What does your common sense tell you?


Hi,

I just want to check with fellow audiogoners regarding the sales practice or sales etiquette here.

When you are a seller: Someone sent you an email saying he is interested. You kindly reply, "thanks for your interest. If you would like it, please let me know how you want to pay." A few hours later, other person contacted you saying he would like to buy. You kindly reply, "there is other person showing interested. If he backs away, I will contact you. Thanks for interest. Blah, blah, blah". Now you wait for the first guy to reply. After a while, you email to the first guy, "now, some other person is waiting for your decision. Please let me know of your decision as soon as possible by tomorrow morning."

OK, here is the question. The first guy never replied by the time you designated. Then, would you allow yourself to start contacting the next guy because you waited long enough? What if you close the deal with the second guy and the first guy comes in after two days and says, "I want to pay by MO and send it to you tomorrow."?

I don't want to piss anyone off here, let alone be sued on "Dispute" section. Please let me know how you would behave in one of these situation.

Thank you.
Ken
khokugo
The resposibility is on the buyer to make their intentions known. Waiting for an unresponsive possible buyer can cost you the sale. Make clear that other buyers are interested and your intentions and your side is done. People here know if you snooze you lose.
I think that "back and forth" here on Audiogon when trying to buy or sell an item is completely frustrating. I have had to deal with tire kickers on items that I have sold, and I have also lost out on purchases that I wanted to make because the seller was too impatient. In one instance, the seller sold to the second to reply to the ad in less than 30 minutes, and his email to me didn't even include any specific instrutions on how to pay him! What is really needed here is a "buy it now" option on Audiogon. Such a feature would end the many debates about etiquette in this forum.
From what I understand in the Audiogon rules, the seller and the buyer has 24 hrs to make the deal once the process was initiated by the buyer. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I second any above posts saying in effect, sell to whom you please, based on whatever combination of criteria you require. Extend as much courtesy as you like, but do what you need to do for your sale, as long as you don't mislead anybody.
All,
Thank you very much for your inputs. I feel better now knowing that "common sense" is still "common" among good people like you all here.