Shady WTB situation..Any advice?

J

J Layer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm looking for opinions on something from other AZ'ers. I'm a collector of cues and thanks to the use of AZ my collection has grown. I usually put a WTB thread to see if I can find the cue/cues I'm looking for from the series I'm collecting.

But of late I have found out that someone that I know has been responding to people who leave information on my threads. This is also before knowing if I have a deal in the works or if I've even contacted them as of yet. I feel he is trying to "high-jack" my threads.

Even if he doesn't buy the cue just by following-up on my thread it makes it harder for me to close my deals wouldn't you think? Or making them more expensive?
In the past any cue or deal that wasn't for me I always gave the information to this person in good faith trying to help out another collector.

Am I wrong to suggest to him to make his own thread and to please stop contacting people whom respond to mine before at the least asking me first?

In the past he has bought a cue out from under me in this manner.
It's hard enough to find some cues but this type of actions make it even harder. I see many threads similar to mine and in now way to I try to high-jack it. If anything I try to lend a hand with info of other cues that I know of.

I'm really not to sure on how to handle this I do know that I try to keep as much of my deals in private that I can but when he follows up with the seller it really becomes challenging. Of late I'm just lucky that the people that have reached out to me have stand-up guys to deal with. I did complete this deal but knowing this I feel even more lucky to have done so and I a credit it to the seller who was great to deal with.

It almost makes me want to stop looking because the time and efforts I'm putting forth are being taken by another. I do understand this is a public forum but I feel when a "seller" posts a for sale thread it's a first come first serve. But a WTB thread is started and a seller responds some respect should be given by other buyers.IMO. I have found that most sellers that have respond to honor first shot to the person who started the thread. (so far)

I found out from the guy who did this he came right out and told me. I was just shocked. He really thinks he's in the right to do this....

Any advice? Thanks in advance.. not trying to rant but I am rubbed the wrong way by these actions.... Shouldn't I be?


-J.R.
 
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Well it does seem like bad etiquette, but to many sellers, especially in light of how difficult it can be to sell cues, whoever comes first with the cash wins. I do think the member should start his own threads, though. It is a little messed up to be cock-blocking all over your cue buying efforts.
 
Black-Balled said:
Tuff call...sounds pretty shady, but the posts here are public, as far as we users are concerned....
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What makes it bad is he knows it's my thread. It's someone I see weekly as well. I guess I could understand a stranger doing it but someone I've tried to help and work with is hard to take... I know I just try to do things the "right way". A man is only as good as his word and your reputation here on AZ is very important.
 
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You are not wrong, he is poaching. If you know him, tell him. Or at the very least if he contacts those that are selling, he should say that only if the OP is not interested, he would buy it.

The seller should take some responsibility too. If I respond to someone's WTB thread, the original poster gets the right of first refusal no matter how many people contact me with interest, and I tell them that. Sometimes I simply respond to the request for a certain type of cue in a PM so there could be no poaching, but I find if I respond publicly I have a better chance of selling the cue if you would not be interested.

I strongly disagree with someone poaching others WTB threads and if a seller that responded would sell a cue without giving the OP the chance to buy it 1st. They know what they would like to get out of the cue, it's not worth a few extra $$ to sell to a secondary buyer first.

In short, I agree with you. Sorry it happens, but in this market your WTB threads is the best way for you to see what's out there and maybe get a little better price, so I would keep doing it.By the way, what are you looking for? ;)

Dave
 
The way I see it you have 2 options:

1. Tell this fellow to stop responding to offers made on your WTB threads because, in a nut shell, it's bad etiquette. You can kick this explanation up a notch if you want letting him know he's being a jackass.

2. Instruct those who intend to respond to your wtb posts to only pm or email the info to you on what they have for sale.

I lean toward option A, myself.

Good luck.

Best,
Brian kc
 
Ignoring his poaching tendencies, you could ask responders to PM you instead of posting in the thread. That way the poacher realizes you're onto him, and it makes it impossible to poach if you get PMs instead of replies to the thread.

Edit: What Chicken said :P
 
Big J is one of the good guys. When anyone starts a WTB thread if someone is interested in selling to that party they should get first chance before the random PM. I bet that PM wouldn't have come if the person starting the thread didnt bring it up. It's just a respect thing. If the 1st buyer who started the original thread passes, move on to the 2nd who was interested and so forth...common courtesy here.
 
Spimp13 said:
Big J is one of the good guys. When anyone starts a WTB thread if someone is interested in selling to that party they should get first chance before the random PM. I bet that PM wouldn't have come if the person starting the thread didnt bring it up. It's just a respect thing. If the 1st buyer who started the original thread passes, move on to the 2nd who was interested and so forth...common courtesy here.
Click to expand...

I agree. It is a public forum, but there are always certain ethics. If you feel like you do not need to be ethical, then you are probably just a douche.:rolleyes:
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
The way I see it you have 2 options:

1. Tell this fellow to stop responding to offers made on your WTB threads because, in a nut shell, it's bad etiquette. You can kick this explanation up a notch if you want letting him know he's being a jackass.

2. Instruct those who intend to respond to your wtb posts to only pm or email the info to you on what they have for sale.

I lean toward option A, myself.

Good luck.

Best,
Brian kc
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I totally agree with Kickin Chicken here. I would do both one and two
above. If you post a WTB thread, and someone answers it in the thread
itself, you should have first dibs IMO. He should know how you feel for
sure, and you should post in the thread to only answer by PM or email.
I think this should solve the problem. As for the fella believing hes not in
the wrong, or being offended by you telling him to start his own threads,
well, maybe he's someone you might not want to hang out with anyways.
Your definitelly in the right for feeling this way JR, and I would be pissed
myself if it happened to me. Good luck bud.
 
I'd just stomp the dudes nutsack with a pair of golf shoes on :eek:! Then, if that weren't enough, I'd hang him upside-down from a tree, strip him of his pride by ripping off his clothes, then strip him of his dignity with a shovel handle :sorry:!

Or....since you know him and see him weekly, I'd just have a nice, polite discussion with him over a cold one :smile:!

Maniac
 
Big J said:
I'm glad others see it this way as well. It's a very tough situation.
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Here is a move, post up about cues you have no interest in for the next few weeks. Let him come in and get them before you have a chance, LOL.
 
Seems like the easiest solution(s). No hard feelings if no one knows what you bought until the deal is sealed. Worst case then is a bit of envy and jealousy :grin-square:
I agree 100% that if you see a cue offered up on a WTB thread you can certainly inquire but you go into it knowing that you should have zero shot at it unless the OP does not want it.
Kickin' Chicken said:
The way I see it you have 2 options:

1. Tell this fellow to stop responding to offers made on your WTB threads because, in a nut shell, it's bad etiquette. You can kick this explanation up a notch if you want letting him know he's being a jackass.

2. Instruct those who intend to respond to your wtb posts to only pm or email the info to you on what they have for sale.

I lean toward option A, myself.

Good luck.

Best,
Brian kc
Click to expand...
 
rossaroni said:
I agree. It is a public forum, but there are always certain ethics. If you feel like you do not need to be ethical, then you are probably just a douche.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Ross said douche - he he he he (my best beavus & butthead immitation). But I agree!
 
Err, won't that person see this very thread and hear your complaint indirectly? Was that your intention?
 
Big J said:
I'm looking for opinions on something from other AZ'ers. I'm a collector of cues and thanks to the use of AZ my collection has grown. I usually put a WTB thread to see if I can find the cue/cues I'm looking for from the series I'm collecting.

But of late I have found out that someone that I know has been responding to people who leave information on my threads. This is also before knowing if I have a deal in the works or if I've even contacted them as of yet. I feel he is trying to "high-jack" my threads.

Even if he doesn't buy the cue just by following-up on my thread it makes it harder for me to close my deals wouldn't you think? Or making them more expensive?
In the past any cue or deal that wasn't for me I always gave the information to this person in good faith trying to help out another collector.

Am I wrong to suggest to him to make his own thread and to please stop contacting people whom respond to mine before at the least asking me first?

In the past he has bought a cue out from under me in this manner.
It's hard enough to find some cues but this type of actions make it even harder. I see many threads similar to mine and in now way to I try to high-jack it. If anything I try to lend a hand with info of other cues that I know of.

I'm really not to sure on how to handle this I do know that I try to keep as much of my deals in private that I can but when he follows up with the seller it really becomes challenging. Of late I'm just lucky that the people that have reached out to me have stand-up guys to deal with. I did complete this deal but knowing this I feel even more lucky to have done so and I a credit it to the seller who was great to deal with.

It almost makes me want to stop looking because the time and efforts I'm putting forth are being taken by another. I do understand this is a public forum but I feel when a "seller" posts a for sale thread it's a first come first serve. But a WTB thread is started and a seller responds some respect should be given by other buyers.IMO. I have found that most sellers that have respond to honor first shot to the person who started the thread. (so far)

I found out from the guy who did this he came right out and told me. I was just shocked. He really thinks he's in the right to do this....

Any advice? Thanks in advance.. not trying to rant but I am rubbed the wrong way by these actions.... Shouldn't I be?


-J.R.
Click to expand...



I don't think your wrong, and I would be offended also if some one did the same thing to me. There is nothing stopping this person from starting their own thread, except the fact that the individual must be intentionally trying to annoy you personally.

I mean why else would the person do these things, and next why would the person admit to it openly to you unless he doesn't value you as a friend and he only sees you and himself in some type of competition where he is trying to get the upper hand.

I was raised to believe that I should always keep my friends close, but even with that said I was also taught by experience that while keeping your friends close is important, keeping your enemies closer is also very important. Also by doing this, it makes their actions more difficult because they are under close scrutiny!!!:)

JIMO
 
Hey.. actually your friend already "Filter" you a good seller..

A Good seller and a good person will treat their customer well. A first come First serve must be on their mind. But a Bad seller are just looking for the money. From my experience a bad seller mostly sell a bad product too. So, you don't have to worry. Once you make a deal with a seller (that ignore your friend price) You know you already got a good product and a good relation.

I'm sorry for my english.. I hope you understand what i mean..

Best
Dedy (Indonesia)
 
I agree that a discussion is in order. I only once got in on someone else's WTB thread. I wanted a cue that someone here offered up to the OP. When I tendered the offer it was in plain knowledge that the OP and anyone before me got first dibbs. Everyone else passed. I bought the cue and added a few bucks to defray shipping I was that happy to get it. It shoots very well. But for the linen wrap I have come to hate it is a great cue. I will eventually have it refinished or a stacked leather wrap added.

But I did not snipe the cue. Nor did I subvert someone else's deal. To do so is just uncouth.

Mark Shuman
 
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