Buying/Selling/Trading/Auction - PART II BUYING

For Toy-related Newsgroups

Frequently Asked Questions & Posting Guide

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Version 2.0 - 6/98

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FAQ Index | General | Buying | Selling | Trading | Auctions



BUYING


Q2.1: Is it safe to buy toys over the Internet?
A2.1: Generally, yes. The vast majority of transactions that occur in 
this forum go off without a hitch. Very rarely do we hear of deals gone 
bad. However, there are a few rules of thumb to help you minimize your
chances of having a bad experience (see Q2.3 below).

Q2.2: How should I respond to sales/auctions/trades?
A2.2: Respond by e-mail only, do not post responses.  Doing so is highly 
improper and discourteous to other Usenet users.  Plus, replying by
e-mail is more direct and will speed you transaction. News posts take
time (sometimes days) to propagate so the seller may never see your
response or the item may be sold by the time the seller does see it. 
Plus, some sellers don't even read the newsgroup so they may never see 
your response.

Q2.3: How can I avoid getting ripped off? 
A2.3: Be informed. Know exactly what you want and exactly what you are
buying. 
-Ask specific questions about an item you are interested in. 
-If the condition of the item and/or the packaging is important to you,
ask for detailed information about any flaws or defects. 
-Be patient and shop around.  You might find the exact same item in
another ad much cheaper only a day or two later. 
-Ask for references if you are unfamiliar with the seller or have never
dealt with this individual before (see Q below).
-Never send cash.
-Ask about return/refund policy. This should be absolutely clear before
the transaction begins.
- Ask for a full name, address and phone number from the seller. Some
people use screen names or "handles" as their e-mail address. Always
ask for a full, real name. Reluctance to give out that information is a 
red flag.
-Above all, trust your instincts. Remember, if it sounds too good to be
true then it probably is. 

Q2.4: What are references? Should I ask for them? How does it work?
A2.4: References are endorsements from other individuals who have dealt
with a seller in the past.  By all means, ask for references from a 
seller if you are unfamiliar with the seller or feel in any way wary. No 
reputable seller will be offended by a request for references.  Ask for 
references outside the seller's domain. For example, if the seller uses 
America On-Line, ask for non AOL references. It is far too easy for an
unscrupulous individual to have multiple account names on some
systems and thereby make false references for themselves.

Generally, a seller will provide a list of a few people they have dealt
with in the past (and their e-mail addresses). You should then write a
brief, polite note to one or more of the individuals on the reference 
list. Explain that you are considering a deal with this particular 
seller (include the seller's name and e-mail address)  and that the 
seller provided their name as a reference. Ask for a brief history and/or
description of that individual's transactions with the seller. If you 
have specific concerns, ask about them now. If you don't get a response 
from any of the seller's references, do not continue to e-mail them. They 
are under no obligation to give a reference. And if they don't reply, 
that might be valuable information in and of itself. Politely inform the 
seller that none of his references replied to your query. You may want to 
be cautious until you are sure you are dealing with a reputable seller.

As a seller, you should always ask an individual if it is OK to give out
their name as a reference. If you complete a transaction successfully
with a buyer, most times they are more than happy to give you a
reference. But its always polite to ask first. Nothing is more
disconcerting than to have a stranger ask you for a reference
unexpectedly.

Also, if you are selling something for the first time, so you don't have
any references, don't be afraid to say so. More importantly, you can ask
the person you're making your first deal with to be a reference if 
they're happy with the deal. That in itself should help to inspire 
confidence.

Q2.5: Should I use cash, check, money order or some other means to pay
for my purchase?
A2.5: Never, never send cash. It doesn't matter if the seller is a 
complete stranger or your best friend. Sending cash through the mail is 
never advisable. Cash is easily removed from an envelope and is 
untraceable.

There has been considerable debate between the use of checks and
money orders. Some of the major advantages and disadvantages will be
outlined here. Money orders have the advantage of being instantly
negotiable. That means there is no need to hold items until a money
order "clears." Items can basically be sent upon receipt. If a deal goes
sour,  Postal money orders can be traced after 30-60 days (or shorter
periods for a fee). However, you do not receive a copy of your cashed
money order for your records and will have to rely on the trace should
things go wrong.

Personal checks do provide a valid, legal receipt once cashed. However,
many sellers dislike checks because of the threat of "bouncing" checks
due to insufficient funds. Aside from this complaint, there is customary 
a waiting period for a personal check to clear both the buyer and 
seller's banks. This process can take several days (and in some cases 
weeks) depending on a variety of circumstances. Items are generally not 
shipped until a personal check clears.

Another payment mode that has received little attention is the credit
card check. Many credit card companies have begun to issue courtesy
checks which can be used just like personal checks except that they are
charged to your credit card account. Use of these checks has one major
benefit in that a credit card company will usually withhold payment of
the check if you file a complaint or dispute of the charge. In other
words, if you do not receive your item from a seller, the credit card
company may advocate for you in settling the matter and you won't
have to pay the charge unless the matter is resolved.

Bank transfers are possible but uncommon in domestic transactions.
These may be more common in international deals, but there is little
information on this issue at this time. 

Q2.6: What about International transactions?
A2.6:  International stuff is complicated!  Getting a money transfer is
easy--just talk to your bank (of course there are fees).  Also, there 
are at least two different kinds of international money orders--one is 
good in Canada, and there's another kind that's good for other foreign 
countries. You need to let the P.O. know where your money order is going.  
Some folks get around this by finding trading partners in other 
countries, and just keeping up a balance sheet of what you've shipped 
each other (not recommended unless you find someone really reliable, but 
can be lots of fun).

As for shipping out of the country, there are strict regulations about 
the size of a parcel you can ship overseas (I think it's the 
circumference of the box plus the length have to fall under a certain 
number of inches--the post office should have the regulations).  And 
another thing to watch out for is import tariffs!  This probably won't 
affect a little $4.99 action figure, but especially if you're shipping 
pricey vintage stuff, you need to be aware of how much value you declare, 
or the recipient might get stuck with a nasty tariff bill.

Further information on handling International transactions would be
welcomed.

Q2.7: What should I do if I think I got ripped off?
A2.7: There are many factors that can delay the completion of the
transaction (e.g.,seller didn't receive payment, vacations, illnesses, 
etc). Not all of them mean you are being ripped off. Its important to 
check out all the alternative possibilities before you cry "Foul!" Above 
all, be polite and civil when making an inquiry. First, contact the 
seller via the e-mail address you originally set up the deal with. If 
you get no response after a reasonable period of time (and remember, 
not everyone checks their e-mail daily) send a letter (preferably 
registered or return receipt requested) to the postal mail address 
you sent your payment to. Request some resolution within a specified 
time period (in many states, 30 or 60 days are required before any legal 
action can be initiated). If you still do not achieve a satisfactory 
resolution to this situation, consider contacting the Postmaster (in your 
city as well as in the city you sent your payment to) in regard to Mail 
Fraud. Also consider notifying the system administrator of the Internet 
Service Provider the seller originally e-mailed you from (usually 
something like [email protected]). 

After you are absolutely sure that you have been taken, then you might
consider posting a brief note to the appropriate Usenet newsgroup(s)
about your trouble with the seller.  Be sure to include the details of 
your deal gone bad, the steps you have taken to try to remedy the 
situation, and the seller's real name (and possibly postal address as it 
is easy to change e-mail "handles" or nicknames). Do not ask other people 
to mailbomb, harass or otherwise get involved in the situation. However,
making this information public will help others avoid getting ripped off.  

Do not make public claims of being ripped off before you have tried all
means to settle the dispute privately.  These types of posts can be very
damaging to a seller's reputation and you should be absolutely sure that
you have actually been swindled before you take such a drastic step. If
you are just impatient and the seller has been a little tardy in mailing
your stuff, that is not a legitimate reason to post a public caution. 
John Gersten astutely notes:

    " [It might be worth mentioning] the Einsteinian relativistic effects 
     of time dilation here -- that after you've sent your check and
     are waiting for your figure with great anticipation, it's
     very easy to feel the days stretching out like an eternity,
     and panic to set in, when in fact it probably took (a) four
     to seven days for your mailed payment to reach the seller,
     (b) a day or two before the seller got to the bank,  
     another eight to ten days for domestic checks to clear, (d)
     an extra day or two to elapse thereafter before the seller
     checks his balance to see that your check has cleared, (e)
     and a day or two of boxfinding and packing before your
     figure actually hits the post, at which point you still have
     to wait (f) another four to seven days to receive it. 
     Expanding these out to the fullest, it can easily be a whole
     month before a good, honest, reliable seller's figure
     actually gets back to you (of course, it can also go
     significantly faster, and some sellers will send sooner, not
     wait for checks to clear, etc.)."

One last note: Reports from other newsgroups have indicated that some
sellers have threatened legal action (libel) from public postings of 
"Bad Dealer" warnings. While no confirmed legal action has been 
documented to date, you'd better be able to back up your claims before 
going public.

General rule: never assume malice until you have definitely ruled out
every other possibility.


Q2.8: I got my stuff but it {wasn't what I wanted, was damaged, wasn't in
the condition the seller said it was, etc.}. What should I do?
A2.8: This is a complicated question. In general, you need to decide
whether the situation arose due to legitimate
confusion/miscommunication or whether it was due to some type of
misrepresentation or fraud. The former is much more common than the
latter. This is exactly why it is important to ask specific questions 
about the item you are purchasing before the transaction begins. However, 
if you genuinely feel that the seller misrepresented the items they had 
for sale, follow the steps in Q2.8 above. If the situation was due to you 
own lack of information, you may still try to negotiate a refund with the
seller. Most reputable sellers will give you a full refund (possibly 
minus the shipping costs) if you return the item in the condition it 
arrived in. If you open an unopened item, you are most likely out of luck. 

Secondly, many packages get damaged in shipping. Even the best
packaging jobs can be defeated by any delivery service (e.g.,USPS,
UPS, FedEx, etc). If your package arrives damaged, send a brief, polite
note to the seller informing them of the situation. The best defense 
here is to have established some type of "money back guarantee" before
shipment occurs to deal with cases such as damage in shipping. 

Most reputable sellers will bend over backwards to satisfy a customer.
However, they won't be taken advantage of either. If both parties
cooperate, the process usually goes off without a hitch.

Q2.9: Can a seller raise an advertised price or refuse to sell me 
something they advertised?
A2.9: Absolutely. Generally, Usenet convention has been that advertising 
an item on Usenet is not a formal agreement or contract to sell an item
at a specified price. The price can be changed without notice. A seller
(or auctioneer) may withdraw an item from sale at any time prior to
accepting payment for an item. However, repeated withdrawals of items
from an auction or sale will earn the seller a negative reputation. The
best thing to do is just move on to the next post.