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People who "flake out" on deals.

What should become of the "Flakes"???

  • Let them slide and just mentally note not to deal with them in the future.

    Votes: 61 70.1%

  • Hang them out to dry on the BOI.

    Votes: 12 13.8%

  • They entered a legal contract, sue their worthless a$$

    Votes: 6 6.9%

  • Plan revenge for your wasted time and possible lost sales.

    Votes: 8 9.2%
  • Total voters
    87
Feedback and the BOI are great tools...if used well.
Sometimes it appears you have to wade through personal grudge to get to the truth...but, for what it is, it does work.
I think the reaction to the original poll depends on the amount and nature of the transaction. A wholesale breeder with a written contract for thousands of dollars that gets stiffed...I would definitely resort to much more severe means...as for legal recourse...I run a business...I have people back out of written and signed contracts all the time...for tens of thousands of dollars. But it is not worth suing them. If the work has not been performed (in a breeders case, animals haven't been shipped) there isn't a great amount of legal ramifications for the non-buyer and there isn't a lot of legal recourse for the seller.

Matt...I'll leave feedback about you as soon as my stuff gets here...You have been a pleasure to deal with...and prompt isn't even the word for the speed you dealt with me. INSTANTLY is a much better term...although your motivation may play a part in the whole process...every email probably gets visions of Boas dancing in your head:D
 
Awesome. I was considering those, but decided against it. Matt is a crook...
heh just kidding, Matt is good people. So far so good with my purchase. I got an incubator, 2 books, and some heat tape, pre wired.
He received my deposit, for him to hold it for a week, which was cash mind you, and promptly told me about it.
If he was a crook, I would have emailed him tomorrow, asking, knowing full well it had gotten there (MA to WV doesn't take a week, with just an envelope, unless hand delivered all the way, without directions). And I would have gotten a response, saying he never recieved anything, it was cash, he is not liable, cash in unreliable through the mail.
Butttttttt he didnt. He promptly emailed me telling me he recieved the 20, and will box everything I ordered up, and mark it as sold on the thread.
Hope you get yourself timely, and in one peice, which I havent the least bit of doubt you will recieve it in less the perfect condition.
Knowing Matt, he will be sending a letter with it, letting you know contributions to his Boa fund are welcomed without question. That is, unless the money is brittle, and obviously paper. Now there's a setup for a whole different thread and place.
 
YOU ARE THE ONE WHO GOT "MY" HEAT TAPE!! :D

He posted the stuff for sale on Alex Hue's Forum...I responded almost immediately...but he was having a problem getting my email...must be his yahoo account. By the time I pmed him about it the heat tape was gone...oh well...I took the habbas and dishes. He priced it...I paypaled him and he sent it...all within an hour or two.

Well worth it...would have cost me 15 bucks more in the store...wish I could afford his shoebox rack right now. That would have been perfect.
 
Heh, sorry. I only bought 1 peice though!
Ill sell it to ya, for 30shipped...
Anyhow, I would've liked the rack as well, but I need bigger tubs at the time, so the rack is out of the question, plus I dont have the money for all the add-ons. Im buying a rack directly from Casey, at Natures Spirit. Besides, his is black, and that would stand out ni my room, I need white.
Sorry Matt.
 
Maybe taking a non-refundable deposit on all 'Hold that animal for me!" would be appropriate? This way the the seller doesn't take a loss and the buyer is more likely to follow through. Maybe use a % of the total?
 
That is a good idea.
If I had a 10k animal, I would make somebody put a couple hundred deposit on that.
Im not going to lose sales for somebody who is screwing around. Chances get better than somebody is screwing around. If they dont make an offer to buy it, within a few chats, then you know they arent serious.
Someone looking to buy highend stuff isnt going to ask you what it's temperment like, and really care much about that.
 
Id take a deposit on most things. Maybe not anoles, lol.
But, I would make a deposit maditory if I became plagued with flakers.
I mean, Ive not sold a lot, but have had flakeouts on stuff already.
 
The last person I dealt with made me give him 5 references and posted me on the BOI. That is no problem I have no dirt on my name (I hope). After about two weeks and 10 emails he decided that he did not have the money on a $260 purchase. I am a patient person and believe in giving out good customer service but give me a break!!!!
 
Thats funny about thereferences and only due to him not going through on it later. At least he relsized he couldnt fo it before getting it.
 
I've sold some snakes in the past, and boy was it a pain. The thing that bothered me more than the flakers was the constant LOWBALLING. and I mean ridiculous lowballers. Like $50 for a yearling, gorgeous Jungle Carpet Python.

I was trying to buy an albino granite burmese python a couple weeks ago. It was for a great price too. I even asked why it was so low (just double-checking, didn't want a sick snake or something) and the person said that the price listed was an error, but they'd still honor it for me. Well, I say I want it but they let me know that someone else put a deposit on her. Later that day, she's back up on kingsnake. I guess they wanted the few extra dollars for her. I thought about still informing them that I was interested, but to heck with them. I found some nicer burms from a reputable breeder in the meantime.
 
Having "flaking" buyers isn't really a problem for me at this time, because I have a "non refundable" deposit written into my TOS to cover the cost of feeding and care while the animal is inactive on the sales page. Even if they flake out, they haven't cost me much and the animal is still on the page (all I will need to do is uncheck the "sold" button).

I would encourage implementing a % of the price as a non-refundable deposit. Whether they eventually pay or flake out you will still have gotten paid for your time (just my humble opinion).

For those that may say, "I want the animal, I will have the money in a week" :rofl: ...the animal doesn't come off the sales page and I do not wait unless I have a deposit.
 
deborahbroadus said:
I would encourage implementing a % of the price as a non-refundable deposit. Whether they eventually pay or flake out you will still have gotten paid for your time (just my humble opinion).
Click to expand...

A non-refundable deposit and a restocking fee if they've already paid is only helpful if they pay by ways other than Paypal or Credit Card, both will refund the money to the buyer if they complain. Paypal and the Credit Card companies will not adhere to your terms of service. This is an unfortunate problem with paypal as well is having to ship within seven days of payment, which isn't always possible when shipping live animals, we have to take the weather into consideration.

deborahbroadus said:
For those that may say, "I want the animal, I will have the money in a week" :rofl: ...the animal doesn't come off the sales page and I do not wait unless I have a deposit.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

Anna Strate
www.homegrownherps.com
www.flickr.com/amspoet67
 
Amspoet67 said:
A non-refundable deposit and a restocking fee if they've already paid is only helpful if they pay by ways other than Paypal or Credit Card, both will refund the money to the buyer if they complain. Paypal and the Credit Card companies will not adhere to your terms of service. This is an unfortunate problem with paypal as well is having to ship within seven days of payment, which isn't always possible when shipping live animals, we have to take the weather into consideration.



:iagree:

Anna Strate
www.homegrownherps.com
www.flickr.com/amspoet67
Click to expand...

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I assumed that others that agree to the TOS are honest and upright folks that will not try to complain about that money.

Actually, all monies (except the deposit) stay in paypal till the last payment is made and I remove the money after I ship the animal. I do not put it back in PayPal until they return the snake (if they have a problem).

But that is a very good point. Paypal doesn't have to honor my TOS, but they have no recourse if I take that money out and going to court over it..they would lose.
 
deborahbroadus said:
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I assumed that others that agree to the TOS are honest and upright folks that will not try to complain about that money.

Actually, all monies (except the deposit) stay in paypal till the last payment is made and I remove the money after I ship the animal. I do not put it back in PayPal until they return the snake (if they have a problem).

But that is a very good point. Paypal doesn't have to honor my TOS, but they have no recourse if I take that money out and going to court over it..they would lose.
Click to expand...

If you have your Paypal tied to your bank account and you've moved the money , Paypal will happily ding your bank account for the funds. Repeatedly if necessary.
 
BryonsBoas said:
If you have your Paypal tied to your bank account and you've moved the money , Paypal will happily ding your bank account for the funds. Repeatedly if necessary.
Click to expand...

SCREAMING!!! :ack2: :ack2:

Then why are other people having so many problems getting their money back from PayPal if all it takes is a complaint?
 
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