Seller Integrity Check

[JTR249]

I just found a pair of rough vertical mufflers from a 22 year member of a website.
We made payment arrangements on parts and emailed for the standard information, however,
the parts are still posted and I've emailed through another system and reminded him to take the listing down but all he says is that he has responded and he is receiving the messages.

Is this a red flag to you members who have done this longer?
What do you think? The location is Indianapolis, IN with a Beecher Street address.
I don't know if I am permitted to list the name or not or even show you the parts in question.

There could be a legitimate reason for holding out, though this has not happened once in my four years of buying parts online.
Still a bit early as the money has not been sent.

Thanks.
-JR

[Lyle Manheimer]

Speaking only for myself, I often sell on CL. I never remove a posting until I have the money in hand. I used to remove them when a deal had been reached only to find out later the supposed buyer had changed their mind. I can not tell you how many times this happened to me and it is a real PIA. Again I do not know what payment arrangements were made. My personal preference is Pay Pal as this gives you a couple of avenues for a dispute if the parts are not sent. For me money in hand = removal of listing.
The other reason could be if he has a full price offer from you he can tell others he has a full price offer and look for more $. A bit unscrupulous but you are living in 2022 not 1968 where a handshake was often the deal closer.

[JTR249]

Lyle,

That makes a lot of sense. Most of the time, people remove the listing immediately.
As for the second reason, this situation was the opposite--he thought he had a high dollar part and the condition just was not there. Three of the only vertical shops in the country turned it down at the posted number and condition.
Thanks for the advice.

-JR

[JTR249]

Finally received them. They will take some work and will have to add metal. Turns out the guy was not feeling well and shipped a little late.
Thank you.
-JR

[Rubone]

Maybe we need a "buyer integrity check" too??

[JTR249]

Rubone,
I suppose you would want one if people kept trying to buy based on credit. This usually works from the buyer's situation the worst because you could get ripped off.
I read a recent post where people discussed fake HD pins that were suddenly all over the web for sale and the member was angrily defaming the authenticity of the pins.

I certainly didn't intend to imply the person was not of good integrity. I have noticed the AMCA has "guest" accounts as well as member accounts.
I didn't know if there was a way to verify within the organization whether or not other people had purchased from this particular seller. Sometimes that happens and other members are able to give advice to avoid or end the transaction. The Hot Sheet forum exists for stolen bikes, though what about people who constantly try to rip off hart-working members of the AMCA?
I am still a little leery of this particular seller, though the person could actually be just slow to communicate, elderly or impaired.
Anyway, Rubone, the other seller with the Craigslist parts said he was a member and the cost was higher than I usually ever spend, so I thought I would try to verify his membership.
Eventually people were able to verify the information. I don't normally purchase the catalog of members that the AMCA offers. I was kind of stuck and tried to talk to members for help.
I tried to do this for two separate potential purchases in two different forums because there was no response for quite a while.

Then Mr. Kizer posts in the Chapter Officer's forum a post from 2015 again about not attacking people in the forum and all I was trying to do was verify the membership.
I don't even know if the post was referring to my post, though it did appear immediately after it. Then when I messaged him and he returned the message, the message mysteriously disappeared from my box!!!

Tell me Rubone, what was so offensive in any of the posts I made? I don't think he was responding to me.
My experience has been nothing but positive in my two years as a member of the AMCA. I have learned much from people who are members and people who were members at one time in their lives. There have been a couple of times I've seen members become passionate about technical aspects of restoration and defend their methods, though this is to be expected when numerous people are talking about modifications or processes that involve updated methods that are not necessarily in books.

-JR

[pisten-bully]

JR, I'm not certain Robbie was suggesting anything negative or offensive about your inquiry! But you'd have to admit there are buyers out there, maybe many buyers (in addition to sellers) that could use a 'buyer integrity check'? Reports from sellers of flaky, no show, or dishonest buyers are numerous. I don't think Robbie's comment was a slam on your post...it's the internet and not everything is read and interpreted as it was intended to be by the writer.

[JTR249]

pisten-bully,

no, I don't think he was either. Here is the post from the Officer's Pipeline that followed my post, though did not directly address me.
So this is why I was wondering, is that directed at me when I don't think I said anything offensive.
Here it is:
"All,

As much as I appreciate the need for an area on the forum to openly discuss Chapter issues to and between the AMCA Chapters and the AMCA Board, please realize this is Not a place for personal attacks. Constructive criticism is one thing but blatant attacks on any one person or groups is completely uncalled for. The purpose of this thread is to make suggestions and solve problems, not create them.

I would ask for those who post, limit their post to short one to three paragraph post. We get much more dialog from many members and I can guarantee you the page long post just run people off and kill the thread.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Keith"

-JR