>From: srp <cyberoptix@xxxxxxxx>
...
>I just closed a deal via a post at photo-net...
>just as I'm about to write the check the seller contacts me to say, 'oops'
>he had forgotten he'd posted it on ebay too and just now found out he had a
>winning bidder.
>so, as he was 'obligated' to sell to the ebay buyer, he canned our deal.
>
>How is my written (email) agreement any less binding than the agreement
>made with ebay?
>(rhetorical)
>
>it all leaves me longing for the elitist days of unix based internet ;-|
Here, here! It seems another "Tragedy of the Commons." As more people get
on the Internet, fewer feel bound by common decency and The Golden Rule.
I recently sold an OM-4 (obligatory Olympus content :-) to a list member.
The package arrived damaged, and the camera didn't work.
I agreed to pay for the repairs, assuming I'd be reimbursed later by
insurance. We started a postal insurance claim, but the repair person said
a lens had sheared the lens button off. He replaced the button, billed me
for the repair, and returned the camera to the buyer. The repair person
also noted on the invoice that such damage could not have been caused by
shipping, making a postal insurance claim impossible.
At this point, I respectfully requested that the buyer reimburse me for the
repair, since it was neither my fault, nor the Post Office's. To further
validate my position, when the camera arrived back from repair, the buyer
reported the same symptoms. It was once again sent to the repair person,
who said the lens button had been sheared off once again.
I once again requested reimbursement for the repair, and have received no
answer. This is a person I had corresponded several times with, and had a
"good feel" for. I no longer trust my intuition.
I've also had people back out of deals, but until now, I've not actually
been out any money in the process. I'm beginning to think Internet dealing
is more trouble than it's worth, unless you actually know the person you're
dealing with.
: Jan Steinman <mailto:jans@xxxxxxxxxxx>
: 19280 Rydman Court, West Linn, OR 97068-1331 USA
: +1.503.635.3229
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