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Sales post etiquette: just checking

krogerfoot
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What prompted this post shouldn't be difficult to guess, but—what do we think about critical comments on members' watch sales posts? I don't mean gently pointing out that a watch that's been serviced or has the current owner's hair stuck in the crown should not be described as mint or some such, but rather opining on aesthetic considerations, pointing out things they don't like about it, etc.? Are we all cool with that? I'm not in the habit (I don't think) of voicing every opinion that flits through my head, especially if it denigrates any specific person's taste. It seems like bad form to nitpick a sales post, especially when the numerous photos should be more than enough to let viewers form their own judgment. Am I in the minority here?
 
Walrus
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krogerfoot krogerfoot
What prompted this post shouldn't be difficult to guess, but—what do we think about critical comments on members' watch sales posts? I don't mean gently pointing out that a watch that's been serviced or has the current owner's hair stuck in the crown should not be described as mint or some such, but rather opining on aesthetic considerations, pointing out things they don't like about it, etc.? Are we all cool with that? I'm not in the habit (I don't think) of voicing every opinion that flits through my head, especially if it denigrates any specific person's taste. It seems like bad form to nitpick a sales post, especially when the numerous photos should be more than enough to let viewers form their own judgment. Am I in the minority here?
No I feel the same way. Unless someone posts something that may not be accurate in a sales post why bother. There is a watch for everyone who cares about my personal opinion and if someone is just trying to honestly sell a watch I have no desire to mess it up. I have bought numerous nice watches here and I’m trying to close a deal now I just got hit with The busies but there are numerous great sellers here.
 
Dan S
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The listing is definitely not the place to post subjective opinions/comments. Pointing out missing information or factual errors is more of a gray area IMO.
 
cvalue13
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+1 on sales listings being a quiet place

if whomever is doing the trash-talking has <200 posts, I’d vote they earned themselves a 400 post sales hurdle

if they have >200, lordt helpt us
 
Dan S
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cvalue13 cvalue13
+1 on sales listings being a quiet place

if whomever is doing the trash-talking has <200 posts, I’d vote they earned themselves a 400 post sales hurdle

if they have >200, lordt helpt us

I may be wrong, but I think I recall that you may need 200 posts to post in the sales forum at all, even in an existing thread.
 
cvalue13
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Dan S Dan S
I may be wrong, but I think I recall that you may need 200 posts to post in the sales forum at all, even in an existing thread.

didn’t realize that, if it’s the case!

the resulting inference is … disappointing
 
stormysky10
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Dan S Dan S
I may be wrong, but I think I recall that you may need 200 posts to post in the sales forum at all, even in an existing thread.

You are correct. We're limited to writing reviews 😀
 
Walrus
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I can honestly this is the only platform I’ve bought watches on and have yet to have a problem with a purchase. I think I had one minor issue but it was kinda my fault as I bought the watch, just wound it to see if it ran and put it aside for a few weeks. I then found the time couldn’t be set when I did go to wear it. So that was dumb on my part always wear your watch a number of days when you first buy it. Common sense which I guess I lacked for that one. But on all the major sales/auction sites I’ve gotten magnetized watches, a watch shipped in a sleepy time teabox that got destroyed while making its way to me. A very cleverly done altered vintage seiko and the list goes on. Besides one fluke here that was partly due to my lack of DD every transaction has been smooth and on the up and up.
 
lillatroll
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No reason to comment on sales posts, if someone wants to make a negative or subjective point about a watch they can PM the seller. ( I have to be honest though, I was a tiny bit tempted to comment on a watch for sale, with a price quite a bit above retail, that you can walk into any stockist and purchase all day long. But at the end of the day, its none of my business what people ask for their watches so I didn’t )
 
Engee
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As an inexperienced collector I would be grateful for comments in sales posts that point out misdescriptions or omissions of crucial information where necessary.

In the first instance I think it would be fair for the seller to be informed by private message giving them the opportunity to edit their listing. If they refuse to do so a polite comment in the listing would, I feel, be appropriate.

I realise there may be some matters of dispute - is it or isn’t it a redial? Is that a service replacement part I see in the movement shot? In such cases, again, a polite comment that allows a conversation seems fair game to me.
Edited:
 
Evitzee
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lillatroll lillatroll
( I have to be honest though, I was a tiny bit tempted to comment on a watch for sale, with a price quite a bit above retail, that you can walk into any stockist and purchase all day long. But at the end of the day, its none of my business what people ask for their watches so I didn’t )
One of the rules of the sales forums is there will be no public bashing of the sales price, the seller can set their price. Whether it is out of whack or not is the seller's responsibility. We all see prices that are too high, and then the watch doesn't sell and gets continually dropped in price. But that's the seller's choice, no need for us to snipe from the peanut gallery.
 
krogerfoot
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Dan S Dan S
The listing is definitely not the place to post subjective opinions/comments. Pointing out missing information or factual errors is more of a gray area IMO.
It was arguably a gray-area comment that got me bent out of shape. I don’t think it was meant to be obnoxious, but if you ask me, comments that could cast doubt on the authenticity of a dial should not be made lightly, or at all if it’s anything less than an open-and-shut case, on sales posts at least. In non-sales forums I think there are too many confident announcements that someone’s new purchase is a redial when the evidence for it is thin, though, so maybe I’m oversensitive on this point.
 
Gav1967
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I agree with the majority that sales posts are not the place to comment on subjective thoughts and objective criticisms are best voiced by PM in my opinion.
If there are then still unanswered questions regarding authenticity or veracity of information etc. I thought the accepted practice was to open a separate thread to start a discussion there.
 
STANDY
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Rules are “Not ok to comment in the FS post” but it’s quite ok to start a seperate thread and comment until the cows come home.
Always been this way and have seen many posts removed from the actual FS thread over the years. Also seen many opinions on price and originality outside of the actual FS thread. (Some have seen Watch removed or price lowered due to originality or redial)

I will add it is OK to ask for better photos, clear dial shot, movement shot or wrist shot.
 
STANDY
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krogerfoot krogerfoot
It was arguably a gray-area comment that got me bent out of shape. I don’t think it was meant to be obnoxious, but if you ask me, comments that could cast doubt on the authenticity of a dial should not be made lightly, or at all if it’s anything less than an open-and-shut case, on sales posts at least. In non-sales forums I think there are too many confident announcements that someone’s new purchase is a redial when the evidence for it is thin, though, so maybe I’m oversensitive on this point.

If this is the comment your talking about.

https://omegaforums.net/threads/türler-signed-1956-omega-seamaster-490.144513/

Your within your rights to have it removed via a Report to the Mods
 
SpikiSpikester
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The best thing is to relist the watch and address the point with other examples, as you did at the end of the thread.

Although the comments were a bit "grey-area", they're the sort of thing that really should be raised by PM with a seller. The seller can have a private discussion, if it's a potential purchaser.

If it's an idle drive-by comment, a PM at least allows the the seller to think about adding extra information to the sales post.
 
Spacefruit
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Remember, we discuss all manner of watches, for sale or otherwise, in the non-sales forums. There is no taboo on members sales posts.

I think it is important we feel no reticence in discussing sales on this forum, in the appropriate thread, with enthusiasm. (kindness, knowledge and tact also help).

Open and free discussion is essential for us to further our knowledge, which can only be a good thing.

It ought to go without saying, that insults or gratuitously derogatory comments simply betray the intelligence of the author.

Since I have now been around a while, I have noticed that 98% (so that's a fact, obviously) of the people criticizing a price have zero ability or desire to buy the piece.

That said, it is very useful when a thread on a sales piece thoughtfully sets out evidence of previous sales and current asking to wonder why the asking price is where it is. General comments like "that's crazy", or "what is he thinking", are not helpful, and not worth the pixels that represent them.

All that said, the thread we are discussing, I can't see anything that might jeopardise the sale of this quite interesting $490 watch
 
Larry S
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This has been discussed many times. If you see an omission, error or outright attempt to mis represent, the best thing to do is politely PM the seller and allow them to edit their post. Failing that, a separate post to discuss the watch is fine although as we saw recently with a UG sales post, feathers may still get ruffled. No harm IMO if it prevents a novice from buying a bad watch at a high price. Its the right thing to do. It is never ok to do what was done in the post referenced here IMO.
Edited:
 
Syrte
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I don’t even know what we’re debating, there’s a rule that’s very clearly laid out in the sticky instructions of the sales forum below.
@krogerfoot with all due respect you should just have gotten that post removed and told that guy he was out of line, I completely understand you’d find it irritating.
What was he even getting at?



Requirements to list or Post Replies in the Private Sales Section:
  • Minimum post count of 200 posts is now required to post in ANY of the sales forums. These are expected to be normal contributing posts, attempts at "post farming" will get the offender banned
  • Keep all communication to through PM in respect to a deal rather than email. You can of course openly discuss the item in question publicly , but not in the sales post . Such discussions are to be respectful and non-accusatory. Serious concerns should be directed in reports to staff.
Edited:
 
krogerfoot
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I didn't want to sell the watch in the first place, and I've withdrawn it now that I seem to have survived this financial duress for the time being. I may have taken the comments a little personally because I am actually very fond of the watch and find its imperfections endearing, and it wasn't like I hadn't noticed them or thought potential buyers would miss them in the photos I provided. In fact the comments about the skewed printing on the dial were the only attention the sales post got, but if they scared away potential buyers, fine. I'd rather keep the watch.
 
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