.
Was not directed at you, so if it seemed that way then I am sorry. That was more of just a general thing to get out there. It just seems that there has been alot of bitching and moaning on here recently over small things where refunds were offered and buyers didnt take them.
I’m not concerned with it in the manner you think I am. I merely look at it from a legal standpoint on what I’d do. I’d either set things up in a way similar to what I’ve described, or I wouldn’t do it at all. I’ve noticed how AJ has put a disclaimer up, which I think helps a great deal more than just setting down rules. I know most people play by the rules, and it all works well, but I also know there are those few ■■■■■■■■ out there. My concern is merely for the safety of the site.
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I’m afraid you’re going to get assholes no matter what you do or where you go. It’s a fact of life. The trick is to not let those assholes spoil it for all the honest buyers and sellers because that would be a travesty.
I think AJ is going about it the right way.
I’m glad that there are some guidelines being applied.
From a buyers perspective sellers should be better about communicating with their buyers. I cannot count the number of times a seller has just dropped my item in the mail and assumed that it will just show up at my door. There is no notification of shipping, no tracking number, no nothing. I personally think that it is a careless move to just drop an item in the mail and walk away. Then if for some reason it gets lost (which has happened to me) the seller has to either issue a refund, send me a replacement or get a negative review from me with no chance of future business. If I have a tracking number and the item does not show up at my door, the seller is no longer the problem and I take it up with the delivery service. I think sellers could save themselves a whole lot of headache when dealing with buyers if they would simply provide some way to track the item that has shipped. At the end of the day though these are props we are dealing with, not a life support system. Delays and setbacks are fine with me so long as the seller does not drop off the face of the earth when a deadline comes and goes. Buyers should not have to hassle sellers to check in on the status of a project when it runs long. I am speaking of course in the most general terms possible and in no way am speaking of a specific seller or project. This is just taken from my years of experience purchasing items on several different sites.
As for deadbeat buyers I think there should be a list similar to the blacklisted sellers posted for buyers. If a person shows interest in a part and then backs out, they should be added to the list along with how many times (possibly within a given time frame) they have backed out on a parts run so that sellers in the future would know not to count on that person to make the run happen. I understand sometimes that things happen and situations are unique, but I often wonder about the circumstances. A lot of these parts runs are not expensive (less than 100 bucks). While I am not one to tell someone how to spend their money, it is my personal opinion that if you are spending the last 50 bucks to your name on a prop part and have no emergency fund whatsoever that you need to re-examine your priorities. Even more infuriating is to see a person back out on a parts run who “needs the money for their sick grandmother” and then two days later drop that amount of money (or more) on someone else’s item. Then the seller is either stuck sucking up the extra cost or delaying the REAL buyers until the empty slots are filled. Those kinds of delays should not be held against the seller. Having the aforementioned list would assist the seller in making more informed decisions IMO.
This is just my view on the matter but I trust that ultimately these rules will lead to better buyer/seller relationships.
AJ- I think one thing to add to the Buyers list is for buyers to have cash in hand when saying they will purchase an item, or want to buy an item. If you don’t have the cash, don’t post a WTB or say you’ll take an item.
Well if I may add my two cents in on this matter. I believe that with any transaction , “Buyer Beware” would be good advice. Yes, we are spending our hard earned money, sometimes quite a bit of money on these items. As for myself, still fairly new to GB Fans, I was interested in Light Kits. I didnt know where to start. So I READ the forums, GOOGLED these sellers and made an educated decision on who i felt most comfortable with buying from. I opened the lines of communication and started a dialouge with this seller until I was comfortable enough to send payment. I used Paypal to even further my protection and peace of mind. For the most part we are all decent people. Of course, now and then, there will be bad sellers, bad buyers, and the unsuspecting souls who get ripped off. That is a chance that we all take when dealing with others. If you’re unsure about a seller or buyer… ASK someone!!! Post it up and Im sure you will receive enough responses to make your own decision that you’re comfortable with. Common sense and “Gut Feelings” go a long way.
Thanks…
My oppinion/comments:
As a seller of a few basic parts i occasionally have a period where i get overwhelmed with orders of parts, like now for example. All my spare time is taken up by making parts.
Everything i sell i have to make by hand to order in my workshop at school where i work as a teacher. I don’t get any parts externally made by anyone else and the only bits i can do at home is soldering the components onto the PCB boards i’ve made during a lengthy process at work.
If someone requests a part i will always try and start making the part before i request the money but i know i will get the part out as soon as i possibly can. This may be a couple of weeks sometimes as i only get a bit of time after work to make parts and if there is anyone around i have to stop in case i get caught, the boss would sack me if he knew i was making money using the schools equipment (even though i pay for the materials i use).
If i have a lot of work to do at my job then making parts has to come second i’m afraid and I’m not going to stop taking orders though if i have a back log as i’ll lose too many orders. A lot of orders come by reccommendation and orders are like buses - Nothing for ages and then loads in a few days.
That said a few people sometimes tell me they have a con or party to finish a pack for and therefore i will try my hardest to get the part out sooner. I think a few weeks is acceptable to wait for parts sometimes, especially if they are hand made and take hours to make. Providing the seller keeps everyone informed and is honest, If someone asks where their part is i’ll tell them if i’m busy at work or have lots of orders or couldn’t spare a few hours one evening because i had a parents evening/other event.
Basically I provide a few parts that i think will help people to keep on Propping and loving ghostbusters and i make a bit of spare cash which helps me to do the same. I know people are parting with their hard earned cash and that said i will be as professional as possible but It’s not my profession and until it is i have to treat it as a hobby at the risk of losing my proper job meaning that sometimes there is a delay in getting out orders.
Thanks for reading if you are still awake
JT(94) 
If I ever do sell shells again (not for a few months at least) it will be when I have them already made and not pre-order. I don’t like my buyers being frustrated with the wait and it puts stress on myself trying to get them done on a deadline.
another thing for sellers - DONT spend the money untill your client has the parts INHAND. its not really YOUR money till its all said and done.
It’s the seller’s money the moment an item is dropped off in the mail.
The responsibility is on the buyer to spend the extra money to purchase insurance or tracking if they want that added protection.
The few times I’ve sold parts, I’ve been happy to replace the few lost shipments or items damaged in transit despite the buyers not purchasing insurance or tracking, but I didn’t HAVE to, nor does any other seller.
I can’t say that I agree fully.
The seller should do everything they can to make sure the buyer gets it. And the buyer should ensure that they have proper protection in place.
Its not like the post offices screw up often. Out of ALL the packages I have sent, only one has ever gone undelivered. Less than a dozen have ever come back to me (including one today).
I’m new to the this site and just noticed this buy/sell forum. Coincidentially, I have a ghostbusters related item on ebay currently up for bids. Is it okay to mention it here?
Oh. I see other users sharing their Ebay items on this forum. Question answered!
New question. Why can’t I “Post new topic” here? :walterpeck:
Never mind. I just found the “Requirements.” Sad day. I haven’t been here 90 days or made 50 posts.. :sigh:
I just recieved an email from a member who said he hadn’t been here long enough to send a PM in response to an item I’m selling in the For Sale forum.
I wasn’t aware there was such a limitation though. And there’s no mention of one in the site rules.
So, what are the requirements for new members to send private messages?
As far as I’m aware there is no limitation on when you can start sending PMs, you should be able to do it immediately after you first sign up.
Here is the member in question:
He’s been here since October, so it’s not a time limit. But he hasn’t posted at all.
He says the error he gets when he tries to send a PM is:
"We are sorry, but you are not authorised to use this feature. You may have just registered here and may need to participate
more to be able to use this feature."
It may be due to the fact he hasn’t made a single post in the forum.