Would you buy when the terms are set down like this?

[Revenant]

The following is the item description for a coin on eBay:

 

PLEASE NOTE. IF THE PICTURE DO NOT MASH THE DESCRIPTION, DO NOT BID LET ME KNOW SO I CAN FIX THE ERROR.PLEASE DO NOT PAY WAIT FOR THE INVOICE, AND IF YOU PAY WITH PAYPAL YOU HAVE TO PAY INSURANCE NO EXEPTIONS.

 

NO PAYPAL IF YOU ARE NOT VERIFY YOU HAVE TO PAY VIA M.O. OR CHECK AND THE SHIPPING COST IS $5.95 INSURANCE IS EXTRA.IF YOU ARE VERIFY AND PAY VIA PAYPAL THE SHIPPING COST WILL BE MORE $5.95 YOU HAVE TO BUY INSURANCE NO EXCEPTIONS. THANK YOU.

 

PLEASE READ IF YOU PAY WITH PAYPAL YOU HAVE TO PAY INSURANCE NO EXEPTIONS.

 

PLEASE READ IF YOU DON'T BUY INSURANCE YOU BUY AT YOU'RE ON RISK.ALL SALE FINAL.CANADA AND INTERNATIONAL BUYERS IF YOU PAY WITH PAYPAL YOU HAVE TO PAY INSURANCE IS ONLY $9.50 FOR REGISTER MAIL.IF YOU PAY VIA M.O. OR BIDPAY THE INSURANCE IS UP TO YOU BUT RECOMENDED.AND WITH BIDPAY YOU CAN USE YOU'RE CREDIT CARD TO.......OR $12.50 REGISTER MAIL FOR THIS COIN ON SHIPPING

 

The seller CLAIMS to be from Sacramento, but based on this description either English is not their first language or this shows a distinct lack of professionalism. If it's the former then I'd be worried about having trouble communicating a problem to them; if it's the latter then I'd have a very hard time taking them seriously. I'm an engineering major and effective and proper communication in conducting business is emphasized in our instruction. We all make mistakes but I have little tolerance for this kind of thing in a business environment.

[bsshog40]

Rev, I know who this ebayer is. He charges a little more for s&h on a coin I was looking at and I emailed him to find out why and he gave this same description as a response in his email back to me. Never answered my question. I emailed him again and basically got a response that I could not understand due to what looked like a major language barrier!!

[coinman1794]

Clearly language must be an issue for him. That aside, everything he says seems to be fair and honest, just a little blunt and over emphasized; which again, could be a language issue.

[Just Bob]

IF THE PICTURE DO NOT MASH THE DESCRIPTION, DO NOT BID

 

That is all that I need to read to keep me from bidding.

[jackson64]

not to mention that he accepts Bidpay--which went out of business several months ago...

[cpm9ball]

Based on the way that he phrases and repeats things, I would guess that the seller is Oriental. Maybe he was forced to leave China after eBay NARU'ed him and he lost face with his family.

 

Chris

[BULLY]

The following is the item description for a coin on eBay:

 

PLEASE NOTE ...THE DESCRIPTION ... DO NOT BID

 

*****DANGER WILL ROBINSON ***** DANGER *****

 

Notice the part I left. I think that is the part I'd stick with, appropriately edited.

 

Sometimes, language poor writing skills can be off putting and are simply the result of English being a second language.

 

In some cases, this can and should be overlooked. I mean, I know doctors, so these are folks with advanced degrees, who can't write an effective business letter to save a life. One that I knew wrote a letter communicating GOOD news, but it was SO poorly written, that I got a complaint because the recipient thought the appeal was denied. In reading it with three other people, I couldn't get that it was supposed to be delivering good news. This was an Ivy educated, English speaking medical doctor - UGH!

 

That said, there are plenty of times where someone communicates very well, but just can't put it into writing as well as others, and if that's that's the case, no harm/no foul. It sounds like someone has had some previous experience with this seller, and when asking questions, the language barrier was more than poor writing skills, so I think the "DO NOT BID" applies, as much as I hate to "be that guy" and say it.

 

However, one must do business with someone with whom you find it easy and comfortable to do business. I suspect that EVEN IF the excerpt was written in slightly more grammatically correct English, you might have found the approach off-putting. I mean:

 

1. It was VERY demanding.

2. It was in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, which most of us learned in the infancy of the internet is the equivalent of yelling.

3. It was repetitive: PLEASE READ PLEASE READ PLEASE READ.

4. It did not instill confidence (corrected for spelling and grammar) "If the picture doesn't match the description..." Shouldn't that be HIS job to check?

5. Some points seem contradictory. I didn't quite follow the parts about the shipping rates being MORE if you pay using PayPal, but he said it was $5.95, which was the same as when paying by Money Order or Check, so if HE knows what he meant, it missed something, despite the the CAPS.

[carson city]

Consider yourself warned ! Caveat Emptor