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strat - that's how I view it - I tried to explain my position to this guy
I received threats in return. His new conditions not only added additional cost to the transaction (which he expected me to cover) but were set forth in a manner that removed him from any obligation to conclude the deal. Basically he wanted the right to renegotiate the price or walk away from the deal at his discretion and all this after after I provided (and paid for) an engineering report on the item. It would have been a great deal from his perspective if I had allowed it to happen. He would have had my product tied up for several weeks with no money changing hands and the very real possibility that I would end up with nothing but wasted time and expenses. It might have been a little different if the terms and conditions were not already clearly spelled out in the eBay listing. They were, he simply chose to ignore them. I view my actions as giving him a taste of his own medicine.
posted by
gomedome
on January 4, 2007 at 10:53 AM
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I don't think you acted unethically.
To me, your terms were couched in a sort of hypothetical manner anyway -- you never said you would agree to such nonsense.
The guy was a complete moron, and a crooked one, to boot. I would think that his machinations simply came back to bite him in the ass.
posted by
strat
on January 4, 2007 at 8:54 AM
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cantey_1975 - that's one thing that no one else mentioned
When you say this: "All this is true only when a person has it coming and is himself acting in an unethical manner due to design or inexperience."
The fact that the individual signed up for eBay that day suggests inexperience but all of the conditions he added to the deal may well have been by design. Regardless of what his motives were, I was being played for a sucker and what he was demanding of me, he had no right to ask. He used the "Buy it Now" utility which obligates him to purchase the item (it doesn't say "Buy it Now but rewrite the deal any way that you want") . . . his doing so is effectively unethical. Where I don't justify the use of deception in my business practices or condone it in any way, I also have no intention of being victimized by those who hold no such reservations. Occasionally you have to fight fire with fire.
posted by
gomedome
on January 3, 2007 at 7:33 PM
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I would have done the same thing, the guy has it coming
why let the stupidity of stupid people ( or those who are behaving in such manner for whatever reasons) supercede the wisdom ( buisness acumen) that life has taught to the prudent? What sense does that make? I think that is the greater crime.
All this is true only when a person has it coming and is himself acting in an unethical manner due to design or inexperience.
posted by
calmcantey75
on January 3, 2007 at 5:25 PM
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Talion - I stopped reading the individual but broke my own policy to
find my words misrepresented again.
Oh well. I feel badly for anyone who can make such a ridiculous connection between what I had written and what is being contended.
posted by
gomedome
on January 3, 2007 at 3:27 PM
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gomedome
Too late! I read the other post first. I'm glad you replaced it though. There's no sense jeopardizing your membership over this.
posted by
Talion
on January 3, 2007 at 3:17 PM
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