How much time do you give someone to respond when they say they want an item you have for sale? I posted items for sale on the 21st. I responded promptly to those who said they wanted the items by PM telling them it was theirs. I also gave them the options for payment in the original thread. Two of the gentlemen who wanted the items paid promptly. One has yet to reply to my PM or to the original thread. It has been 2 days and have heard nothing. I even asked him to let me know if he was sending a MO and gave him my mailing address and my ph. # in case there were any questions. I don't want to sell the item that is left to someone and then receive a MO in the mail, but neither do I want to wait a week and not here from him. So, what do any of you think is the right amount of time to wait? I know this is an age old question on here and there is no correct, one size fits all answer. But if I do sell the item again, I don't want to get on here tomorrow and find a 3 page thread about how I didn't give someone enough time to respond...lol. Thanks, Eddie

I wonderer who that was?

I am surprised you had to PM them?!
When I want an item for sale I initiate a PM to to seller.

It’s only been two days right? I would say another two as I would guess you aren’t desperate.
My .02....

Money talks and bullschit walks.

Send him a PM and tell him if he doesn't contact you in the next 24 hours that you're going to put it back up for sale and sell it to someone else.

I sell building material for a living. I get contractors everyday that come in here and tag tons of material that they need in about a week or so and don't pay for it. If it's still here 2 weeks later, I call them and ask about it. It seems like half the time they tell me that the homeowner changed their mind. It's like, when the hell were they going to tell me this? Other times they tell me that they are getting ready to do the job, but the stuff sits here another month. I don't make a dime unless it's paid for. In a months time, I could have sold the item 5 times and brought new stuff in. They don't care because they're not holding up their money or inventory. I have little patience for that BS.

Rant over.

So it sounds like you've been waiting for 2 days for a reply. I'd send them PM telling them you need to know their intentions within 24 hours of receipt of your PM or you'll be putting it up for someone else to buy. If you want to be generous in case of an emergency on their end give them another day or two, but I'd send them an message with a time limit and stick by it.

Nah just sell to next person. If they haven’t contacted you by now they’re not going to. They’re just not telling you they’re not interested anymore. If someone wants to really buy something they’ll get back to you within an hour at most.

Have they read your original PM???

Have they been logged in since the sale???


If someone hasn't read my message or been logged in, I give em more time. Some of us work and have lives that dont allow constant internet. I'm sure I'm not the only one that still has areas with no cell service.


But if they've read it, been logged in etc....I'd send a message to them with a firm timeframe on confirmation and payment.

I do more buying than selling. I try to be as prompt as I can...and if the seller wants a MO I tell them what day I can make it to the post office...with work and life, it usually takes me a couple days to get a MO. But when working on a transaction, i try to get on and respond as often as I can till it's all worked out.

Due to lack of communication... sold to next offer.

Cut and paste.

g

if you have lives that dont allow you to be on the net then you shouldnt be on it posting you will take a item then going off doing something else.. its just common courtesty if you initiate the sale by saying you will take it then you follow up to get the show on the road..unless there's a emergency such as a death etc there is no excuse for holding up the sale.. even then it takes 5 minutes to let seller know whats going on..
Id be selling it to the next I will take it..

Depends on the situation. I sold something on here a few years back and my Mother passed away unexpectedly the day I posted it. I kind of forgot for a few days and it was about 5 days before i touched back with the buyer and apologized. Things happen in peoples lives. I'd say 5 days maybe.

More than once I've had the same thing happen--and a couple of times the buyer apparently thought saying he'd take it, and then mailing a check or money order to the address I provided, without telling me it was on the way, was OK. In one instance I never heard from him for several days, and he hadn't logged in on the Fire. He was apparently somewhat startled when he eventually did log on and read my PM asking if he really wanted the item.

Depends on who it is. If it’s a person that’s on this board and contributing frequently, I’d give a few more days. If it’s not, send a pm and tell them 24 hours, or it’s back up for sale.

This.

Exception would be if the buyer had PM'd to explain they need more time and you had agreed.

Reasoning being, if they have time to PM saying "I'll take it", then they have time to communicate to finalize the purchase.

JMHO

A little off topic but i have made several purchases where the seller requested pay pal. I immediately sent the Pay pal payment only to wait a week with no item in hand. Upon messaging the sellers i got "I'm out of town and wont be shipping for a few more days"
In my opinion if you are out of town and dont plan on shipping the item for sale in a reasonable time frame then either dont post it for sale until you are home and able to ship or disclose in the ad that you are out of town and will not be shipping quickly.

Also this or if you are going to be gone out of town make buyers aware in original post up front.

Some people don't live on the computer. Once a day has been a norm. for a while. If I don't reply in a day, or maybe two. I'm out of touch, and you should move on.

The buyer of the brass has stated in a transaction earlier this year that he doesn't do paypal. Did you give him an address for USPS MO?

Yes, Barney I did give him the address in the PM. I didn't see the post earlier this year, but that would have been nice to have seen and remembered, I suppose.

The gentleman has contacted me with his intentions to send a MO. I appreciate the replies, and as I suppose I suspected, and as we all know that everyone has an opinion...lol. I do prefer to give someone the benefit of the doubt, it's just hard to judge how long to give up on someone whose circumstances you do not know about. Thanks again, everyone...

I recently thinned the herd. Can't even remember how many pictures I sent. At any rate towards the end I called things closed, or reply NOW. I'm willing to wait, but 48 hours is my limit, especially when others are asking. The other thing is the "CLINGON'S" as I call them talking, talking, but never commit.

The best thing I have found to do when purchasing off of here is my own rule of thumb and it works as good as using a FFL. From a buyer's standpoint I always do my very best to go the next morning (since I work Midnight shift) on my way home and purchase the USPS MO and as they are filling it out I always take a pic of the addressed envelope, tracking number and receipt and make sure to text those 3 pics to whomever I am making the purchase from. If its going to be over a weekend before I can make it to the Post Office I establish means of communication with the seller and keep them informed of my activities up until I send them the pics. I know it sounds "over the top" when it comes to buying but I value my word highly and I am not going to do anything to jeopardize my or my word's integrity. Just my 2 cents. Upfront and honesty have always worked best for me.

Your are not over the top at all. It is the exact same way that i try and complete transactions. Now everyone wants to use Pay Pal which is much less work.Good communications, full disclosure, and honesty makes for a smooth transaction.

Ryan

When I do a transaction with someone here,buying or selling I provide my email address & home phone number.Most guys when they see I provide that do the same.I do it because I am on the internet once or twice a day.That being said some folks have no sense of urgency to reply ever about a transaction.I always let the other person know when I send an MO or PP.I always provide a Tracking number when I ship.I want to hear from the person I sell to that they are satisfied with what they bought.All this is just common courtesy .Apparently some thing some folks were never taught.I think 4 days would be a fair amount of time to wait before you put up for sale just incase that life got in the way of the persons answering you.