tire kickers

[momen55]

perhaps i may have done this at some point but i don't remember.

i don't know about some or most of you, but if i don't have the money for an item or is more than what i want to spend, i am not going to waste someone's time nor mine sending emails and asking stupid questions that are easily answered with photos and or descriptions.

it is happening quite often, more than usual i see, and it is frustrating. i just caught myself answering someone's question about an item i am selling, that they "really" had interest in, 25 times! in the end, the person didn't answer back and in this case, again, didn't want it. i don't expect a lightning answer, but if you ask and ask and ask 25 times about items, your intentions aren't to buy, they are to waste someone's time!

some people i see there intentions from the first email that they aren't going to buy anything so i cut them off. i see it from people here as well as other places.

to say the item is great and original and has good use and then want it for pennies on the dollar is insulting and i don't have nor will give time to people like that. pretty ignorant if you ask me.

[momen55]

perhaps i may have done this at some point but i don't remember.

i don't know about some or most of you, but if i don't have the money for an item or is more than what i want to spend, i am not going to waste someone's time nor mine sending emails and asking stupid questions that are easily answered with photos and or descriptions.

it is happening quite often, more than usual i see, and it is frustrating. i just caught myself answering someone's question about an item i am selling, that they "really" had interest in, 25 times! in the end, the person didn't answer back and in this case, again, didn't want it. i don't expect a lightning answer, but if you ask and ask and ask 25 times about items, your intentions aren't to buy, they are to waste someone's time!

some people i see there intentions from the first email that they aren't going to buy anything so i cut them off. i see it from people here as well as other places.

to say the item is great and original and has good use and then want it for pennies on the dollar is insulting and i don't have nor will give time to people like that. pretty ignorant if you ask me.

just last night, i had a person ask about an item and we went back and forth for a while and in the end, they didn't like the price and didn't want it. what's up with that?

[legaleagle92481]

Unfortunately these types of people dominant this "hobby." I call them the weekend dealers the guys that act like they are doing you a favor buying an item for pennies on the dollar so they can try to resell it immediately for several times what they paid for it. They naively think everyone is a cash starved dupe. A few weeks ago I had someone send me an email inquiring about a Revis jersey I was selling with a JO COA and offering me $800 for it and to add insult to injury he wanted shipping included for that price. Such jersey cost me $2,750 in January of this year. Then when I told him his offer was an insult he responded and how much i paid for it he responded by saying that since I had another jersey priced at that price he thought i would accept such an offer for revis though my bin was 3x his offer. mind you the other jersey was of a much lesser player whose stuff is not worth very much.

[otismalibu]

Unfortunately these types of people dominant this "hobby." I call them the weekend dealers the guys that act like they are doing you a favor buying an item for pennies on the dollar so they can try to resell it immediately for several times what they paid for it.

Just look how many times a 'pickup' post is followed by, "if you ever want to sell it...". My neighbor just bought a new car. It would seem kind of goofy if I asked him if he was interested in selling it. But it's the norm here, because you have at least as many flippers as collectors. Obviously, in order to make any money on a flip, you need to get a swell deal when you buy.

[EurekaDave]

Great points here. What scares me more is tire kickers who want to know irrevelent stuff about a jersey, for example. I can have a jersey MLB certified and they will want to know,
1. Measurements from armpit to armpit and collar to tail and chest size. If it means they are going to wear it---forget it. I am a purest and hate to think of someone spilling beer and hot-dog on a game used jersey.

I also understand about concern over fakes but that's out of hand, too. One guy accused me of selling him a fake but then refused a refund offer because he wanted to keep "the evidence."

All things considered, I love this forum and write something almost every day. On the other hand...people will drive you crazy if you let them.

I now never sell unless I do not care about the outcome. I will lose money and scalp hair.

Dave Silverbrand

[sox83cubs84]

My own "favorite": placing an item for sale on C2C, making mention (as I normally do) to have no means of sending pictures (I do not have a camera), and getting replies asking me "can you send pictures?":confused: If I could post them, I would.

If not seeing pictures in advance is a deal-breaker, then that's OK. I wouldn't
make specific mention of not being able to send pics in the description if I could send some...HELLO?:rolleyes:

One guy a few years ago asked me for pics three times, apparently expecting that my answer would be different the third time than it was the first or second time.:mad: :mad:

Again, if a buyer wants pictures before buying, and I am unable to provide nthem, no harm done...if that's their motus operandi, they're entitled to buy in the most comfortable way they choose. But, please...DON't ask for pictures when the last couple of lines in my post say that I am unable to send them!

Dave Miedema

[Billy77]

My opinion...If it wasn't for the so called..."tire kickers"... most of the items up for sale would go unsold.

I have seen most of the time a high price asked for an item and then after awhile...if the seller "really" wants the item gone...lowers the price to a place both buyer and seller are happy...

just my .02...

Bill

[jppopma]

My own "favorite": placing an item for sale on C2C, making mention (as I normally do) to have no means of sending pictures (I do not have a camera), and getting replies asking me "can you send pictures?":confused: If I could post them, I would.

If not seeing pictures in advance is a deal-breaker, then that's OK. I wouldn't
make specific mention of not being able to send pics in the description if I could send some...HELLO?:rolleyes:

One guy a few years ago asked me for pics three times, apparently expecting that my answer would be different the third time than it was the first or second time.:mad: :mad:

Again, if a buyer wants pictures before buying, and I am unable to provide nthem, no harm done...if that's their motus operandi, they're entitled to buy in the most comfortable way they choose. But, please...DON't ask for pictures when the last couple of lines in my post say that I am unable to send them!

Dave Miedema

Yeah....it's always best to try to get pictures when dealing with Dave! Not sure he knows what he is doing or talking about....:rolleyes: :p

[frikativ54]

You know, I probably am one of those buyers you guys are talking about. For items that I think are listed for a BIN that I believe is way too high, I start low. I expect that sellers will make a counteroffer and see where we're at with prices. Sometimes I get no response, because a seller is too busy feeling insulted to come back with a higher price that I might accept. My thought is I'm negotiating and am definitely willing to up my offer.

Some people put stuff up for BIN/BO when they are just looking to get rid of something. I've struck gold with a couple of best offers, so I figure what's wrong with trying. You never know what's in a seller or buyer's mind. I once got an old all-star commemorative jacket for a great price because the seller was just looking to get rid of it after all these years. It's too huge to wear, so I just have it displaying on a wall.

I'll give a good example. I offered $150 on a $500 BIN, because I thought the starting price was ridiculous. I really did want the item, so I emailed the seller asking what he wanted for the item. If the seller would have counteroffered, I would have raised my price considerably. He wanted $350. A couple months later, I offered $200, and we worked out a deal for $250. In the end, I raised my initial price by $100.

I tried buying another item from the same seller for $25, when the BIN was $100. Had the seller counteroffered, I would have again raised my price. However, I didn't want the item nearly as much, so I didn't take the initiative to send him a message. The end result is that he let my offer expire. This person missed out on a potential sale because he wasn't willing to use the counteroffer feature.

So don't assume that every buyer is trying to get something for nothing. I don't think most would start off with their highest offer, unless someone is absolutely dying to have an item. It goes both ways. I don't sell practically at all on eBay, but I could start a thread about how I find sellers to be annoying with BIN/BO auctions. However, I don't, because I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about these types of auctions.

-Frik

[frikativ54]

My own "favorite": placing an item for sale on C2C, making mention (as I normally do) to have no means of sending pictures (I do not have a camera), and getting replies asking me "can you send pictures?":confused: If I could post them, I would.

If not seeing pictures in advance is a deal-breaker, then that's OK. I wouldn't
make specific mention of not being able to send pics in the description if I could send some...HELLO?:rolleyes:

One guy a few years ago asked me for pics three times, apparently expecting that my answer would be different the third time than it was the first or second time.:mad: :mad:

Again, if a buyer wants pictures before buying, and I am unable to provide nthem, no harm done...if that's their motus operandi, they're entitled to buy in the most comfortable way they choose. But, please...DON't ask for pictures when the last couple of lines in my post say that I am unable to send them!

Dave Miedema

While I definitely see what you're saying, cheap digital cameras can be bought for under $40. I've found there to be an expectation that everyone can provide pictures - or knows someone who will take them for him. Plus, some only skim the Classifieds section. So I am not surprised that someone asked three times for you to provide pictures. He probably thought that you could just have someone in your family or a good friend snap a few photos for you, if he asked another time.

-Frik

[otismalibu]

While I definitely see what you're saying, cheap digital cameras can be bought for under $40.

I remember when half the eBay auctions didn't include pics. Gotta have pics if you want to get a decent price. Especially if you're selling signed items, when players often have multiple versions of their signature.

[ferro39]

You know, I probably am one of those buyers you guys are talking about. For items that I think are listed for a BIN that I believe is way too high, I start low. I expect that sellers will make a counteroffer and see where we're at with prices. Sometimes I get no response, because a seller is too busy feeling insulted to come back with a higher price that I might accept. My thought is I'm negotiating and am definitely willing to up my offer.

Some people put stuff up for BIN/BO when they are just looking to get rid of something. I've struck gold with a couple of best offers, so I figure what's wrong with trying. You never know what's in a seller or buyer's mind. I once got an old all-star commemorative jacket for a great price because the seller was just looking to get rid of it after all these years. It's too huge to wear, so I just have it displaying on a wall.

I'll give a good example. I offered $150 on a $500 BIN, because I thought the starting price was ridiculous. I really did want the item, so I emailed the seller asking what he wanted for the item. If the seller would have counteroffered, I would have raised my price considerably. He wanted $350. A couple months later, I offered $200, and we worked out a deal for $250. In the end, I raised my initial price by $100.

I tried buying another item from the same seller for $25, when the BIN was $100. Had the seller counteroffered, I would have again raised my price. However, I didn't want the item nearly as much, so I didn't take the initiative to send him a message. The end result is that he let my offer expire. This person missed out on a potential sale because he wasn't willing to use the counteroffer feature.

So don't assume that every buyer is trying to get something for nothing. I don't think most would start off with their highest offer, unless someone is absolutely dying to have an item. It goes both ways. I don't sell practically at all on eBay, but I could start a thread about how I find sellers to be annoying with BIN/BO auctions. However, I don't, because I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about these types of auctions.

-Frik


running off of that, i always try to open up some kind of dialogue with people who make offers on my BINs and id say that around 90% of the time, they dont even have the common courtesy to respond. sometimes i counter, sometimes i send them a message, and sometimes i counter along with a message. very rarely do people even respond and that really p1sses me off to no end.

what irks me the most (and i might have mentioned it on the board recently) is when i send a counter offer and the buyers dont even have the common courtesy to decline. if i can counter, what does it take for someone to click the reject button?

business practices like that have also kind of left me jaded, so lately i dont even counter all the time. i figure that if someone is seriously interested in anything other than d1cking around that they will make another offer. what you're saying is that sometimes they dont. so i guess we continue to go around in circles :)

ive had 1 fool kicking the tire on one of my ebay jerseys since april!!! at that time, he emailed me asking if i would do it for a set price, i agreed, and then i never heard from him again. this was after he asked for details about the jersey and photos that were all linked in the item description.

at one point, i mentioned the signature on it and he responded in disbelief that it was autographed--it was only mentioned in the opening line of the auction.

he then emailed me a couple of months ago again asking what my bottom price was. when i told him that i was fine with his initial offer, he said that i would take it if i gave him a great deal for it. i told him i would knock $50 off if he saved me the ebay fees. after a few more emails involving asinine questions (he once again asked for pictures!!!!!!), he tells me that he only does transactions through ebay and wants to get my best "ebay" price. back to square one

i was reluctant to sell him to sod off because i thought he might have been a little bit slow, but i looked at his feeback and the guy deals high ticket items.

the next time he emails me, i might not be so nice. we're going on 3 months now!!

[BostonSportsFan]

running off of that, i always try to open up some kind of dialogue with people who make offers on my BINs and id say that around 90% of the time, they dont even have the common courtesy to respond. sometimes i counter, sometimes i send them a message, and sometimes i counter along with a message. very rarely do people even respond and that really p1sses me off to no end.

what irks me the most (and i might have mentioned it on the board recently) is when i send a counter offer and the buyers dont even have the common courtesy to decline. if i can counter, what does it take for someone to click the reject button?

business practices like that have also kind of left me jaded, so lately i dont even counter all the time. i figure that if someone is seriously interested in anything other than d1cking around that they will make another offer. what you're saying is that sometimes they dont. so i guess we continue to go around in circles :)

ive had 1 fool kicking the tire on one of my ebay jerseys since april!!! at that time, he emailed me asking if i would do it for a set price, i agreed, and then i never heard from him again. this was after he asked for details about the jersey and photos that were all linked in the item description.

at one point, i mentioned the signature on it and he responded in disbelief that it was autographed--it was only mentioned in the opening line of the auction.

he then emailed me a couple of months ago again asking what my bottom price was. when i told him that i was fine with his initial offer, he said that i would take it if i gave him a great deal for it. i told him i would knock $50 off if he saved me the ebay fees. after a few more emails involving asinine questions (he once again asked for pictures!!!!!!), he tells me that he only does transactions through ebay and wants to get my best "ebay" price. back to square one

i was reluctant to sell him to sod off because i thought he might have been a little bit slow, but i looked at his feeback and the guy deals high ticket items.

the next time he emails me, i might not be so nice. we're going on 3 months now!!


I am not sure what everyone else is selling, but when I do sell on ebay very rarely, I do try to sell some measure of higher end game used which is rare but on occassion I do this.

I will be honest, I really, really get annoyed when I have a BIN or BO and lets say I have a BIN price of $5000 and kid you not, I get BO of $500 - $800.00. I am not even going to waste my time countering on that ridiculous offer. It is one thing to put in a reasonable offer up front that is negotiable but if you are stupid enough to think anyone is going to accept a price at 15 - 20% of your BIN you probably should not be left out of your cage. Again, I don't know everyone else's selling practices, however I price my items even at BIN competitively with all other items of that type which have sold via major auction and or ebay over the past 12 - 18 months. I know some sellers way overprice items, I do not. My items are all premium highly graded and authenticated and quite frankly it is ridiculous to me that you as a buyer do not understand the market that you would insult a seller with offers like that.

I find that probably about 50% of the time, I actually get very competitive offers on premium items and often I am able to work something out when we are not far apart.

It really is as simple as you cannot account for stupidity and some people are either misinformed, trying to be funny, or just as mentioned kicking the tires and wasting their time and yours.

Joe

[intheminors]

Joe,

I just listed a bunch of stuff on ebay and, when I do a BIN, you can set the auction to automatically decline offers under a certain amount. I always use that.

But, tire kickers are everywhere. You either deal with them or you don't. I think Craigslist is to blame for some of it. It's like an online flea market. I've had so many people tell me about back and forths on Craigslist. I haven't sold on there so I'm not sure how it works.

Kyle

[BostonSportsFan]

Joe,

I just listed a bunch of stuff on ebay and, when I do a BIN, you can set the auction to automatically decline offers under a certain amount. I always use that.

But, tire kickers are everywhere. You either deal with them or you don't. I think Craigslist is to blame for some of it. It's like an online flea market. I've had so many people tell me about back and forths on Craigslist. I haven't sold on there so I'm not sure how it works.

Kyle

Great point Kyle I forgot about that one.

I tried Craigs list once or twice complete waste of time as I was getting spam emails for male enhancements and the like and I am not making that up.

I guess the more anyone tries to avoid the major auction houses and fees that go along with that the more of this type of thing you are going to attract. Although going that route is infinitely more costly, if you are selling anything of real value, I would suggest going that route or be prepared to simply deal with all the nonsense that goes along with this thread.

Using all the additional features on ebay as suggested is another route although I still find I get hammered with a bunch of absolutely stupid questions. I always try to take as many detailed photos when selling as I can along with a very detailed description. I try to really eliminate the need to be questioned to death on everything but there is only so much one can do.

In the end, I probably sell anything on ebay about 4 - 6 items per year so you just deal with it and move on.

Joe

[ferro39]

dont even get me started on craigslist. id say that for every 10 emails from people telling me that they will take an item, that maybe 1 or 2 actually come through. that's how bad it has become.

it's kind of a necessary evil for large items or for items that simply cant be shipped economically.

after my grandmother passed, i helped my family get rid of some of the contents of her home because they're not very computer savvy an it turned into a poop show. her house was about 15-20 minutes from mine, so whenever someone would set up a time to go over there and not show up, id basically wing up killing like 2 hours between travel time and hanging around.

one mook called me en route telling me that she would be there in 15 minutes and simply never showed up after that, and stopped answering her cell phone. this was after she begged me to sell her the item.

[Shipp_96]

I am not sure what everyone else is selling, but when I do sell on ebay very rarely, I do try to sell some measure of higher end game used which is rare but on occassion I do this.

I will be honest, I really, really get annoyed when I have a BIN or BO and lets say I have a BIN price of $5000 and kid you not, I get BO of $500 - $800.00. I am not even going to waste my time countering on that ridiculous offer. It is one thing to put in a reasonable offer up front that is negotiable but if you are stupid enough to think anyone is going to accept a price at 15 - 20% of your BIN you probably should not be left out of your cage. Again, I don't know everyone else's selling practices, however I price my items even at BIN competitively with all other items of that type which have sold via major auction and or ebay over the past 12 - 18 months. I know some sellers way overprice items, I do not. My items are all premium highly graded and authenticated and quite frankly it is ridiculous to me that you as a buyer do not understand the market that you would insult a seller with offers like that.

I find that probably about 50% of the time, I actually get very competitive offers on premium items and often I am able to work something out when we are not far apart.

It really is as simple as you cannot account for stupidity and some people are either misinformed, trying to be funny, or just as mentioned kicking the tires and wasting their time and yours.

Joe

Being I try to clear the closet once a year, take a loss on some stuff and buy new items in my ever redefined collection, I see ebay also as a necessary evil. I share your point of view as well.

I had a GU helmet on there, and I paid $325 for it, had a BIN for $275 with free shipping, and honestly would take $230. I am very flexible with best offers, if someone comes close I will also work with them. Some clown out the gate offered me $99. I mean, I cannot make that up! WTF? I will not even amuse contacting someone like that, either.

Then I get the inevitable "why won't you pay customs, fill out a 6 page form and ship it overseas for me FOR FREE?" Even though I state do not even ask me to ship out of the USA. Again, why waste my time with the emails? Alot of time, they get testy, asking what is my justification for not selling to them in Japan, or the UK? I do not need to tell you my reasons!

I really loathe ebay, and am happy I only use it as little as I do these days.

[commando]

Everyone loves to make a fast buck, and I think that more often than not these tire kickers are going for the quick flip (I'm talking about the ones who give ridiculous offers). They scan the eBay countryside, finding the GU items that catch their eye, and might toss offers to many sellers at the same time -- playing a numbers game (we all knew guys in high school like that.... Put yourself out there to 30 girls and maybe one will take the bait!)

So when you don't take their insulting offer, they're already contacting the next batch of sellers. They weren't really serious about your item in the first place.

As bad as this sounds, I do continue to hear stories about how this plan gets results for these lowballers from time to time. Another scenario is the serious collector who simply does not have the money for the item, but decides to go for the "hail mary" just to see what happens.

[ferro39]

Then I get the inevitable "why won't you pay customs, fill out a 6 page form and ship it overseas for me FOR FREE?" Even though I state do not even ask me to ship out of the USA. Again, why waste my time with the emails? Alot of time, they get testy, asking what is my justification for not selling to them in Japan, or the UK? I do not need to tell you my reasons!.

not too long ago, i had a guy send me a long email wondering why i wouldnt send an item to canada. he made it sound like him buying the item was only a formality and that me not shipping to him was the only thing holding him back. he even made it a point to tell me how he lived in the town that the player grew up in so that it would be the perfect place for the jersey. it was a failry high-ticket item, so i didnt want to risk getting ripped off. we went back and forth a few times

finally, i relented and said that i would send it global priority with tracking and cover half of it. at that point, i never heard from him again.

[cohibasmoker]

Maybe the "Items Wanted" section of this website could be changed to "Tire-Kickers". Is it me or has any member of this site ever had any success answering a thread in the "Items Wanted" section?

Just a thought - hope I didn't offend anyone.

Jim

[R.Mansfield]

For those who are insulted by “low ball offers”, I have to ask why you accept are using the best offer feature on eBay? Just let the auction run its course or set a buy-it-now price?

I recently was watching a bat on eBay that started out with a $3400 or best offer price. This bat was way overpriced, but it was a bat that I wanted it with not too many on the market so I offered $1000 for it.

Well this offer set the seller off; we went back and forth a few times, personal attacks, vulgar language… Anyway I did not buy the bat, but kept an eye on it. Slowly over a period of 6-8 weeks the bat went to a buy-it-now price of $ 2800, $2400, $1800, $1600, $1400, and then back up to $1600 with a best offer option.

I ended up making a deal with the seller, using my wife’s eBay account and bought the bat for $1150. I would have been willing to buy the bat for more than my first offer of $1000, and I would have paid more than $1150, but by being patient I feel I got the bat for a good, fair price. Mike Specht was kind enough to complete a record check through his certification service and I am very happy with it.

For all of the tire kickers out there, there are just as many crazy sellers who are way out of touch with the market.

Just take a look at this thread, where I am considered a low-baller, by the same person who started this current thread.

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=22050&page=2&highlight=ruben+sierra+bat (http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=22050&page=2&highlight=ruben+sierra+bat)

I remember at the time, Sierra bats were going for the price I offered. With the market now, I am glad he didn’t accept my price!

Russell Mansfield
batdna@sbcglobal.net

[Mark17]

Maybe the "Items Wanted" section of this website could be changed to "Tire-Kickers". Is it me or has any member of this site ever had any success answering a thread in the "Items Wanted" section?

Just a thought - hope I didn't offend anyone.

Jim

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_forum/showthread.php?t=41284

One of the fastest, easiest transactions I've ever completed was the sale of a beautiful 1973-75 Garvey GU8 bat to a forum member who posted in "Items Wanted."

[xpress34]

Maybe the "Items Wanted" section of this website could be changed to "Tire-Kickers". Is it me or has any member of this site ever had any success answering a thread in the "Items Wanted" section?

Just a thought - hope I didn't offend anyone.

Jim

Jim -

Ask Ben (Gorilla777) about my Items Wanted post (which I just updated). I purchased a beautiful BiCentennial Larry Parrish LVS from him through my Wanted post.


- Smitty

P.S. - No Offense taken....

[CampWest]

I think this goes both ways... Has anyone been "tire-kicked" by sellers?

A lot of people know I collect certain players or am shopping for certain bats, so I get solicited to purchase items quite frequently. There have been more than a handful of times somebody has approached me with an item to sell and I've been dragged along for upwards of two or three years on a couple of items. They've said they want to sell an item, I review it and make an offer, the seller agrees the terms were fair and accepts the terms, but they have just never decided to part with it. I send payment and its refunded, I ask to confirm their paypal address and they tell me to hold off. Every few months they check back in and ask if I am still interested and I indicate the offer stands and I am ready to pay and they back out of selling again.

[ironmanfan]

Maybe the "Items Wanted" section of this website could be changed to "Tire-Kickers". Is it me or has any member of this site ever had any success answering a thread in the "Items Wanted" section?

Just a thought - hope I didn't offend anyone.

Jim

I recently had a smooth transaction with someone who had posted they were seeking Corey Patterson items in the "Items Wanted" section....

[frikativ54]

I recently had a smooth transaction with someone who had posted they were seeking Corey Patterson items in the "Items Wanted" section....

I've had great transactions on Items Wanted before. I actually have worked out many deals as the result of posting Want Ads.

[ferro39]

I think this goes both ways... Has anyone been "tire-kicked" by sellers?

i recently had a seller email me about an item i was looking for. when i asked for a price, i got the old, "i havent thought about it yet but feel free to make an offer" response. it was somewhat off-putting, so i was in no rush to do so (especially because the seller hadnt even given any specifics about the item). the next email i got was informing me that he had contacted a few people who were also interested in the item.

at that point, i asked for pictures and additional details. still havent seen them or even gotten a response back from the seller.

on the other end of things, i had one buyer negotiate a price with me on a jersey, ask for all kinds of pictures, and asking if i could mail the jersey out today. he sent me nothing short of 15 emails in a 24-hour period. after i went to sleep on saturday night, i even woke up to 3 different emails from him.

after it came time to buy, he hasnt emailed me in over a day

[frikativ54]

I think this goes both ways... Has anyone been "tire-kicked" by sellers?

A lot of people know I collect certain players or am shopping for certain bats, so I get solicited to purchase items quite frequently. There have been more than a handful of times somebody has approached me with an item to sell and I've been dragged along for upwards of two or three years on a couple of items. They've said they want to sell an item, I review it and make an offer, the seller agrees the terms were fair and accepts the terms, but they have just never decided to part with it. I send payment and its refunded, I ask to confirm their paypal address and they tell me to hold off. Every few months they check back in and ask if I am still interested and I indicate the offer stands and I am ready to pay and they back out of selling again.

This has happened to me more than once from various sellers. I am led to believe that someone has a game used item to sell; therefore, I make an offer. When I give someone a price, that individual doesn't reply or says they are thinking about it, often for months. Then, in many cases, you never hear back from the "seller."

While it's fine to change one's mind, I don't like to be jerked around as to if I am getting something. I think if a buyer makes an offer, he should be given the common courtesy of a reply in a decent amount of time. Sometimes these things go on for months. In a few cases, for years. So I definitely agree that sellers aren't the only ones being tire-kicked.

[Number13]

As a newbie I hope I don't sound like one. :confused: Just trying to learn a bunch of stuff. At this point I hope I am ok. I'm just try to be as up front about things as possible. Thanks for everyone being so helpful so far and look forward to establishing great relationships on here.

[ferro39]

While it's fine to change one's mind, I don't like to be jerked around as to if I am getting something. I think if a buyer makes an offer, he should be given the common courtesy of a reply in a decent amount of time. Sometimes these things go on for months. In a few cases, for years. So I definitely agree that sellers aren't the only ones being tire-kicked.

that's pretty much it. what does it take to say that i changed my mind or that im no longer interested in dealing? and in what universe do people think that ignoring emails or simply never responding is an ok thing to do?

it literally takes 15 seconds to tell someone that you're going to pass.

[Shipp_96]

I have one auction currently that is driving me insane. I am selling some GU items for essentially more GU items, so I am not desperate to sell. I had a nice selling run a month ago from real collectors wanting my items, was able to buy some more items and all were happy! But now I am dealing with obvious flippers.

So, I have these vultures, consistently writing me about lowering the price. Problem is, I have it written in the description "Please do not ask me to reduce this price any further, as you are already getting a phenomenal deal. You are saving $130 off what I paid, etc...". Well, to no avail! I get three emails daily, "how much lower can you go?"

I question are they j@ck@ss' just messing with me, or really that dumb? The worst part is I had a collector, exchanged 5-8 emails, and he basically would not budge over $15 difference. What ticked me off is I already came down $50, and asked that he just understand I could not take anymore off, but nope. I never heard from him again. At this point, honestly, it is becoming such a circus I am about to keep it and put it away until maybe Christmas, when maybe I could get closer to what it's worth.

[ferro39]

not really tire kicker related, but i have a couple of other funny ebay stories.

i listed a bunch of old non-game worn jerseys last night. literally 2 minutes after one goes up i get a message asking if i will take $5 more than my opening bid and shipping as a BIN. for $5, ill take my chances. you're not doing me any favors

i also got another message overnight asking if i would consider lowering my price and and setting up a BIN for them....mind you with 6 days and 22 hours left in the auction!!!

amazing how some people can walk with the size of the cojones between their legs

[momen55]

i think it's time to call out these tirekickers because all they do is waste our time. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, BUY IT!

[Preston]

Just had ANOTHER tire kicker contact me...go through emails back and forth, agree TO a price and I said I'd send pics tonight when I got home from work and they give me the old "I have to pass, but if you have it down the road, I may be interested" line.

Am I wrong for telling the person that I may or may not deal w/ them when the time comes? It's frustrating but I know ALL of us have been there.

[Preston]

i think it's time to call out these tirekickers because all they do is waste our time. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, BUY IT!

I'm ALL for this if others are, too.

[Mulligans]

Happens to me at least once a week and unfortunately they are all on this Forum!

No matter how frustrating it is to me.....I would never want to insult someone publicly over this....Some folks just stroll through life a little differently??

[kellsox]

Unfortunately it's gotten to the point that I would rather put an item up on eBay than in the classifieds here. For every 5 people that request pics or ask questions, I'm lucky to hear back from 1 person. It doesn't take long for a " thanks but I'll pass " email... I've been meaning to post on this for a while- but for this and other reasons I've become less and less interested in the hobby.

[Titans74]

i think it's time to call out these tirekickers because all they do is waste our time. IF YOU WANT SOMETHING, BUY IT!

This is rather pretentious. I ask about many items, I buy a select few. It is up to me whether or not I like the details/info given about an item that I am interested in and whether or not I choose to buy it.

I do see some (especially here on GUU) see you collect a player, offer you an item and automatically expect you to buy it. And get rather aggravated/insulted when you politely decline their item. That and they expect you take their word on the presumed game use of the item. God forbid you ask for provenance. Quite assinine behavior and expectations imho.

[lakeerie92]

This is rather pretentious. I ask about many items, I buy a select few. It is up to me whether or not I like the details/info given about an item that I am interested in and whether or not I choose to buy it.

I do see some (especially here on GUU) see you collect a player, offer you an item and automatically expect you to buy it. And get rather aggravated/insulted when you politely decline their item. That and they expect you take their word on the presumed game use of the item. God forbid you ask for provenance. Quite assinine behavior and expectations imho.

It is one thing to be selective with what you purchase and ask questions and such. It is a different story when you email the person saying " I will take it," then start asking questions on it. If you want to ask questions go ahead, but don't commit to it before you are sure because there are others emailing about the item.

There is one forum member I ignore because I regularly get asked for more information on items I sell and not only have they never bought a thing, but never even reply back.

I give a small window to forum members before I go to eBay. I would rather give it to a member if they want it, but I have been told through the forum that I had an item that was only worth xx amount of dollars only to list it on eBay for over double that price.

[Titans74]

It is one thing to be selective with what you purchase and ask questions and such. It is a different story when you email the person saying " I will take it," then start asking questions on it. If you want to ask questions go ahead, but don't commit to it before you are sure because there are others emailing about the item.

There is one forum member I ignore because I regularly get asked for more information on items I sell and not only have they never bought a thing, but never even reply back.

I give a small window to forum members before I go to eBay. I would rather give it to a member if they want it, but I have been told through the forum that I had an item that was only worth xx amount of dollars only to list it on eBay for over double that price.

Most definitely. If a person says "I'll take it". Then doesn't ever respond back or pay for the item, then they are unreliable and a liar.

It was my understanding that we were talking about people who might contact a seller asking details on a particular item. Maybe they ask for pictures. Then, in the end, after absorbing details/pics they decide they do not want that particular item. Said seller now is pissed, for a lack if a better word, hecause he feels slighted by "wasting" his time for a potential buyer who decided not to buy or as it was phrased her a "tirekicker".

Sellers who become angry over this are who I called assinine. Not every interested party ends up buying. And not every person who passes on a item is a dead beat. It's business. It's life. Accept it and move on.

[AutographAddiction]

Maybe the "Items Wanted" section of this website could be changed to "Tire-Kickers". Is it me or has any member of this site ever had any success answering a thread in the "Items Wanted" section?

Just a thought - hope I didn't offend anyone.

Jim

I see where you're coming from. I may be guilty of this occasionally.

I'm a team collector, rather than strictly a player collector(for the most part), and I love UNC(basketball, baseball, football, and alumni from each), Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Braves, Charlotte Bobcats, and numerous NBA "stars". So I collect a wide variety of players and items.

Most of the time, I do not have a specific thing I am looking for, and sometimes not even a player in mind, I'm just looking for some cool items from my favorite teams and finding these items is easiest with a broad listing in the "Items Wanted" section.

But, I'm a student, and although I manage my money very well and am able to purchase some high-end stuff, I have a pretty strict budget. I feel like the only time I "tire-kick" is when I'm on a strict budget and am pursuing many items at once. I wish I could buy everything I see from the teams mentioned above, but I obviously can't afford that. So when I am in negotiations with numerous sellers on numerous items, but I can only afford one or two of them, I find myself inevitably unintentionally "tire-kicking" in order to make my decision on which item to buy.

That's just my rambled additions to the conversation. I've also been on the sellers end, and can understand how incredibly aggravating it can be after sending 10 high-red photos, 10-15 emails over a few weeks, and all of that jazz.

I think it's good to be conscientious of this issue as a buyer but to be understanding as a seller.

I know this thread will continue to remind me to take the sellers thoughts into consideration, and I hope others will be reminded as well.

[godwulf]

I recently responded to someone's "Items Wanted" post, and it resulted in a sale, without problems.

As far as posting there, myself - I am hesitant to do so, honestly, because on those couple of occasions when I did it in the past, items were offered to me without a stated price, and when I asked what the prospective Seller wanted for them, I got "Make me an offer"...and when I responded with something along the lines of, "It's yours, I don't know what you want for it" (not wanting to either give an insultingly low offer or potentially offer three times what the Seller had in mind) they either repeated the "Make me an offer" line, or stopped talking to me.

Am I wrong to think that, in most circumstances, the Seller should be the one to drop the first number into the conversation? As a Buyer, I don't mind a little haggling, but I just believe that it saves a lot of time and possible hard feelings if the guy who owns the thing makes the first move in that process.

[gingi79]

I recently responded to someone's "Items Wanted" post, and it resulted in a sale, without problems.

As far as posting there, myself - I am hesitant to do so, honestly, because on those couple of occasions when I did it in the past, items were offered to me without a stated price, and when I asked what the prospective Seller wanted for them, I got "Make me an offer"...and when I responded with something along the lines of, "It's yours, I don't know what you want for it" (not wanting to either give an insultingly low offer or potentially offer three times what the Seller had in mind) they either repeated the "Make me an offer" line, or stopped talking to me.

Am I wrong to think that, in most circumstances, the Seller should be the one to drop the first number into the conversation? As a Buyer, I don't mind a little haggling, but I just believe that it saves a lot of time and possible hard feelings if the guy who owns the thing makes the first move in that process.

I HATE that. People think you are the golden goose because they have an item from the player you collect. Courtesy is dying in this hobby and everyone is out to make every cent they can on people. In fact, had I not found the "Ignore User" button to block certain undesirably rude and self serving members, I would have simply left this site a few months ago. By blocking them, now all I see are the remaining quality members and GUU is fun again.

The downside of having a PC site is that now, people have come out of the woodwork with armbands, cleats, helmets, jockstraps, used gum, snot, whatever they can find used by my 2 players and expect me to not only beg them to buy it but pay through the nose. The other side is some collectors will NOT sell to me because they feel I have "enough items" or are mad that I wouldn't overpay for their item in the past and now won't even reply to my emails or allow me to send a Best Offer on eBay.