PM or post in thread when saying "I'll Take It"

[Vagabond]

So this evening someone here posted a handgun for sale, and gave no instructions on if they prefer an "I'll take it" PM or thread post. I've had some sellers get twitchy sometimes for posting in their threads so I sent an "I'll take it" PM and didn't bother to post. A while later I got a reply from the seller saying he would take offers in the order they appeared in the post - but by that time 3 or 4 people already posted that they would take it. The first post reply was 7 minutes after my PM to the seller.

When the seller doesn't specify, is there a documented or assumed preference here? I've often sent a PM without any issues - I always assumed the seller could figure out who was the first without much difficulty.

[CBR_rider]

when selling on other boards I go by time stamp of either one

[scamp62]

if i want it....i do booth ..PM and post ! right away

[PatC415]

If it were me, I would take the first person to respond weather it was a post or a PM.
You say he would "take offers"?
Sounds like he was fishing or turning it into an auction....
There's a code of ethics that some people just don't get.
In before, "it's a free market."

[Vagabond]

You say he would "take offers"?
Sounds like he was fishing or turning it into an auction....

Sorry, no, I worded that poorly. He said he was taking "I'll take it" messages from posting only. His price listed was a firm price.

[PatC415]

Sorry, no, I worded that poorly. He said he was taking "I'll take it" messages from posting only. His price listed was a firm price.

Gotcha. Sorry to see you missed out...If someone says "please do not post on this thread', then I won't, otherwise I usually do, and say "pm sent" on the ad.
Hey, maybe a better deal is just around the corner!

[559BearDown]

Usually means the OP got a better offer.

[atanger]

I too just had an unpleasant experience on the boards regarding "I'll take it". I'm confused as to what is the proper way to secure a purchase on calguns: are buyers at the mercy of the seller irrespective of when buyers post? Is it because of better financial deal and/or convenience to buyer? I don't have the answers but there must be some protocol we all should follow, no?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[readysetgo]

I've started spelling it out, "I'll take it" posted in the thread gets priority. I like it that way because it's all up and up, out in the open.

Too many things can go wrong behind the scenes.

IMO YMMV etc

[beanz2]

if i want it....i do booth ..PM and post ! right away

This ^^^ is what I'd do. Why let another poster claim he was first? If the forum rules allow it, I'd e-mail the guy directly too, in case he's got the item advertised on another forum. Then hopefully your e-mail could show up in his Inbox earlier than replies from the other forums.

As a seller, I'd compare time stamps (PM vs. post time vs. e-mail time) in case two different persons post he'll take it.

[orangeusa]

Seller has no obligation for first post or first PM. I have always sold to the first human I could get in contact with and was coherent over the phone. Actually I try to do the same when buying also.

So many noobs post with inane questions and that seller should contact them at some obscure email address. When I am selling, I want a mature person who has interest in the item. I try to do the same when I am buying.

.

[C.G.]

This ^^^ is what I'd do. Why let another poster claim he was first? If the forum rules allow it, I'd e-mail the guy directly too, in case he's got the item advertised on another forum. Then hopefully your e-mail could show up in his Inbox earlier than replies from the other forums.

As a seller, I'd compare time stamps (PM vs. post time vs. e-mail time) in case two different persons post he'll take it.

Same here. Lost out on a deal, when I posted "I'll take it" only, the seller was not online and got a PM on his phone from someone else and honored it eventhough it turned out to be later then my post.

[orangeusa]

I too just had an unpleasant experience on the boards regarding "I'll take it". I'm confused as to what is the proper way to secure a purchase on calguns: are buyers at the mercy of the seller irrespective of when buyers post? Is it because of better financial deal and/or convenience to buyer? I don't have the answers but there must be some protocol we all should follow, no?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Sellers have rights to sell to who they want to. But to play games to sell off site to get more from an item or to start a bidding war will get seller banned quickly. This is all spelled out in the Marketplace stickies.

.

[bubbala]

ALWAYS have someone post in the thread. If they back out, (happen to me)you can ding them on I-trader. No post, no recourse.

[Loubot10]

if i want it....i do booth ..PM and post ! right away

It's a thread in a semi-public forum. For the most part, our reputations as sellers and buyers are decided by the membership in a very public way.

I've been first to post in a sales thread and posted "I'll take it for your asking price. PM incoming" only to be told that someone was ahead of me who didn't post on the sales thread. Gotta tell you, that's shady as schite but ultimately doesn't matter.

Years ago, I agreed to purchase a 1911 that was an awesome gun at a great price. I was in LA on business and the gun was in my area of Sacto. Before I could get home, I had an emergency occur that required a lot of money.

I had to back out, felt like an arse, but the seller was a gentleman who despite every right to flame me, never even mentioned it. His example is why I've never made a big deal when a sale falls through.

When I sell, I specify that as forum rules, the first person to post "I'll take it" in the thread and PM me gets the item. I've turned down higher offers, ignored bad talking on a posted buyer, and had people get darn mad because I stuck to the rules.

When buying, I've had sellers cancel a deal because they decided to sell it to someone else, call me enroute to explain I had first rights to match a higher offer, and cancel do to unforeseen circumstances only to want more money the next day.

The forum changed about two years ago. Before that, people honored their word and it wasn't as much of a flea market as it is nowadays.