Getting stood up and a possible solution

I am looking for input here. Has anyone ever found themselves in this same situation:


I have most recently (in the past few months) found myself being stood up on verbal sales agreements made with other fauna members. Let me explain: Most have been in response to ads where shipping is not available, and local pick up is requested by the seller. Contact has been made, a price set, day, time and location chosen, (done deal, right. WRONG).

Sometimes a day or two prior to meeting communication is lost with seller for some reason, or in the unlucky event you find yourself at the chosen meeting place to find that no one shows up. Now, to later find out that (oh, someone offered me more money, or someone showed up with the cash before we were to meet, so I just sold it to them).

Now, I dont know about anyone else, but to me that is just bad business practice and wrong. So my questions are as follows:

I do not put these types of people in the typical bad guy thread, since they have not technically ripped anyone off or taken money on undelivered products, however, since the BOI exists and we have the "bad guy post", is there anyway to ad another section where we as members can post about these members and their dealings?

I know for me, if I were to see such a post where someone has a habit of doing these types of dealings, I would think twice about wasting my time and buying from them just as much as I would from someone in a bad guy post, so I think these people need a place of there own in the BOI.

The problem is, is that sellers have this same problem with buyers.

One solution for buyers are sellers alike, buy from reputable verifiable sellers if you are a buyer, and have the critter fully paid for prior to delivery if you are a seller.

In addition, a deposit is always a good idea for a critter you want.

If a reputable seller makes you a deal for a certain critter at a certain price, arranges a specific delivery time and place, and doesn't show, that belongs in the BOI absent some communication that the seller had a valid excuse, hopefully prior to the meeting and especially if it involves some distance. Sellers, you can ask for deposits and/or paid-in-full and you should, but if you choose not to, your word is your word.
If you don't mean it to be a deal, don't arrange a specific time-and-place delivery.

The BOI is a place to let others know of your business dealings, good or bad. I'd want to know if a seller I was considering purchasing from had a habit of not honoring deliveries.

I agree Lucille, and that is why I am asking for another section, where we can post these people and these dealings. The people that I have had this problem with I would not consider even responding to one of their ads in the future. So, they not only lost that sale but all future ones as well.

What I usually run into is this. Seller cant ship and needs local pick-up. It is a wednesday evening and the seller is only available on the weekend, so therefore I cant send a deposit to hold the animal and expect it to ge there within a two day time frame. So i have to trust the seller to take my word, just as much as I need to trust in there word.

My thing is this. Fauna can only do so much, but I am sure that fauna members dont come here to be taken by other members, and for those who participate in those kind of dealings should have there place on the BOI or in another area.

These people dont realize that as a buyer, I may have passed on other animals due to the verbal sales agreement that I have made with the seller, so therefore when they dont honor their commitment it could have a trickle affect.

Now, I do understand trying to get the most from your animal, but I think it would be ethical and courteous if a seller that has made an agreement is offered more money for their animal to contact the buyer and say "I have been offered more money, can you match it, or can we make other arrangements." Atleast give me the oppurtunity before you sell me out.

Originally Posted by jntreptiles

on the BOI

That's where these kinds of situations belong. Many people do not check other forums, and in my opinion this is the proper venue for sellers who dishonor specific agreements.

Always try to get your agreement in email, writing is good.

Originally Posted by jntreptiles

I do not put these types of people in the typical bad guy thread, since they have not technically ripped anyone off or taken money on undelivered products, however, since the BOI exists and we have the "bad guy post", is there anyway to ad another section where we as members can post about these members and their dealings?

I don't see another section being created to contain a particular subset of BOI threads....that's why there are 4 prefixes offered: Good Guy, Bad Guy, Info, and Inquiry. Don't want to label somebody a Bad Guy, but want to share an experience like the ones you're describing, select Info. That makes it clear you aren't labeling the person, but are sharing your experience for other people to consider.

The problem with posting such things as what Joe describes in the BOI is we've seen members ridiculed because technically no exchange has been made. It's a lose/lose situation, I think. As a seller, I hold nothing unless I receive a deposit within 48 hours of an agreement being made. I expect nothing less from another seller.

We've all seen our share of deadbeats, on both ends. Unless some sort of member verification process is setup (consider the costs, time and legalities involved in such a thing!), I see little recourse for them.

Originally Posted by jntreptiles

It is a wednesday evening and the seller is only available on the weekend, so therefore I cant send a deposit to hold the animal and expect it to ge there within a two day time frame. So i have to trust the seller to take my word, just as much as I need to trust in there word.

Joe, the solution to that is get with the current decade. It takes less then 5 minutes to send a deposit in the digital age.

If I make a deal with someone and I show up at the meeting place. Wait for a bit of time.. then get home to find out they just sold it off to someone else. Id dang sure put up a info tag. I stood up to my end of the bargin... I was there.

I also wouldnt want to take the chance as a buyer of attempting to purchase an animal from someone that goes back on a deal... and leaves someone hanging.

The problem with posting such things as what Joe describes in the BOI is we've seen members ridiculed because technically no exchange has been made. It's a lose/lose situation, I think.

Most of the comments you refer to come when a bad guy thread is started for a situation like that - though I don't doubt there have been some in info threads. My point was that a bad guy thread isn't the only option, since the OP specifically mentioned it.

Member verification is a great idea, and the simplest solution was tried...unfortunately, the overall effect was detrimental to the site. (I don't mean that as a negative response to your comment, because I have been strongly in favor of member verification. It's just a shame that there isn't a way to effectively do it that is cost effective.)

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Most of the comments you refer to come when a bad guy thread is started for a situation like that - though I don't doubt there have been some in info threads. My point was that a bad guy thread isn't the only option, since the OP specifically mentioned it.

I know what you're referencing, but no, the ones I'm talking about are Info threads. Some I've read rather recently. Regardless of what they're being titled, OP's are being told that posts such as Joe described aren't "BOI material." I don't agree, but that is what I have seen being said.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Member verification is a great idea, and the simplest solution was tried...unfortunately, the overall effect was detrimental to the site. (I don't mean that as a negative response to your comment, because I have been strongly in favor of member verification. It's just a shame that there isn't a way to effectively do it that is cost effective.)

I would be willing to pay an annual fee for a verification seal on my profile. Not so much make it a requirement to use the classifieds, but make it and extra reassurance to buyers. Or perhaps just tie in PayPal's verification system? The coding involved in implementing such a system so that Rich is "hands off" would be in the thousands though.




That reminds me though...Joe, if you're a Contributing Member, you can leave feedback directly in the sellers Trader Rating which appears on all of his or her Fauna posts.

I recently had the same problem as Joe.
Contacted a seller here on Fauna with three snakes for sale. Offer was made and accepted. Plans were made for the following day for a pick up. Three hours drive time each way! Girl gave her phone number so we could get directions. I had PM'd her in the meantime about a time and had not heard back. Husband called to get directions and a woman answered and said she thinks that they had been sold. My husband said, yeah....think it was to me as a deal had been accepted. She was to pass along our number and the girl would call us.
I received a PM stating she had sold the snakes to someone else. Pissed me off,deal was made, plans had been made to take such a long drive, ect...
We would have made full payment had she wanted it. She did not even ask for a deposit.
So needless to say I did not lose money, but I was not happy with the business practice either. So, it was not put on the BOI as I too have seen other members kind of rip the OP if no money was exchanged or lost. Saying no harm done.
I think the info line should be used if this person has multiple things he is selling or sells more than the one time item on Fauna. I would want to know if a person is making this into a habit and has poor business practices.