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Pet Peeves - my Rants and Raves

Having been in this hobby for 30 years, I have seen it all. Perhaps it is just me but there seems to be more and more bad experiences being encountered. Not to be a whiner but here are my Pet Peeves and other observations.

1. "Nickel and Dimers" - this drives me nuts! You place a "For Sale" ad where a product is priced at or below the lowest price on Agon (in history from Blue Book)and you still get the lowball offers. I know, just ignore them...what about when they call you? It is a waste of everyone's time. Then you have the people who try to weasel out of paying freight or insurance or Paypal. I had a guy the other day buy speakers and request that I fund insuring them for 2x of what they are worth (this after paying 20% below mkt price and me eating Paypal fees). My advice, this is an expensive hobby. If you cannot afford it, do not waste other people's time. One other story...just last week on a $1k preamp purchase (full asking price) a member removed the batteries from the remote! Talk about cheap!

2. Refusal to call me on an expensive purchase or sale. I don't know about you, but if I am making a multi thousand dollar purchase or sale, I require speaking with that person. Call me silly, but over the years it has been my experience that the "gut feel" of speaking with someone generally is accurate. Particularly when dealing with members who have little or questionable historical Feedback. I find it more and more common for people to refuse to call or provide phone numbers. I know, avoid these people.

3. Packing materials - Is it just me or do packing "peanuts" drive you crazy? Seems like foam or bubble wrap work as well or better and do not get all over your house and the equipment just shipped to you. If you must use peanuts, be sure to seal off the equipment (including tubes) with bags so that the peanuts and residue do not get into the equipment. One other item, always wrap any equipment with a bag or something that protects it from rubbing against the packaging - this includes speakers not just electronics. Even if it is a garbage bag, this is better than nothing.

4. Tire Kickers - people who have no intent at all of buying your equipment but just want to compare it to theirs. If this is your intent, simply state it up front.

OK, these are my opinions. Nothing more, nothing less. Your thoughts or other Pet Peeves or Rants and Raves. It is good to get these out on the table as there are new people coming in. Some simple rules of etiquette may be helpful.
jeffga
bdgregory
1,715 posts
 
I generally agree, but here's my added 2 cents:

1 - Nickel-Dimers - I hate them but have learned to live with the fact they exist. What drives me nuts is the rudeness with which most of them engage. For god sakes you're not entitled to buy at any price you choose. You're requesting agreement. Act like it. I had a guy rant at me over email because I wouldn't meet his price/terms which were 25% under my asking price, and he wanted me to do work for him. Every email from this guy was a dictate.

2 - Phone call - It may be nice, but not necessary IMO to have a direct conversation. Indeed it may mitigate potential problems, but I prefer detailed written communication even though it may be more work. If the trading partner has no feedback, I may require a phone call, or no deal.

3 - Packing Materials - my pet peeve is poor selection of packing material for the job. I've received too many shipments damaged for poor packaging. Peanuts are a mess and just bad for most uses, but can be great for cushioning a heavy boxed item (ie amp) inside an outer/2nd box. I've also seen bubble wrap misused (eg. Rel Storm SW destroyed because it was wrapped in bubble wrap and a single box - totally inadequate package). And finally, for god sakes wrap the component in celophane or a trash bag before packaging it. It drives me nuts to have to fish styrofoam out of the amp, preamp case.

4 - tire kickers - see #1.

Finally - this is an extension of #2 - sellers who won't answer questions, provide specifics about their components, or sale. I don't get it when they think a yes/no or one word response is adequate to reply to a detailed question. In this case I walk
jbello
115 posts
 
what about crab grass and global warming
gunbei
2,327 posts
 
I will say that a half styro-peanut placed at each end of the small box tubes come in is very helpful.
jeffga OP
89 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback. A couple of points of clarification to my initial post. Paypal - this was never a payment requirement by me - I would also take other methods but this would delay shipment (unless a USPO MO). The buyer proposed it. My point was the fact that even after a smoking deal, I still was nickel and dimed. I am a professional negotiator and have learned that if you have the possibility of repeat business or need for future service (or information), it is best to not "beat" the other party. Everyone is looking for the "home run" buy but understand that leaving the other party hurt does not always equate to a win for you. What goes around....Apparently some respondents do not agree with me and that is ok. I was also surprised by the phone issue. I guess that I am old fashioned in this regard, this too is ok but will not change my mind on making it a requirement for me - however, I will make this clear in my sales ads. Tire Kickers - again, my only point is to state this up front. Not all of us have excess time on our hands to shoot the sh.. on every piece of equipment. Peanuts - sounds like most people also detest them. If you must use them, be sure to isolate the equipment from them. Thanks again!
bignerd100
515 posts
 
Beating the seller down is like some sort of sick hobby unto itself for some. These are either the basement dwellers that deserve their solitary existance or the blow hards that suddenly discover they are leading a solitary existance. What a small ego these victories must inflate.

I just got a phonecall from a guy that stiffed me on five hours of labor a couple of years ago. He just got HDTV and wanted me to tell him how to hook it up to the equipment I installed (for free). This would be the center-of-the-universe-entitled-A**-hole pet peeve.
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