Evan was verbally struck, and he struck back. Since when is that wrong?
May I ask when was he "verbally struck" thereby allowing him (as you see it) to strike back?
As I read those emails, I see it as Evan bothering someone who clearly stated in his add that he was FIRM on the price. People usually do that because they are unwilling to come down on the price. The seller also, if I remember correctly, stated that he was open only to serious inquiries. To me that would stress the firmness of his use of the word FIRM. Then Evan contacts the seller with, in his mind, what he has already told us was his own preconceived notion of what the price should be and with his preconceived notion of whether or not the seller should be advertising on the internet. He then tries to haggle the price. He was told no, the price would not be brought down. He then received a reply, according to Evan himself:
"The AD SAYS FIRM. You should not waste peoples time."
Evan then, apparently as I see it, takes great umbrage to the fact that the seller told him not to waste people’s time because the ad said the price was FIRM. In his initial post, in my opinion, Evan goes on to belittle, criticize and insult the seller numerous times by saying:
1) the seller is pathetic, they do not answer questions or practice any manners or etiquette
2) they are too good for us
3) they don’t need money
4) they are too busy for people to try and buy their animals
5) and then he asks if we think they are brain surgeons or rocket scientists
Evan also sent an email reply to the sellers email in which he called the seller a truly choice expletive.
First of all let me say – I think Evan did waste the seller’s time. I believe, and this is only based upon my gut feeling after having read Evan’s posts before, that he was looking for trouble. I think, he saw the ad and said to himself that he could get it cheaper. I think he was rude in making the inquiry of someone who said the price was firm, or at least that he never seriously considered buying it for the established FIRM price. I think the seller’s reply while short and to the point and maybe even rude - so what - did that deserve a tirade. The sellers response was frank from the seller’s standpoint, he would obviously rather not be bothered by inquiries of this nature and therefor he clearly stated in his sale ad that the price was FIRM, and he clearly reiterated it in his email to Evan. The normal response, in my opinion, would be not to deal with simplysnakes. I think Evan's response was far from normal - could you imagine what he would have done had simplysnakes called him an expletive!
Now what reply did Evan email to the potential seller. Was it courteous? No it was not courteous, it was downright iniquitous in my opinion. (Evan would apparently have us believe we should be courteous in our emails to one another I think). Then Evan runs to the fauna classifieds and makes, what I believe was a totally inappropriate post therein. Why did he write that nasty email reply and why did he post on FC? Some would say because he was insulted and was given a rude reply by the seller. Now tell me, do you really thing that the reply given by the seller warranted the response full of curses from Evan or the post here saying that the seller is pathetic? Come on now!
I think one of the keys to this whole affair is Evan’s claim in his email to simply snakes when he says:
“I have been in this business for ever.”
And then goes on to state that he is a serious buyer. Evan seemingly, at least to me, thinks of himself as the grand poobah of herp dealers. He, in my opinion, likes to pontificate to the point of there being an inquisition when someone is of a mind other than his own. Then when things do not suit him, and when even more people do not agree, he apparently, as I see it, over reacts to the situation to the point of implying it is a conspiracy against him.
The truth of the matter is, in my opinion, that he did in fact waste the seller’s time. If you think he really wanted to buy that herp, then read his email response again (as posted by simplysnakes on page 2 of the thread). What does he say to the seller about price – he says it is a $350 herp, and that he can buy one from Indo and (allow me to paraphrase here) shove it where the sun does not shine into the seller’s body. Well if Evan really wanted to buy a $350 Crocodile Monitor, and if as he said he already knew where to buy one, then why on earth did he try to get one from someone who was selling it for $1,000? Sure he can choose who he wants to try to buy it from, but that is not the point. The point is, in my opinion, that he was never serious about buying that monitor but that he just wanted to stir the pot. He tries to say he is serious because he buys lots of animals every year; however, the number of other animals he buys in a year does not make him a serious inquirer regarding this particular animal.
In fact, based upon my opinion, I don’t think he was serious about getting a Crocodile Monitor at all, certainly not one at that price or even near to that price. I guess the bottom line in all of this is found in one of Evan’s lines from his opening post when he says:
“Large animals are all over the net for $375-750 each, ESPECIALLY MALES.”
Well if Evan is so serious a buyer, would he not have bought one of the other ones by now or at least made SERIOUS inquiries? If he did, I am fairly confident he would have bragged about the inquiries, and the lower priced monitor, or the ACTUAL PURCHASE in this thread just to shove it in simplysnakes face – did I miss something?
Best regards,
Glenn B
